Before the season starts, the club office will ask you for a medical certificate. Which one depends on your child’s age.
Under 6
Before the age of six a certificate is not required by law, because the activity counts as play and movement. The club may still ask for it for insurance purposes.
From 6: the non-competitive certificate
Activities run by clubs affiliated to CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee), such as football schools, require a non-competitive medical certificate.
- Who issues it: your family paediatrician or GP, a sports doctor or, in case of illness, a specialist.
- How to get it: a general check-up with a blood pressure measurement; you need to bring an ECG, which the doctor may ask to repeat in later years.
- How long it lasts: up to one year.
From 12: the competitive certificate
For football, competitive fitness is required from the age of 12. This is confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Health table on the minimum age for competitive sport, updated on 31 July 2026 and published by the Italian Sports Medicine Federation (FMSI): for football the starting age is 12 and the check-up must be repeated every year.
- Who issues it: only a sports medicine specialist.
- What the check-up includes: spirometry, a check-up with blood pressure measurement, a urine test, and an ECG at rest and after a 3-minute step test. The doctor may ask for further tests if needed.
- Who requests it: the club registering the player, not the parent. That is why the club office gives you the request to take to the check-up.
- How long it lasts: usually one year; the doctor may decide on a shorter period.
Three practical tips
- Write the certificate’s expiry date in your calendar: without a valid certificate your child cannot play.
- Book the competitive check-up a few weeks before the season starts.
- Give a copy to the club office as soon as you have it.
This article is for information only and does not replace medical advice.
Sources (in Italian): Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Sports medical certificate · FMSI, Minimum age for competitive sport · Tables updated on 31/07/2026.
