Russian Football youth Championship

General information

The official history of the tournament among reserves starts from 1946. Up to this point reserve teams played in regional tournaments (Moscovites - in the championship of Moscow).

Creating reserve tournament was a logical and thought-out decision under a system of training and improving the skills of players to maintain their game shape and tone, and implement innovative ideas in coaching tactics. Reserves’ tournament was invented, first of all, as a necessary element in the training system of young players, creating comfortable conditions for their gradual transition from football academy to the first team.

Reserve teams played the day previous to the day of first team match (1946-1952. 1958-1991), the same day (1955-57) or the day after (1953-54). Except the players of the squad other youth and first team’s footballers of the club, as well as football academy trainees of the same city, were permitted to compete in the reserves’ tournament.

The tournament was quite popular, collecting more than 10,000 spectators on some particular matches.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the announcement of former Soviet republics as independent states a separate tournament for reserve teams was not organized. Starting 1992 and until the foundation of the Russian Football Premier-League in 2001 reserve teams played as independent football teams in the lower leagues (1992-93 years - Second League 1994-97 years - Third League, 1998 - 2000 - Second Division). The teams played their own calendar, regardless of the first-teams’ competition and didn’t have the right of promotion in the case of a successful performance.

The economic downturn of the 90-ths led to a break of ties «first team» - «reserves», the performance of the backup in the Second Division did not contribute to the growth of players’ skill, because competition regulations deprived the players of sports motivation.

In 2001, the tournament has been restored as an independent competition. The resumption of the reserves’ tournament in the «classical» form and its transition into management of the Premier-League allowed it to return to the previous competitive role, designed primarily to train young footballers.

Since 2008, the reserves’ tournament was renamed into the Russian Football youth Championship among the clubs of the Premier-League teams.

With the reducing of the number of foreign players who can participate in the domestic competition the demand on Russian club-grow players increased. The importance of the reserves’ tournament becomes the determining factor in this process.

In recent years the Russian Football Union and The Premier League has done a lot to provide the necessary conditions for the youth tournament and for promotion it among the fans.

The Youth championship involves 16 youth teams of clubs of the Premier-League.

Participating in the championship is mandatory for the club. The names of the Club and the team should be the same. Clubs of The First Division promoted to Premier-League, are required to found a youth team that will take part in the Youth Championship of the next season.

Each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 30 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. (If teams are level on points, the tie-breakers are the number of wins, then head-to-head results, followed by several other factors.)

All the players of the club’s season squad are permitted to compete in the tournament.

In the course of the match in one team on the field at the same time may be at least seven homegrown players. The total number of foreign players and players born before 01.01.1990 simultaneously being in the field should not exceed 3 fielders and 1 goalkeeper.

During the match, each team is allowed to substitute up to seven players of the match roaster.

Youth Championship matches are held on the previous day of the Major Championship match of the same clubs. In some cases the transfer of the match to other time (date and / or hour) can be allowed.

Club whose team wins first place in the Youth Championship is awarded with title Winner of the Russian Football youth Championship.