DDSL - Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League

What DDSL - Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League does

DDSL (Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League) is an Irish non-profit grassroots youth football league founded in 1943 and headquartered at the FAI National Soccer Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin 15. It organises competitive football for more than 55,000 boys and girls aged 7–18 across 141 affiliated clubs and 3,400+ teams, running over 2,000 fixtures every weekend and producing 96–97 cup finals annually with approximately 4,000 participants and 20,000 spectators. Operations are delivered by a small paid administrative team of around 20 underpinned by roughly 12,000 volunteers across coaching, officiating, and club administration.

The league's platform stack is built on third-party SaaS: Sportlomo handles player registrations, team panel management, fixture scheduling, and referee course bookings; FAI Connect is used for FAI Youth Cup entries, Comet player profiles, and safeguarding course compliance; and the Me & My Learning Platform hosts FAI Safeguarding 1 e-learning. There is no proprietary technology, mobile app, or AI component disclosed across the inputs.

DDSL's revenue model is a low-fee, high-volume community model. Player registration fees are €30 per player per season (including insurance), with competition entry fees of €30 per team for the LFA Youth Cup and €25 per team for the SFAI SUBWAY National Cup. Commercial revenue is generated through long-term partnerships with brand and infrastructure suppliers — Umbro Ireland (5-year equipment supplier), O'Neills Sportswear (kit), Life Style Sports (retail with 12.5% member discount), Q102 (media), DBS Sports Tours (travel), and Arachas Insurance Brokers — plus a three-year charity partnership with ISPCC/Childline that receives €0.50 per child registration. Distribution is community-led through the 141-club network, with marketing via the ddsl.ie website, social channels, monthly InTouch Magazine, and Q102 broadcast.

Name

DDSL - Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League

Legal name

Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League

Website

https://ddsl.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DDSL is a non-profit youth football league founded in 1943 in Dublin, Ireland, organising competitive football for over 55,000 boys and girls aged 7–18 across 141 affiliated clubs and 3,400+ teams, running 2,000+ games weekly through Sportlomo and approximately 12,000 volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports League Administration

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth football league
• Grassroots sports organization
• Amateur football competitions
• Coach education programs
• Referee training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin 15

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Player Registration Fees: Annual registration fees from players to participate in the league. The fee is €30 per player per season and includes insurance coverage.
2. Competition Entry Fees: Entry fees for cup competitions such as LFA Youth Cup (€30 per team) and SFAI SUBWAY National Cup (€25 per team).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DDSL organizes and administers organized youth football competitions, weekly league fixtures, and cup competitions (LFA Youth Cup, SFAI SUBWAY National Cup) for boys and girls aged 7-18 across Dublin. It supports its 141 affiliated clubs and 55,000+ players with coach education programmes, referee training and development, player insurance, administrative tools (registration, fixtures, panels), and a Junior Match Officials (JMO) Programme, all coordinated through a network of approximately 12,000 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Player Registration Annual per-player registration for boys and girls aged 7-18 to participate in DDSL league fixtures and cup competitions through their local affiliated club. Priced at €30 per player per season and includes personal injury insurance coverage; administered through the Sportlomo online portal.
• LFA Youth Cup National youth cup competition (League of Ireland Football Association) that affiliated DDSL clubs can enter on a per-team basis. Entry fee is €30 per team, with clubs entering multiple teams completing one entry form per team but able to pay through a single payment.
• SFAI SUBWAY National Cup Schoolboy Football Association of Ireland national cup competition sponsored by SUBWAY, offered to DDSL member clubs for per-team entry at €25 per team.
• Coach Education Programme Coaching courses, workshops, and professional development programmes delivered through DDSL for the volunteer coaches and managers of its 141 affiliated clubs, supporting coach licensing and continuous development under the Director of Football.
• Referee Training and Course Registration Referee training, course registration, and match official development pathway provided in coordination with the FAI, with course bookings processed through the FAI Connect platform to support officiating at over 2,000 DDSL games weekly.
• DDSL JMO (Junior Match Official) Programme Junior Match Officials (JMO) Programme designed to develop young people as grassroots football leaders, providing online support, training, gear, insurance coverage, and the opportunity to earn match fees while officiating youth fixtures.
• IT'S MY GAME - Silent Sideline Weekend League-wide initiative under DDSL's 'IT'S MY GAME' campaign that designates specific weekends where sidelines fall silent to promote positive behaviour, respect, and a child-centred football environment across all DDSL fixtures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,000+ players participate annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Umbro IrelandcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 14 February 2025Umbro Ireland and DDSL announced a five-year brand partnership in February 2025, making Umbro the official equipment supplier. Umbro will develop bespoke training and match footballs for the league and provide equipment to representative teams.
• Coerver CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025DDSL partnered with Coerver Coaching in February 2025 for a club-school link programme. Coerver delivers free skills coaching in primary schools, directing children to local DDSL clubs. The pilot programme saw two clubs increase academy numbers significantly.
• DBS Sports ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 November 2024DBS Sports Tours became the Official Travel Partner for DDSL in November 2024, providing exclusive training, resources, and travel experiences for teams looking to enhance their footballing experiences with organized tours.
• Life Style SportscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 May 2024Life Style Sports, Ireland's largest sports retailer, became DDSL's official sports retail partner in May 2024. DDSL members receive an exclusive 12.5% discount on football boots, training gear, and sports essentials. Life Style Sports also has a presence at DDSL Cup Finals with promotional activities.
• O'Neills SportswearcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 9 April 2024O'Neills Sportswear, Ireland's largest sportswear manufacturer (established 1918), is the official kit supplier to DDSL. The partnership provides cutting-edge football kits, training gear, and equipment to the league, with bespoke kits designed for the league's clubs.
• Oneills.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2024Oneills.com serves as the kit partner for DDSL, providing teamwear and sports equipment through their online platform.
• ISPCC/ChildlinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2024DDSL and ISPCC Childline announced a three-year partnership in March 2024. DDSL donates 50c of each child's annual registration fee to Childline. The partnership includes workshops for clubs, volunteers, and parents, plus access to Childline's Shield anti-bullying programme for all 132+ clubs.
• Q102coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 March 2024Dublin's Q102 partnered with DDSL in March 2024 for the 'Feel Good Football' campaign, providing extensive coverage of league events, player highlights, and behind-the-scenes stories through FM radio, digital streaming, and social media platforms. This collaboration focuses on promoting youth football participation and bringing a sense of fun back to the sport.
• Arachas Insurance BrokersminorOthersArachas Insurance Brokers is listed as a partner, offering insurance services and competitions to DDSL supporters. They partnered with DDSL for a luxury hamper giveaway during Cup Finals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Others

