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"Small Sided Football”
is different from FUTSAL (the version of five-a-side
football recognised by FIFA and by UEFA) and from Mini
Soccer (football for players aged under ten years old).
Commercial providers have been instrumental in setting up
Small Sided Football competitions at various venues.
Initially, many of these did not affiliate to the FA or to
County FAs. With the passage of time, however, most of these
providers (often no doubt spurred on by their insurers) have
appreciated the desire of players to have qualified referees
and the benefits of official procedures to deal with cases
of serious misconduct. Most providers therefore now
affiliate to the FA or to County FAs.
The FA has been working with
the main providers and has issued some standardised “Small
Sided Football Laws of the Game”. These have subsequently
been revised and re-issued. Although competitions can still
have their own rules, which override the Small Sided
Football Laws of the Game (which will often be necessitated
by the indoor or outdoor facilities used, which can vary
tremendously), gradually more and more commercial providers
are adopting the FA’s wording. There is therefore now
greater standardisation and the small sided game is becoming
increasingly similar to the 11-a-side game: kick-offs, for
example, are now normally used instead of dropped balls to
start each half of a match and to re-start after a goal has
been scored.
The Small Sided Referee Basic
Training Course is targeted at people with no current
refereeing qualification who are interested in refereeing 5,
6 or 7-a-side football. It provides a qualification that
enables successful candidates to officiate in Small Sided
Football (but not in 11-a-side football, FUTSAL or Mini
Soccer). The Course is of 10 hours duration, spread over a
number of sessions, with both a written examination and an
oral examination at the end. The Course includes both theory
and practical training sessions.
All candidates aged 18 or over
at the date of the oral examination must also apply during
the Course for a Criminal Records Bureau check, unless they
have already applied for such a check through the FA CRB
Unit within the last three years. The procedure includes
producing evidence of identity, e.g. the originals of a
passport, a driving licence and a birth certificate. The
vast majority of people with convictions have nothing to
fear from the process and can qualify as a referee without
any problems as the FA CRB Unit is only aiming to keep out
of the game individuals who are a threat to children. For
more information, please
CLICK HERE: a facility to speak in confidence
is available on the FA FREEPHONE number of 0800 085 0506
All Courses also include a three hour Safeguarding
Children Best Practice Workshop. Anyone who has already
attended such a Workshop within the last three years (e.g.
in order to obtain a coaching qualification) does not
however have to attend the Workshop again.
Successful candidates will be
registered as Small Sided Football Referees: they will
receive a certificate and a Small Sided Football Referee
badge. This qualification is specific to Small Sided
Football only and does not entitle holders to officiate in
other forms of football, although it will provide a sound
basis for progression to other courses, e.g. for
qualification as a referee in 11-a-side football.
Small Sided Football Referee
Basic Training Courses are arranged in conjunction with
local providers of Small Sided Football as and when demand
requires.
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