WHAT IS SSF ( Small Sided Football)
CLUB UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT
EARLY ARRIVAL AT MATCHES
NON-ATTENDANCE AT MATCHES AND TRAINING
TEAM ALLOCATIONS FOR U6/U7 and U8
TRIAL/GRADING SESSIONS FOR U9
GOAL POSTS (SET UP AND PACK UP)
ACCIDENT SUPPORT PROGRAM AND NON-LIABILITY
SYDNEY EASTERN SUBURBS SKILL TECH CLINICS with RUI SPINOLA

WHAT is Small Sided Football (SSF)?

SSG is about learning, self-experiencing, having a lot of touches on the ball and above all, as David Beckham said recently: “a lot of FUN!”.

The philosophy of SSF focuses on enjoyment and freedom of expression with limited emphasis on coaching per se, particularly in the formative years of a player’s development.

- more fun and individual enjoyment due to smaller fields and simplified rules
- more playing time, which maximises individual participation and involvement
- far more repeated touches of the ball by all players on the field
- more shots on goal
- more involvement leads to greater improvement in fitness.

First and foremost, SSF are truly aimed at young people of all abilities, not simply the more talented players in each age group.
With the emphasis on participation and enjoyment, and an associated removal of the current emphasis on the importance of winning, children are much more likely to enjoy their football playing experience, will be keen to play more often and are less likely to drop out of the game.
Parents who are new to the game are likely to be more comfortable playing the role of “game leader” or ”supervisor” of teams playing SSF. Given that children playing at this age do not need to be “coached”, and by extension, these adults don’t need to have a great understanding of the game to be able to carry out this role effectively, finding parents to volunteer for these roles should become significantly easier.
SSF also make more efficient use of facilities, given there can be multiple games on one standard-size field.

Here are some of the reasons why we believe, as football coaches, administrators and parents we must guarantee that our young football players play SSF:
We want our young football players to touch the football ball more often and become more skillful with it. (Individual technical development.)
We want our young football players to make more, less-complicated decisions during the game. (Tactical development.)
We want our young football players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in. (Reduced field size.)
We want our young football players to have more individual teaching time with the coach! Less players on the field and less players on the team will guarantee this. (Need to feel worthy and need to feel important.)
We want our young football players to have more, involved playing time in the game. (More opportunity to solve problems that only the game presents.)
We want our young football players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball. (More exposure to attacking and defending situations.)
We want our young football players to have more opportunities to score goals. (Pure excitement.)

6 and 7-year-olds
At this age children are “playing” all day long. They like to be “superstars” and live in a dream world where they feel they are playing for Barcelona against Real Madrid and imagine they are Ronaldinho, and after scoring copy his way of celebrating a goal.
They have a short concentration span and cannot focus on only one target. They see the world as an open space and they can watch the ball coming or forget the ball and follow the flight of a butterfly!
Children in this age group need short breaks, but can play for a long time. They know exactly when to take their rest and sit down on the field, but a few moments later start to chase the ball again.
They can be trained and coached in skill development by dribbling the ball from “Africa to America” or from “Sydney to Melbourne”. They like to try to juggle the ball, dribble the ball or pass or shoot. They are not very accurate, make mistakes, but go on with the next exercise or next step – they are not concerned about their mistakes. They want to enjoy themselves, are looking for a challenge, but losing or winning is of little importance. They are always positive.
Skill training should be the only part of the training. There should be no stretching and no training without the ball, and exercises should not be too complicated.
Dribble the ball through cones, or pass the ball through poles, touch the ball with all their toes etc. Main training items: dribbling, passing and receiving, ball feeling, juggling and shooting.

At Queens Park Football Academy we believe the grading at U6 and 7 should be done on a team basis, and we spend a lot of time trying to match teams of equal ability each week  so that scores do not blow out too dramatically. Obviously at the beginning of the season we are trying to evaluate the teams and consistently monitoring the feedback to build up a more accurate picture of the teams. This is done on a weekly to fortnightly basis which takes a lot of time and planning however has worked amazingly well over the last 3 years.  Your honest  feedback is very important to building this picture as early as possible in the season.  Remember the kids want to be challenged in games much more than just winning every match.

