The 2020 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals in Northern Ireland have been moved to next March.
The eight-team tournament was originally scheduled to take place from July 19 to August 1 this year in Belfast, Ballymena, Lurgan and Portadown.
That was then pushed back to November due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but now UEFA has postponed the finals until the spring of 2021.
The move by UEFA’s Executive Committee will enable elite qualifying rounds to be completed in November rather than next month.
"The format of the final tournament has also been amended and will now consist of a straight knock-out phase rather than a two-group phase prior to knockout matches," the Irish FA said on their website.
"Next year’s knock-out phase will feature quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.
"The four semi-finalists at the U19 Euros will automatically qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup 2021, while there will also be three play-off matches (two semi-finals and a final) among the losing quarter-finalists to qualify a fifth UEFA team for the global tournament.
"The amended format guarantees each participating country will play a minimum of two matches, and there will be 10 matches in total compared to the 16 originally envisaged."
It is expected that Northern Ireland will host the U19 Euros from March 24-30 next year – during an international window.
Venues for the matches and fixtures will be confirmed following the elite qualifying round in November.
Northern Ireland qualify for the tournament as hosts.
