Welsh Football Trust Update Jay Probert Regional Development Coordinator

Outcomes Update on new restructure – Issues/Solutions FDO Work Programme Objectives Mini Football Regulation Amendments Partnership Working – Model Of Good Practice

Rationale for restructure Benefits Ownership of FDO posts Full time positions across all areas of Wales Focus of work priorities to grow specific Trust objectives Focus on individual strengths of FDOs into new roles Work no longer dictated by LA boundaries Model of good practice; other FAs More even split of junior clubs to support

Restructured Areas Central Wales FA Tim Broome – Club Development Officer – Newtown Ian Hughes – Coach Development Officer – Aberystwyth Gareth Davies – Inclusion Officer - Brecon

Restructured Areas Gwent FA Gavin Thomas – Club Development Officer – Cwmbran James Rowberry – Coach Development Officer – Newport Wesley Bodden – Inclusion Officer - Risca

Restructured Areas South Wales FA Lawrence Badman – Club Development Officer – Pontypridd Andy Pask – Club Development Officer – Cardiff Grant Kalahar – Inclusion Officer – Barry Vacant – Coach Development Officer - Markham

Remaining Areas North Wales Coast FA Nicola Anderson – Inclusion Officer – Rhyl Seth Jones – FDO – Conwy Alan Bickerstaff – FDO – Denbighshire Gareth Owen – FDO – Flintshire

Remaining Areas North East Wales FA Mark Roberts – FDO - Wrexham

Remaining Areas West Wales FA Deb Wise – FDO – Pembrokeshire Colin Staples – FDO – Carmarthenshire Mickey Miles – FDO - Neath PT Rob Thomas – FDO - Swansea

FDO – Club Development Coordinate all Accreditation Schemes Coordination of Club Development Programme Specific strategic responsibilities for the Area Junior League Development & Accreditation Liaison with Priority Clubs Development of school-club links programme

FDO – Coach Development Tutor trainer, assessor, verifier Coordination of Coach Education Specific strategic responsibilities for the Area Lead tutor on FAW C Certificate Coach mentor for priority coaches Support to boys, girls & disability regional squads

FDO – Inclusion Development of opportunities for BME & other socially excluded groups Coordination of development of girls’ programme Specific strategic responsibilities for the Area Development of disability programme Coordinate disability Coach Education Coordination female only Coach Education courses

Issues with restructured areas Confusion of roles and responsibilities Area Association and JFL Who do I contact? FDO and AYP staff Become isolated

Solution? Gwent FA Area Meeting (July/August) Identify roles and responsibilities Contact details Merge work programme objectives Area action plan WFT update Strengthen communication

FDO Work Programme Objectives Business Objectives Football Development Officer Objectives ‘Grow the game and raise standards’ Increase participation in Football through Club, School, Fun Football, Futsal and ‘Turn up and play’ opportunities. Inclusion - implement Women’s and Girls’ and Disability strategies. Improve the structure of Mini Football. Club development. Coordination and delivery of foundation Coach Education courses. Volunteer workforce development. ‘Identify develop and prepare players for international competition’ Support to boys, girls and disability player development pathways. Promote, deliver and support Level 2, 3 and 4 Coach Education courses. ‘National Football Centre and access to quality facilities’ Support the development of 3G community facilities. ‘Modern and dynamic governance’ Establish and attend regional and local football forums

Mini Football 2010/2011 Under 7, 8 and 9 age groups Second half of the presentation will focus on reinforcing the message from last season and also introducing the 6v6 format at Under 9. 16

Why have changes been made? ‘A real game doesn’t need to be 11v11’ Andy Roxburgh, UEFA Technical Director Space for imagery Raise the standard of play at national team level. Develop technically superior players UEFA technical guidance Create a better environment for children to play and learn Increase enjoyment Why have changes been made? Emphasise on raising standard of play, to develop more technically capable players. Give players an opportunity to have more touches on the ball and make more decisions in a game related situation. UEFA at the Grassroots Conference 2009 emphasised the importance of providing age specific activity for children starting with small sided games. Better environment – Free from the pressure of playing to win with an over emphasis on adult influenced competitiveness. The game situation is challenge enough and children are inherently competitive. Children must have enjoyment regardless of ability if they are going to stay in the game. UEFA Grassroots Conference 2009, Hamburg, Germany – Children’s Football (Under 12) - All football up to the age of 12 years old: Key aims: Help children to be healthy, happy and challenged. Help children express themselves through football. How should the game be played: up to U8 – 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 up to U10 - 4v4, 5v5, 7v7 up to U12 – 7v7, 9v9, 11v11 Can be split into two phases: Fun Phase – up to Under 8 Foundation Phase – 9 to 12 years old. Aims of the ‘fun’ phase: Basic skill development Maximum ball contact Fascination for the game Small group coordination Desire to learn Develop less ‘me’ – more ‘we’ Have fun with friends. Aims of the foundation phase: Ball mastery Reading the game Understand basic principles Speed, coordination, mobility Team identity Imagination Love of the game 17

