Dorset County FA has postponed the start of its Mini-Soccer League season because prolonged dry weather has left pitches unsuitable for play.
The decision affects children playing from Under-7 through to Under-10 across the county. The competition provides weekly football for more than 250 teams and thousands of young players.

Dorset FA described postponing the new season as a difficult decision, but player safety must come first when pitches are excessively hard, dry or cracked.

Why hard pitches can be dangerous
Grass pitches do not need to be flooded, frozen or visibly damaged to be unsafe.

Ground hardened by weeks without sufficient rain can increase the impact of falls, challenges and awkward landings. Cracks, loose areas and uneven surfaces can also create additional injury risks.

The postponement is particularly significant because the decision has been taken by a County FA-operated children’s league rather than an individual club or pitch provider.
Adult leagues also delay their seasons

Dorset is not the only area where drought conditions are disrupting the start of competitive football.
The Anglian Combination League, covering 85 adult amateur teams across Norfolk and Suffolk, postponed its season until 29 August following an urgent league-board meeting.

Pre-season friendlies had already been cancelled, while matches played on hardened surfaces reportedly resulted in injuries.

League chairman Dale Brown said most clubs use grass pitches which had become extremely dry and “rock hard.” The Guardian, 8 August 2026.
The Thames Valley Premier League has also provisionally postponed fixtures across Divisions One to Four, including Division One Reserves, until 3 October.

The situation will be reviewed weekly, and fixtures could begin earlier if pitches recover. Its Premier Division is expected to start sooner because more clubs have access to grounds that can be watered and maintained. Source Football in Berkshire, 24 August 2026.

That difference highlights the growing divide between clubs with dedicated facilities and those relying on council-owned or community pitches.
Has this happened before?

Britain experienced an extreme drought in 1976, but the 1976/77 Football League season began as scheduled.

The 2022 drought also caused serious pitch problems, but TeamGrassroots could not find a confirmed previous example of an English County FA-operated children’s league postponing the start of its season specifically because of drought.

Historical grassroots records are incomplete, so we cannot state definitively that it has never happened. However, we found no documented precedent comparable to the decisions now being taken in Dorset, East Anglia and the Thames Valley.

Postponing the season will disappoint children, parents, coaches and clubs—but no fixture is more important than player safety.

Grassroots football normally fears too much rain. In 2026, leagues are waiting desperately for it to arrive.