"Jumpers for goal posts" is a phrase you might have heard said. Many of us grew up playing football in the street or on a local field with just a ball and whatever we had to hand to make some goals.
And that is still a great way for kids to start playing, and exactly what many still do every day in the school playgrounds and local parks up and down the country.
When many of us were growing up there wasn't the availability of goal posts to buy in the same variety nor the same level of affordability as there is today.
But if you do want to buy your child some goals for them to play with, where do you start?
The initial basic level would be a set of cones. You can get some quality cones at very affordable prices which look much better than 'jumpers' and are easy to carry around. Another option would be boundary / slalom poles which can also be used as goal posts.
But what football loving child doesn't love to see an actual net bulge as they thump the ball into a goal? Or pulling off a full stretch, diving save to stop a screamer sailing into the top corner? And there are so many different options available now.
If you want something similar to what they will play in at mini soccer ages, the official FA guidelines are for up to Under 10 (Year 5) goals should be 12 feet wide by 6 feet tall (3.66m by 1.83m). The 12' x 6' Samba Speed Goal is a great option at this size.
At older age groups the goals get bigger, and bigger!
Up to Under 12 (Year 7): 16 feet wide x 7 feet tall (4.88m x 2.13m) - Take a look at the Samba 16' x 7' Trainer Football Goal
Up to Under 14 (Year 9): 21 feet wide x 7 feet tall (6.40m x 2.13m)
Under 15 (Year 10) and older: 24 feet wide x 8 feet tall (7.32m x 2.44m)
Obviously if you have acre of grass for your back garden, and plenty of money to spend, goal size won't be restricted. However for the majority, the space we have available will usually dictate what we choose.
A good way to gauge what size goal would work for your own outdoor space is to mark out the size you are thinking of with a couple of garden canes or chairs to get a feel for what might fit.
Smaller goals such as the 5' x 3' Precision Pro Flexi Net Goal (above) and 6' x 4' Precision Junior Garden Goal are great for kids to play small 1v1 or 2v2 games between themselves, as are the various pop up goals like the Precision Pop Up Goals (below), which are extremely light and portable, and come in a few different sizes.
You might also notice a number of goals available in 3m x 2m size, and these are actually official Futsal size goals, eg, 3m x 2m Powershot Quickfire Futsal Speed Goal, but equally great fun for a kick about in the garden.
Take a look at our full range of football goals here.
Related Blog Post:
Get the right size football for your child's age
What age group should my child be playing football in?
