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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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