Whole of football plan

The Whole of Football Plan was developed by New Zealand Football to provide children with a fun and rewarding experience at every stage of a player’s development.

The Plan was introduced after extensive research from proven football development programmes around the world and includes the Junior Framework which ensures that every child entering the game will take part in training and games tailored to his or her age and ability.

The Whole of Football Plan provides a comprehensive model with coherent pathways and age-appropriate skills development.

The plan provides programmes for:

• First Kicks (4-6 years)
• Fun Football (7-8 years), 
• Mini Football (9-12 years)
• Youth Football (13-19 years)

The needs of a four-year-old are quite different from the needs of a 12-year old, so we provide clubs and coaches with the resources to give players a rewarding experience.​​​​​​​

Benefits of the Whole of Football Plan

Growing the Sport
With a high-quality development programme in place throughout the country, football will be better placed to retain and develop the young talent it discovers. In a nutshell, it will provide more quality football opportunities for more players – and that means more chances for Kiwis to develop a lifelong love of the game.

Transferring Best Practice 
Our new programme has been extensively researched and developed over three years. It’s based on evidence, not opinions. The master plan draws on best practice from football development programmes around the world and then adapted to our unique New Zealand conditions.

A Consistent Experience  
The WOFP allows clubs and other organisations to offer the appropriate competitions and skills development at all levels, in all regions. A player can move from Whangarei to Invercargill and pick up where he or she left off.

National Support for Grassroots
​​​​​​​The programme provides a turnkey operation that’s ready for regional and grassroots organisations to deliver to their stakeholders.