• O'Neills Sportswear: DDSL's official kit supplier and Ireland's largest sportswear manufacturer — adjacent ecosystem participant that monetizes DDSL's 55,000+ player base through branded teamwear and equipment distribution.
• Coerver Coaching: Global football coaching education and skills programme provider; DDSL formally partners with Coerver for its club-school link initiative, so it is an adjacent/co-development peer in the youth football instruction space.

Emerging players

• Leeds United Foundation: A professional club's community arm delivering youth football coaching, school links, and grassroots programmes — overlapping with DDSL's coaching education and Coerver club-school link initiatives.

Regional players

• Scottish Youth Football Association: Operates youth football leagues and cup competitions across Scotland. Similar volunteer-led, club-based structure for U7–U18 age groups, but focused on a different geography.

Direct peers

• US Youth Soccer: US national body overseeing youth soccer leagues, cups, and coach education across state associations. Comparable in providing organized league fixtures, cup competitions, and a pathway to advanced play for youth players.
• SFAI (Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland): Irish national schoolboys' football body running regional cups and leagues that DDSL clubs participate in (e.g., SFAI SUBWAY National Cup). Same age-group, grassroots football focus, same operational format of fixtures, cups, and affiliated clubs.
• AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization): One of the largest grassroots youth soccer organizations in the US, running volunteer-led regional leagues with affiliated clubs, paid registrations, and coach education programmes — structurally very similar to DDSL's operating model.
• English Schools' Football Association (ESFA): UK organization running school-based youth football competitions and cups for boys and girls. Comparable in organizing youth fixtures, cup competitions, and working through affiliated clubs/schools in a defined region.

Broad incumbents

• Leinster Football Association (LFA): Regional football governing body covering the wider Leinster region, including the LFA Youth Cup that DDSL clubs enter. Operates overlapping amateur competitions and governance frameworks for youth football in the same geography.
• Football Association of Ireland (FAI): National governing body for football in Ireland; DDSL clubs and referees integrate directly with FAI Connect, FAI safeguarding, and FAI Youth Cup pathways. FAI sets national rules and certification frameworks that DDSL operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DDSL_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/DublinDistrictSchoolboysGirlsLeague
• Instagraminstagram.com/ddslgrassroots
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ddsl-dublin-and-district-schoolboys-girls-league

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DDSL - Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League