Does Southampton run academy trials?
Staplewood Campus · Marchwood, Hampshire · Checked 5 September 2026
No open trials, and the widest net in the south. Southampton runs development centres well beyond Hampshire, including Bristol and Bath, and its own scholarship announcements show the route: scouted at a development centre at six or seven, signed at nine, scholar at sixteen. The academy accepts a playing CV with a fixture list by email and may send a scout, though it cannot reply to everyone. Trial periods run by invitation only.
Got a trial or a scout’s invitation? How to prepare your child →Practise decisions before the trial: free Look First game →
How recruitment works
Invitation after scouting, then a trial period with the age group.
- 01Scouted at grassroots across the south
A large scouting operation covering Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and into the South West. Invitation follows repeated observation.
- 02Send a playing CV with a fixture list
The academy accepts CVs by email with position, date of birth, current and previous clubs, representative honours, school, and a fixture list with venues and kick-off times. It receives thousands and does not reply, but may send a scout.
- 03Trial period by invitation
Invited players train with the age group for a set period before a registration decision. Under Category 1 rules Southampton can register players from further away at U14 and up if full-time education is provided, which is why it uses host families.
Got a trial invite?
What scouts watch, what to bring, what to ask. £19 ($25)
Get the packClub section delivered within 48 hours of purchase. Checkout is in US dollars.
What to bring to an academy trial
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
Boots for the surface (grass = FG, firm ground; 3G or astro = AG, artificial grass), shin pads, a ball, a named water bottle and plain kit (no rival club shirts). Check the club’s trial email first.
Which ball size? See our size guide.
We have not tested these products. Check size, price and delivery on Amazon before you buy.
Southampton development centre
Community development centres in Southampton, Bristol, Bath and elsewhere. The club's own 2023 scholarship intake included players scouted at the Bristol centre at seven and the Bath centre at six, then signed at nine.
Official page ↗- Southampton and Hampshire
- Dorset, Wiltshire
- Bristol and Bath
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16, national from U14 with full-time education
- Ask whether it is a development centre place or an academy trial. Southampton development centres are community programmes.
- Check travel to Marchwood. One hour at U9 to U11, ninety minutes at U12 to U16.
- If your child is 14 or older and far away, ask about the full-time education model and host families before anything else. It is a family decision, not a football one.
- Send the fixture list with any CV. Without it nothing happens.
Southampton girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Southampton is listed in the FA's Professional Game Academy directory. The FA also lists Southampton as an Emerging Talent Centre provider. A centre provides extra training alongside grassroots football. Girls' information checked 5 October 2026.
Use the FA's Professional Game Academy directory to contact this club. Ask which age groups it currently recruits and whether it is accepting trial enquiries. A directory listing does not mean trials are open.
Official page ↗The FA lists this club or its Foundation in its centre directory. Ask the listed contact about ages, assessments and available places. Centre attendance can run alongside grassroots football.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Southampton FC, 15 youngsters sign Academy scholarships, Jul 2023 ↗
- Southampton FC, Player Development Camp (commercial) ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
Compare every club: football trials UK 2026, by club, age and region.
Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.