1. Welsh Football Trust Update Jay Probert Regional Development Coordinator

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

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

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

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

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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. ‘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

28. 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

29. WFT Mini Football Page:
Any Questions?
WFT Mini Football Page:
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