Young Scottish players are now gaining considerable experience against older pros, with 170 over-age players having already featured in the new hybrid under-19 leagues which kicked off within Club Academy Scotland (CAS) in the summer.

The new leagues, which gives late maturing players an extra year of development, replaced the previous Under-18 category, with matches now played on Monday and Tuesday, offering minutes to young players who were in matchday squads for their first teams at the weekend.

Rangers sit atop of the Elite Under-19 League at the halfway point, though St Mirren and Hibernian have games in hand. Queen's Park lead the Performance / Advanced Youth Under-19 League after an impressive nine victories and a draw from their ten league matches.

Rangers also lead St Mirren in the Elite Under-17 League, while it's a similar story at Under-17 level as Queen's Park are also at the summit of that division, five points ahead of Ross County at the halfway point. 

Also the fixture information and the current league tables can be found here, while the information is also available on the MSF app. 

Cup Competitions and Festivals

The Scottish FA Youth Cup has now reached the quarter-final stages, with those matches set to take place in January.

Holder Kilmarnock take on St Mirren, with Queen's Park hosting Musselburgh Athletic, who are enjoying a dream run in the competition.

There is an Edinburgh Derby as well as 2018 winners Hibs hosts 2022 finalists Hearts. Aberdeen, who reached the 2024 final take on Dundee who were beaten by Kilmarnock in this year's showpiece. 

The CAS League Cup also kicks off in January, with group stage matches at all levels from Under-19 to Under-13 taking place.

In addition to the cup competitions, the fifth and final triangular CAS Festival will take place in January. These events, for players in the children's phase, see all 19 CAS clubs participating.

Alternative Games Club Programme

The Scottish FA, from a youth development perspective, want players and coaches to experience more than one pathway for learning and growth.
 
With Elite and Performance Tiers now aligned from under-11 to under-15, clubs have had the opportunity this season to play cross-tier challenge matches and also play against grassroots clubs.  
 
This also gives CAS clubs an opportunity to establish partnerships with grassroots clubs which can help raise standards in player and coach development, creating a wider pool of talent and helping the overall eco-system in youth football.
 
Over 120 challenge matches have taken place in the additional games programme, giving players blended experiences and a more balanced journey.
Read more about the club programme here.

Bio-Banding 

The biggest bio-banding festival ever seen in youth football took place across Scotland at the end of last month, with 12 teams competing across three locations.

Celtic, Rangers and Hearts hosted the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) events, with Aberdeen, Ayr United, Dundee, Dundee United, Falkirk, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and St Mirren involved.

Bio-banding is a concept which sees players periodically grouped by their biological age rather than their chronological age, with the aim of providing more developmentally appropriate challenges for both late and early-maturing players.

These festivals are set to be a regular occurrence within CAS throughout the season, although they are not a replacement for age group competition - rather they are an additional format that challenge and evaluate players in a different learning context. 

Agent Protocols

Off the pitch, the Scottish FA has made significant progress on updating the regulatory framework for agents working within youth football in Scotland. As part of this work, a new resource for interaction between agents and young players can be found here.

Growth and Maturation Exemption Scheme

The Scottish FA has also reinforced its commitment to fair player development by expanding its growth and maturation screening process within club academies across Scotland. The initiative recognises that not all young players develop at the same physical pace, and talent should not be lost simply because of late growth spurts.

Players identified as physical late developers can receive special exemptions, allowing them to continue competing and progressing within the academy system by playing in younger age group matches.

In total, 150 players have been given eligibility, giving promising young footballers the time and protection they need to reach their full potential.

The move highlights a growing shift in Scottish football towards long-term athlete development, ensuring technical ability, game intelligence and potential are valued just as highly as early physical maturity.

For many young players, this could be the difference between dropping out and breaking through. This change within the system gives clubs greater flexibility from a player development perspective, giving coaches the opportunity to analyse the players in different environments.