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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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