The German Football Association is carrying out the "Playing Down" project in several regional associations (Background information). The goal is to give biologically younger soccer players the opportunity to play in a lower age group. Starting with the 2026–2027 season, the Berlin Soccer Association will also allow U16 and U14 players who meet the relevant criteria to apply for a temporary reclassification to the U15 or U13 age group, respectively. We explain how this works in the following guide.

Step 1: Check the Requirements

The project applies exclusively to the younger age groups of the male C and B youth divisions (U14 and U16) in all leagues. To be eligible to apply, players must be more than one year younger than the “average” player in their actual age group. Specifically, this means that U14 players must be biologically younger than 12.0 years at the time of application, and U16 players must be biologically younger than 14.0 years.

Biological age is determined based on body weight and height while standing and sitting (Mirwald method). The measurement takes about two minutes.

A short instructional video from the Württemberg Soccer Association on how to properly perform the measurement can be viewed on YouTube: Mirwald Explanatory Video for Clubs

The measurement results, along with other relevant information about the player, are entered into an Excel document, which automatically calculates the biological age and indicates whether the player is eligible to apply for “playing down.”

Step 2: Submit an Application

It is recommended to submit an application only if it is believed that a player would benefit from continuing to play in the younger age group for a while longer. This is especially the case if the player has difficulty keeping up physically with the players in his or her designated age group. If this is the case and the requirement regarding biological age is met (see Step 1), the club may submit an application for “playing down” to the BFV Youth Committee. To do so, send an email to jugendausschuss@spam.berlinerfv.de with the following documents:

• A fully completed and signed application for special playing eligibility ( playing down)
• Completed Excel spreadsheet regarding biological age
• An informal, signed consent form from the legal guardians

Step 3: Review by the BFV

The BFV Youth Committee reviews the submitted documents for completeness and invites the player to a centralized height and weight measurement if the requirements are met. Upon successful confirmation of the measurements, the special playing eligibility from U16 to U15 or from U14 to U13 is granted. If an application is rejected, the player remains in his or her original age group. The special playing eligibility is valid until December 31 or June 30 of each year and must be reapplied for each half of the season.

All relevant documents regarding the “Playing Down” special playing eligibility are also available in the download section under “Pass and Registration.”