The Benefits of Small Sided Games Some interesting facts: 4v4 average findings (against 8v8): 38 more passes 35 more 1v1 encounters 29 more dribbling opportunities (tricks/turns) 32 more shots 20 more goals (Martin Diggle – Bolton Wanderers) Space for imagery The Benefits of 4v4 Don’t over emphasise the statistics! They just provide hard evidence behind the theory. Key message: In a 4v4 situation the game produced more of each technique/skill – the players got to practice technique and develop technique into a skill through competition. 18

The Benefits of Small Sided Games Further research: 8v8 in 20 minutes: 2 passes 4v4 in 20 minutes: 29 passes Space for imagery The Benefits of 4v4 American research studying comparing 4v4 against 8v8 (female players) to emphasise the far greater number of opportunities a player will receive in a 4v4 situation. In the 8v8 situation Page made only two passes in 20 minutes, on both occasions, she gave the ball away to the opposition. In the 4v4 game she made 29 passes, she still gave possession away occasionally, but she had 27 more opportunities to learn from the mistake, practice technique and hopefully learn to make the right decision. 27 more opportunities to practice the passing technique and when, who to pass to and how to pass. 19

The Benefits of Small Sided Games What does this mean for the player? ‘Better technique’ – more touches of the ball. ‘More enjoyment’ – more involved in the game. ‘Better concentration’ – always in the action. ‘Greater understanding’ – more learning from decisions. More movement – fewer players, more space. Space for imagery Self explanatory – ‘turning the stats into reality’ What does it mean for players? 20

The maximum goal size for all age groups is 12ft x 6ft. Regulation Changes Implementation Date Age Group Number of Players Size of Pitch (length x width) Size of Ball Start of 2009/10 Under 7 4v4 No Goalkeepers 30x20 yards 3 Under 8 5v5 GK Introduced Start of 2010/11 Under 9 6v6 40x30 yards Start of 2011/12 Under 10 7v7 60x40 yards 4 Under 11 8v8 Regulation Changes For the start of this season all Under 7 football will be played on a 4v4 basis, Under 8 football 5v5 (4v4 with a Goalkeeper) and Under 9 football 6v6.. Idea is not to have children stood on the sideline – more teams and more players taking part on smaller pitches. Player rotation key – players play in different roles with different players – no set teams – ‘Dutch Masters’ concept. U7 and U8 - 30x20 pitch – quarter size of current Mini Football pitch – 4 games on one pitch. U9 - 40x30 pitch – half size of current Mini Football pitch – 2 games on one pitch. Size 3 ball – lighter, easier to manipulate, better for skill development. Staggered implementation of age groups Goals – regulation allows up to current Mini Football size goal to be utilised, it is strongly recommended that a smaller goal is utilised at Under 7 and Under 8 (Pop up Goal 6 foot width is recommended – approx £60 per pair of goals). Existing Under 10’s and 11’s at the start of the 2010/11 season are not effected by the regulation changes. If a league runs two year age bands they implement the regulations for the oldest age in that specific band in the relevant year. If a league runs only Under 10 and 11’s for example the regulation changes DO NOT effect them until start of 2011/12 season. The maximum goal size for all age groups is 12ft x 6ft. It is highly recommended that at Under 7 and Under 8 a smaller goal is utilized. This can be achieved through using cones, placing a 12ft x 6ft Mini Goal face down or using specific smaller goals (such as pop up goals). 21

Regulation Changes Age Group Distance from Goal Line to Edge of Area (Length) Width of Penalty Area Under 7 Effective from start of 2009/10 season NO Goal Area Under 8 5 yards 10 yards Under 9 Effective from start of 2010/11 season 8 yards 15 yards Under 10 Effective from start of 2011/12 season 20 yards Under 11 Regulation Changes Move towards rectangular penalty boxes to enhance the game realism for transition to 11 a side football. At Under 7 there are NO penalty areas (No Goalkeeper). With under 8 there is a 5 x 10 yard penalty area easily marked out by four cones. With under 9 there is a 8 x 15 yard penalty area easily marked out by four cones. The size of penalty areas will grow in proportion to the size of the pitch as the regulations move through the age groups. By 2011/12 there will be a requirement to communicate with parks authorities to alter pitches marked out for full size Mini Football with a rectangular penalty box. 22

