Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These picks are our own gear — and below we explain honestly why that is.
Football sizes by age
Pee wee (size 5) for ages 9 and under, junior (size 6) for 9–12, youth (size 7) for 12–14, and official (size 9) for high school and up. Grip matters more in football than any other sport a kid plays — small hands on a too-big ball means fumbles, frustration, and a kid who decides football isn't for them.
An honest note before the picks
Football is the most leather-dominated sport in America — nearly every traditional football is animal leather or PVC. We looked for third-party alternatives to recommend alongside our own and couldn't find a credible one, which is exactly why we make these. So yes, this list is our gear — because for a leather-free football, it's essentially the list.
1. Eco Sports Pee Wee Football — Size 5 (Best first football, ages 9 and under)
A textured thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) shell sized and tacky enough for small hands learning to catch. No animal leather, no PVC. See it here · or on Amazon.
2. Eco Sports Junior Football — Size 6 (Best for ages 9–12)
The flag-football and youth-league workhorse size. Textured TPU grip that works in rain — leather gets slick, TPU doesn't care. See it here.
3. Eco Sports Youth Football — Size 7 (Best for ages 12–14)
The bridge size for middle schoolers — official proportions, scaled down. See it on Amazon.
4. Eco Sports Official Football — Size 9 (Best for high school and up)
Full regulation size and weight for high school play and backyard games that got serious. See it on Amazon.
5. Football Team Pack (Best for coaches & camps)
Bulk footballs in every size, shipped deflated to cut freight and packaging. See the team pack.
How we chose
Sizing by age, wet-weather grip, durability, and materials — every ball here is TPU with no animal leather. Curious what conventional footballs are made of and why we care? Our free Parent's Guide to Safer Sports Gear covers it.
More reading: our earlier footballs-for-kids guide and is football getting safer?
