Children under the age of eight have been banned from playing in football leagues amid fears that the pressure is too great.

The budding footballers will still be able to play each week but no points will be awarded for wins or drawn games and the divisions will be renamed as sections.

The change of rules, which have been introduced by the Football Association and come into force from September, will affect more than 500 young players under eight-year-olds throughout Sutton and Epsom.

David Goldsmith, chairman of Epsom and Ewell Youth League admitted that some parents were unhappy with the decision but said that he was powerless to change it.

He said: "Whether I think it's right or not is irrelevant because we have to do what we're told.

"The kids themselves won't suffer from lack of football, the only thing they won't be able to see is the league tables.

"People need to get away from the word competitive, every game of football is competitive regardless of points and league tables.

"But there is a strong body of opinion that this may be the wrong move, shall we say. The immediate reaction was that it seemed daft and some said no wonder the England team is like it is when rules like this are brought in, but who knows how they will view it in a year's time.

"Those people will find ways of getting round it, it's in the spirit of the game. Managers will phone up other managers and ask them how they got on at the weekend and I have no problem with that."

Mr Goldsmith added concerns that the rules could affect the players when they progress up to the U9s league which the ban does not affect.

He said: "It is important as far as the league is concerned for the following season to find out how the teams are doing because when they go to U9s they need to be put in the right division against teams that are similar to them."

An FA spokesman said: "This is about creating an environment where the children can learn and develop their skills and enjoy the game without the pressure of having to get a result. They can start taking it a little more seriously as they get older."