8 and 9-year-olds
This is an age group where children like to play continuously, in fact it seems that they never get tired. They are very mobile, well coordinated and are looking for a challenge. Who is the fastest, who is the strongest, who can jump the highest, who dare to climb into this tree etc. They want to be praised and/or learn. “How can I do it better?”; “Can I try it again?”. They like to see “the whole picture”; they like to copy and behave as their hero. They want to wear his shirt (i.e. Messi, Ronaldinho, Beckham, Kewell, Cahill etc.). They all want to be a “striker”, very few a defender and some might like to be a goalkeeper but very soon find out they prefer to play on the field. Main training items: ball feeling, juggling, dribbling and fainting, passing, receiving and controlling the ball, simple heading and shooting. All kinds of SSFs: 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 3, 4 v 4, 5 v 5, very often played with one extra player (the coach!) or one or more “neutral” players. On most occasions, the coach will divide the team into small groups of two or a maximum of three players. Physically, players should play a lot of “tag games” for speed development and “relay race” with hurdles, poles etc. for coordination.

At Queens Park Football Academy we believe there should be some subtle grading at U8 so players can play with and against teams of similar ability so that all players get more out of the game. However we are also very respectful of the fact that friendships are still a major reason why the kids are playing.

At U9 we believe the players should start to be graded more into their divisions (there can be 1 or 4 division one teams etc  in any given year depending on the talent) which best suits the players ability;  rather than grading the teams with a variety of abilities within the team.  Again this grading is to benefit the better players to challenge them more consistently, but also more importantly the weaker player who is not getting enough touches, not scoring any goals and may need to step down a grade to build up their confidence and re-new their enthusiasm.

ROLE OF THE REFEREE
Under 6 and 7 years of age groups
We advise that a club member or parent assist the players during the game. His or her main role is to keep the game moving fluently and with minimal breaks. He or she is more of a game leader than a referee.

Under 8 and 9 years of age groups
The referee is considered more of an Instructing referee, with an emphasis on keeping the game moving fluently while also trying to educate the players as the game flows.
Keep the opponents 4.5m away from all restarts.
How to throw in - correct the players without blowing the whistle.

Under Boys 6, 7, 8 and 9 & Girls G6/G7/G8 and G9
No competition or official recording of tables, results, finals and statistics.
Games focus on player development.

ROLE OF COACH / PARENT HELPER
The major role of the coach / parent helper is to make the football experience of every player and their families in their team as enjoyable as possible. This person will provide the best environment for children to learn and enjoy the game through organising fun game based practices. Having good personal and organisational skills are most important for coaches and parent helpers working with children in this age group to allow them to learn through playing the game with minimal instruction and a focus on player development.

The intra-club model where teams from within the club play against each other. This flexibility easily allows players to be moved between teams if required.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF INTRA-CLUB GAMES
Parents only need to travel to the same location each week (which is very likely going to be in close proximity to where they live); they do not have a “home and away” situation.
- There is less emphasis on competition given the games are not against other clubs.
- There is flexibility in terms of being able to move players or parent helpers between teams if required.
- The club can provide a greater level of support to game leaders as they are all at the club’s home ground rather than travelling to other clubs. In this way, these people can be “mentored” by other more knowledgeable and experienced coaches from within the club.
- There is likely to be a greater number of people at the ground each week to help out.
- Responsibility for organising draws and field allocations rests with the club as opposed to the association.
- SSF ensures a more efficient use of fields in general, however, having dedicated venues for SSF means that open spaces that may not be suitable for full-size fields can still be used for football.

For clubs that have enough players, the intra-club model has many advantages for the younger age groups

?????? Whilst associations are able to choose the model/s that best suits them, FFA recommends the intra-club or inter-club (hub) model for Under 6 to Under 10 age groups and the interclub model for Under 11 and Under 12 age groups. minimising both the number of extra volunteers required and the expectations placed upon them.

GROUND MANAGEMENT
Regardless of the model that is chosen, each venue needs to have at least one ground controller or manager who has overall responsibility for what occurs on game day. This includes monitoring the timing of games, ensuring teams are aware of who and where they are playing, recording results (if appropriate), coordinating the setting up of fields and dealing with any issues that may come up from time to time.

• Remember that young people participate for their enjoyment and benefit. Do not overemphasise awards.
• Ensure that everyone involved in junior sport emphasises fair play, rather than winning at all costs.

SPECTATORS CODE OF BEHAVIOUR
Remember that young people participate in sport for their enjoyment and benefit, not yours.
Applaud good performances and efforts from all individuals and teams. Congratulate all participants on their performance, regardless of the game’s outcome.
Respect the decisions of officials and teach young people to do the same.
Never ridicule or scold a young player for making a mistake. Positive comments are motivational.
Condemn the use of violence in any form, whether it is by spectators, coaches, officials or players.
Show respect for your team’s opponents. Without them, there would be no game.
Encourage players to follow the rules and the officials’ decisions.
Do not use foul language, sledge or harass players, coaches or officials.

