Five levels of AFT tournaments
Based on the total number of points, each tournament receives its official AFT category.

Elite Tour – 2,000 points and above
Grand Tour – 1,200 to 2,000 points
Masters Tour – 800 to 1,200 points
Challenger Tour – 400 to 800 points
Futures Tour – 0 to 400 points

Organization, logistics, infrastructure, destination, and tradition
The overall organizational level of the tournament is evaluated – the quality of the fields, accommodation, logistics, destination, long-standing tradition, and the general impression of the organization.

Category I – 300 points
Category II – 200 points
Category III – 100 points
Category IV – 50 points

Marketing, PR, media coverage, and public figures
The level of promotion of the tournament, media presence, digital communication, and engagement of public figures is evaluated.

Category I – 200 points
Category II – 100 points
Category III – 50 points

Judicial and operational organization of the tournament
The quality of referees and delegates, medical services, security, and the overall organization of the competition are specially evaluated.

Category I – 200 points
Category II – 100 points
Category III – 50 points

International character of the tournament
Additional points are awarded for the number of participating countries, excluding the host country.

Ex-YU countries – 50 points per country
Other European countries – 100 points per country
Other continents – 150 points per country

Number of teams per generation
The massiveness of the tournament is one of the most important criteria and is evaluated based on the average number of teams in each generation.

up to 10 teams – 50 points
up to 20 teams – 100 points
up to 25 teams – 200 points
up to 30 teams – 300 points
up to 35 teams – 400 points
up to 40 teams – 500 points
up to 50 teams – 600 points
over 50 teams – 800 points

Quality of participants
Clubs participating in the tournament carry special weight.

European giants
Category I – 200 points
Category II – 150 points
Category III – 100 points
Category IV – 50 points

Giants of the Ex-YU region
Category I – 150 points
Category II – 100 points
Category III – 50 points

Why is the new system important?
The new AFT system brings clear and transparent criteria for tournament categorization. Organizers know exactly what is needed to improve the status of their tournament, while coaches and clubs can more easily plan their season and choose competitions in line with their goals and level of competition.

In the 2026/27 season, the official AFT calendar will consist of a total of 450+ tournaments, including:
4 Elite Tour tournaments
12 Grand Tour tournaments
36 Masters Tour tournaments
108 Challenger Tour tournaments and
more than 300 Futures Tour tournaments.

To keep the system objective and up-to-date, the AFT commission conducts a final evaluation of all criteria after each tournament. If a tournament improves the quality of its organization or, on the other hand, fails to meet the standards of its category, its ranking may be adjusted for the current or any of the upcoming seasons.

The goal of the AFT system
The goal of the Association of Football Tournaments is to raise the quality of youth football in the region through objective criteria and a unique evaluation system. Transparent categorization encourages organizers to continuously improve their tournaments, while providing clubs with the assurance that they are competing in events whose quality corresponds to their AFT status.