Competitions from a total of 618 teams nationwide involving 10,000 under-11 and under-13 players in 8v8 football and futsal kicked off recently, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) revealed over the weekend.

Dubbed the Regional Football Associations (RFAs) Youth League, competition heats up this month with Luzon accounting for 225 teams, with 98 entries in the U11 category and 127 in U13.

The Visayas has 125 teams, composed of 58 U11 and 67 U13 sides, while Mindanao leads the country with 268 participating teams — 130 in U11 and 138 in U13.

The scale of participation underscores the strong demand for regular youth competitions and reflects the PFF’s effort to bring organized football back to communities across the country.

Rather than limiting youth development to training programs and occasional tournaments, RFA YL gives young players a consistent competitive environment where they can gain experience and measure their progress against their peers.

PFF president John Anthony Gutierrez said the revival of youth competitions is central to building a stronger and more sustainable football pathway in the Philippines.