Road to Belarus starts with qualifying round

The UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship season starts on 28 September with Belarus and Jordan the targets for the 44 sides beginning in the qualifying round.

While Germany and France have byes to the elite round in the spring and hosts Belarus are ensured a place in the finals in May, the other entrants must come through the 11 qualifying mini-tournaments played from 28 September until 28 October. UEFA.com has a guide to the campaign ahead.

Qualifying round
• The 11 four-team mini-tournaments are held as one-venue events, the first getting under way in FYR Macedonia on 28 September and the last ending on 28 October in Portugal, with holders Spain launching their title defence just across the Iberian border.

• The top two in each qualifying round group join seeds Germany and France in the elite round.

Elite round
• The draw on 10 December will split the 24 remaining teams into six groups of four, to be contested as mini-tournaments in the spring.

• The six group winners and the runners-up with the best record against the sides finishing first and third in their section qualify to join hosts Belarus in the final tournament.

Final tournament
• The final tournament in Belarus runs from 4 to 16 May, with two groups of four producing semi-finalists.

• The finalists and the winner of the third-place play-off qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, taking place from 30 September to 21 October in Jordan.

Qualifying round groups
Group 1 (15–20 October): Republic of Ireland, Turkey*, Ukraine, Andorra

Group 2 (11–16 October): Austria, Scotland, Kazakhstan*, Latvia

Group 3 (23–28 October): Spain (holders), Greece, Armenia, Portugal*

Group 4 (1–6 October): Poland, England, Estonia*, Croatia

Group 5 (28 September–3 October): Italy, Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia*

Group 6 (29 September–4 October): Belgium*, Czech Republic, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Group 7 (10–15 October): Denmark, Hungary*, Israel, Wales

Group 8 (12–17 October): Sweden, Russia, Slovakia, Romania*

Group 9 (16–21 October): Switzerland, Serbia*, Lithuania, Slovenia

Group 10 (16–21 October): Norway, Netherlands, Moldova, Bulgaria*

Group 11 (22–27 October): Iceland, Finland, Montenegro*, Faroe Islands

*Hosts

Bye to elite round: Germany, France

Bye to finals: Belarus (hosts)

Provisional season calendar
Qualifying round: 28 September–28 October 2015
Elite round draw: 13 November 2015 (Nyon)
Elite round: spring 2016
Final tournament draw: tbc (Belarus)
Final tournament: 4–16 May 2016 (Belarus)