The city of Qingdao, Shandong province, the nation's pilot area for campus football reform, has launched its newest plan to expand the city's school football population to 300,000 by 2017.

According to the plan, the city will have 300 football specialist schools by 2017, where every class will have at least 20 class football hours per semester. Regular schools can open elective football courses as well. An Original textbook, "Happy Football", will be designed and taught in school.

All football specialist schools in the city, including 5 universities, 25 high schools, 70 middle schools and 200 primary schools, will have their own teams and coaches, and will be required to organize matches every week.

A student shoots a penalty on the football field. [Photo/qingdaodawww.com]

From 2016, newly constructed schools in the city must be equipped with at least one standard football field that is open to the public. Every school in the city must improve sports facilities and have artificial turf playgrounds by the end of 2017. The city's sports bureau will make public training areas available to football specialist schools.

The city will also add football skill tests to school test systems and check students' skills regularly to improve the quality of football courses. Professional organizations and experts will explore the grading standard for campus football skills, trying to establish a grading system to develop youth talent.