We hope this gives you a better understanding of how beneficial the SSF are to our young players.
We look forward to joining you and your child in action at the park

CLUB UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT

The Queens Park Football Academy's official strip for U5 to U9 (Boys and Girls) is BLACK Shorts , RED socks, RED shirts(bought through QPFA only).
U10/U1Boys Champions League uniforms (bought through QPFA once teams have been allocated)
G10/G11 Champions Leagues uniforms or QPFA uniform - to be decided by teams once allocated

It is mandatory to wear the QPFA strip (U5 to U9 Boys and Girls) and Champions League (U10/U11) when coming to games on the weekend.
Football boots and shinpads are mandatory at both training and games. Please have a look at our Registration page in the Uniform section form more details.

PLAYERS' EQUIPMENT (spectacles, jewellery and hats)
SAFETY - "A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery)." This includes anti-discrimination bands, leather necklaces and any other loose wristbands. The taping of jewellery is no longer allowed (including earrings and wedding rings).
Any player not complying with these regulations will not be allowed to play.

Hats and caps may NOT be worn. Sun cream can be applied, of course.

Exception: An exception to this Policy is where a person is required to wear a "Medic Alert" bracelet for emergency medical reasons. In this case the bracelet should be taped in an appropriate manner and to the satisfaction of the referee of the game.

Players with Glasses
Several years ago, FIFA endorsed a view of its IFAB Committee of 10 March 2001, that:
New technology has made sports spectacles much safer, both for the player … and other players. We expect referees to take full account of this fact and it would be considered extremely unusual for a referee to prevent a player taking part in a match because he or she was wearing modern sports spectacles.

This does not stop an individual referee, or a referee outside the district, refusing permission. Some Associations act already to approve certain types of sports spectacles, but all need to take this extra step in a further attempt to deal with this vexed issue.
The decision to allow a player to wear or not wear particular glasses under FIFA directives is still up to the individual referee.

Please arrive at the match venue at least 15 minutes before the match starting time or at the time as per your coaches request. This allows time to organise and warm up players. Stretching and warming up is vital for all players. Your coach can give you more information on warming up and stretching.

If a player is unable to attend a match, then please let your manager or coach know as soon as possible. Please notify the team manager if your child is unable to attend training.

TEAM SELECTION POLICY

In younger age groups, the Club will endeavour to place groups of friends wishing to play together in a particular team, but we would encourage all players to be flexible and embrace making some new friends.

TEAM ALLOCATION DAY

U5/U6 and G5/G6 Team Allocation Day
Date and time tbc
________ at Queens Park
corner of Baronga and Queens Park Rd
Uniform will be for sale for this agegroup only

Boys and Girls U7/U8 teams - as many players will be returning from 2011 we will of course keep teams together and ad new friends as requested. New players will be slotted into existing teams or make brand new teams. Teams will be announced by email.

Boys and Girls U9/U10/U11 - 2012 pre-season session times to be confirmed shortly

GOAL POSTS SET UP/PACK UP

SET UP
The first team on the field is in charge of setting up the goalposts which can be found in the shed next to the playground. Safety brackets can be collected from the information desk.

PACK UP
The last team on the field is in charge of returning the goalposts to the shed. The safety brackets and cones to be returned to the information desk please.

The Academy is not liable for any injuries sustained by a player on or off the field of play. Insurance Cover is included in the registration fee.

To find out more about the "Player Accident" insurane policy for SSF (U5 to U11 and G5 to G11) go to Sports Underwriting Australia

Policy details: http://www.sportsunderwriting.com.au/documents/Sports_PersonalAccident_1208.pdf

Skill Tech Clinics with Rui Spinola

Rui Spinola and ATFA
Term 1- 2012 clinics

Are you looking to continue to improve your skills in the pre-season

ATFA is conducting a PRO TECH ACADEMY in conjunction with Queens Park FA in term 1 of 2012.
QPFA was very fortunate to secure the services of ATFA over the 2011 season and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 

PRO TECH Academy train once a week.
The pre-season program consists of 5 or 9 sessions and is based on the FFA national curriculum, with the focus on
the Skill Acquisition Phase of the curriculum.
The topics covered are
First Touch, Running with the Ball,
Striking the Ball and 1v1.

Please contact Rui directly for further information atfacademy@gmail.com