Under 7 and 8 - How does it look? 60 yds 40 yds 2 20 yds 30 yds 4 v 4 NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED How does it look? Key message to utilise here is that a a club/team needs to additional resource other than additional goals to organise 4v4 or 5v5 football. A pre marked 60x40 pitch can be easily adjusted to incorporate up to 4 pitches. NO player should be sat on the sidelines, odd numbers play an overload with common player for both teams for example. Number of coaches does not alter either – As per Club accreditation regulations each club present would bring two responsible adults per 16 players on this ratio 32 players can play under the required supervision. Each 4 or 5 a side team does not need a qualified coach. *All Player:Coach ratios must adhere to Club Accreditation Regulations 23

Pitch layout with parent buffer zones Under 7 and 8 - Pitch layout with parent buffer zones Pitch layout with parent buffer zones 2m 4 v 4 NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED Pitch layout with parent buffer zones Diagram showing the layout of games with barriers implemented. 2m *All Player:Coach ratios must adhere to Club Accreditation Regulations 24

Pitch Layout - 6v6 with Buffer Zones Regulation Changes Move towards rectangular penalty boxes to enhance the game realism for transition to 11 a side football. With under 9 there is a 8 x 15 yard penalty area easily marked out by four cones. The size of penalty areas will grow in proportion to the size of the pitch as the regulations move through the age groups. *All Player:Coach ratios must adhere to Club Accreditation Regulations 25

Pitch Layout - 6v6 with Buffer Zones on a 60x40 Mini Pitch & C O H 6v6 8 ar ds 26 Yards 15 T 2 4 60 Regulation Changes Shown above is the layout if 6v6 is to be played on existing 60x40 yard pitches with static goals. The width of the pitch must be reduced to 26 yards to create a 2 yard buffer between one sideline and the goal and also a 4 yard buffer in between pitches. Spectators can stand on the goal line of the 60x40 yard pitch, creating a buffer zone. *All Player:Coach ratios must adhere to Club Accreditation Regulations 26

‘Behind the Line, Behind the Team’ ‘Our fear, becomes their fear, take the fear away’ (Bill Beswick 2009) Continued implementation of spectator zones alongside mini pitches at Under 7 and 8 matches. Extended to Under 9 this season. Barrier runs parallel maximum 2 metres from touchline of pitch, NO spectators behind goals. Only players, designated coaches and 1st Aider allowed outside zone. Barrier to be marked by cones, additional marked line. Safety of paramount importance, if limited space (less than 2 metres) use only cones or marked lines. Space for imagery ‘Behind the Line, Behind the Team’ Introduced as a concept to tackle poor spectator behaviour at Mini Football matches. Clubs to lay down a line of cones maximum of 2 metres from the edge of the pitch at all Under 7, Under 8 and Under 9 games. Only the designated coaches, First Aider and any substitute players are allowed pitch side of the barrier. Bill Beswick is a British sports psychologist who has worked with many of the game’s top coaches and players. His work has included spells at Premiership clubs Derby County, Manchester United and Middlesbrough. In addition, he has worked previously with the England U18 and U21 teams. Beswick also spent five years as head coach of England’s Basketball team which enjoyed Gold Medal success in the Commonwealth Games. The quote came from Grassroots Football Live 2009 during a presentation on ‘coaching excellence with school age children’ and is in relation to coach behaviour. Fear of losing or poor performance will hinder performance. For us, the point is to take away the added adult pressure on players. 27

Additional Support to Clubs and Coaches 4. Football Development Officers to provide support to leagues and clubs in implementation as and where required. 5. Football Development Officers to support clubs with accessing funding where possible and required. 6. Invite members of WSFA/5x60/Dragon Sport to attend Mini Football workshops to train in format and ethos of new format. Space for imagery Ongoing support to coaches and volunteers 28

WFT Mini Football Page: Any Questions? WFT Mini Football Page: http://www.welshfootballtrust.org.uk/grassroots/7397 Any Questions? Idea is to provide coaches with opportunity to ask you questions and share ideas and concerns. Please use the FAQ and this presentation as a basis to your answers. Next Steps… Further information can be found on the WFT website including the directional video’s to support implementation of games. Show the website if you have an opportunity with internet access. All coaches to receive a copy of the Mini Football regulations. All coaches/managers will have the opportunity to attend a three hour practical workshop to further their knowledge and experience of 4v4, 5v5 and 6v6. This Workshop will be delivered on a league basis by the FDO. Please stress that you are in place to support and will assist ant clubs with any issues they have. 29