SCI Youth Football Tournaments & Festivals for Boys, Girls & Women: Questions Answered

SCI Youth Football Festivals & Tournaments -Your Questions Answered.

How The Festival Works

SCI aim to provide the maximum amount of football permitted under Football Association and Football Association of Wales guidelines for each respective age group. The format of each tournament may vary according to the number of teams entered. Typically an 11-a-Side team will play 2-3 matches on BOTH days of between 15-30 minutes each way and 7/9-a-Side teams will play 3-6 matches on BOTH days of between 7-15 minutes each way.

Day 1 – Friday, Day of Arrival

No football is played on the day of arrival. Teams can relax and get settled into the holiday centre and enjoy the evening entertainment. The SCI Managers & Group Leaders meeting will take place in the evening where the SCI team will welcome you and answer any last minute questions you may have.

Day 2 – Saturday

At SCI we schedule the football to provide a morning OR afternoon session, where possible, for each age group. This means that your team will enjoy playing all their football in either the morning or the afternoon session leaving a full half day for everyone to enjoy the Holiday Park activities. We guarantee that a team will only play at one venue, no travelling between different football grounds to fulfil your fixtures at an SCI Youth Football Festival, except in the case of inclement weather or other exceptional circumstances.

Day 3 – Sunday

Football is played to a conclusion in all age groups. SCI Football Celebrity Presentations will take place on Sunday at the Holiday Park.

Day 4 – Monday, Day of Departure

No football is played on the day of departure (Therefore teams have the option of travelling home on the Sunday evening after the presentation but most teams make the most of the weekend, staying to enjoy the entertainment provided by the Holiday Park on Sunday evening). Accommodation must be vacated by 10am on the day of departure.

Team Qualification

SCI Youth Football Festivals are officially sanctioned by The Football Association, The Scottish Youth Football Association and The Football Association of Wales. In order to participate, teams must be affiliated to a County or Schools Football Association.

Any team participating in a festival outside their own country must obtain permission from their Home National Association to participate. For example, this includes teams from Scotland, Northern Ireland & Ireland playing in festivals in England & Wales and teams from Wales playing in festivals in England.

Centre of Excellence and Academy teams affiliated to professional clubs and "representative" sides are not permitted to enter SCI Youth Football Festivals.

Team Registration Fees

All teams must pay a team registration fee in order to participate:

  • All 7-a-side age groups (max. Squad 12 players) = £145
  • All 9-a-side age groups (max. Squad 14 players) = £155
  • U/11's – U/14's – 11-a-side (max. Squad 18 players) = £195
  • U/15's – U/16's Girls – 11-a-side (max. Squad 18 players) = £195
  • 11-a-side Under 15's & 16's Boys (max. Squad 18 players) = £225
    (Assistant Referee's provided for all Boys under 15's & 16's matches).

Age Qualifications For SCI Youth Football Festivals 2012

  • Under 7's Born on or after 1st September 2004
  • Under 8's Born on or after 1st September 2003
  • Under 9's Born on or after 1st September 2002
  • Under 10's Born on or after 1st September 2001
  • Under 11's Born on or after 1st September 2000
  • Under 12's Born on or after 1st September 1999
  • Under 13's Born on or after 1st September 1998
  • Under 14's Born on or after 1st September 1997
  • Under 15's Born on or after 1st September 1996
  • Under 16's Born on or after 1st September 1995

Teams travelling from Scotland, Ireland and The Rest of Europe will play in an age group 1 year above their respective own age group due to the birth date qualifications of The Football Association & The Football Association of Wales.

Boys & Girls are only permitted to play in the same team in the under 13's age group and below in England and Wales.

Team & Player Registration

All teams are required to complete an official SCI Youth Football Festival Team Registration Card. The name and date of birth of all players in the team squad must be entered alongside an affixed passport size photo of the appropriate player. SCI Youth Football Festival Team Registration Cards will be accepted without a supporting affixed passport size photo providing alternative player verification, in the form of an official league identification card or 10 year passport, is provided and signed off by an SCI Festival Official. Guest players are eligible. Only players registered before the Festival Commences will be eligible to play. Additional players cannot be registered after the teams first match has started.

Booking Your Accommodation

It is a condition of entry to an SCI Youth Football Festival that travelling / touring teams book accommodation for all members of their party through and in conjunction with SCI Youth Football Festivals and that the whole party stays at the Holiday Park listed in this brochure.

IMPORTANT: With the exception of local teams invited into the festival at the discretion of SCI Youth Football Festivals, people not booking their accommodation through and in conjunction with SCI will NOT BE PERMITTED to play in the football festival, attend the presentation evening and in some instances access to the football pitches, even as a spectator, may be denied.

Upon receiving your team registration form, you will be sent an accommodation booking form on which to detail all your party's accommodation requirements. You will then have 3 weeks to complete and return your accommodation booking form(s), along with accommodation deposits of £25 per person.

Trophies

There are superb individual trophies for every player at every SCI Youth Football Festival.

SCI follow FA guidelines regarding non-competitive football and in the under 7's & 8's age groups every player will receive a competitors trophy ONLY so that all the players feel like Winners.

In the under 9's to under 16's age groups Winners & Runners Up trophies will be awarded to players along with the SCI Championship Cup for the Winning team to keep. All other players will receive the individual SCI Competitor trophy. There is also the Prestigious SCI Fair Play Award for each age group which is voted for by the tournament referee's.

Local Teams

Teams from the local area where the festivals are staged are permitted to apply to participate by returning a team registration form and the appropriate team registration fee. However all local team entries are at the invitation & discretion of SCI. SCI cannot guarantee a place for local teams until numbers of travelling / touring teams are finalised in each age group when applications from local teams will be assessed and accepted on a first-come first-served basis. As such, travelling / touring teams may well play against local teams, who are not staying in accommodation at the event's designated Holiday Park, at an SCI Youth Football Festival.

Tournament Rules

A full set of tournament rules is available from SCI on request.

Match Officials

All SCI Youth Football Festival matches are refereed by independent match officials qualified by their respective County Football Association.

Football Pitches

All SCI Youth Football Festival matches take place on grass pitches with changing, toilet & catering facilities and are situated near to your Holiday Park.

Transport

Prices in this brochure DO NOT include any transport between the Holiday Park and the football pitches.

Official SCI Youth Football Festival Match Ball: Mitre Ultimatch

Ultimatch. The most popular academy match ball , earning it's reputation for providing performance, feel and reliability over many years. The non woven PU provides excellent durability and feel on either grass or astro turf. Available in sizes 3,4 and 5, the Ultimatch brings exceptional Mitre match performance to all ages. www.mitre.com

Official SCI Youth Football Festival Event Photographer

Barkers Photographic. Tel: 01493 843 399. Barkers Photographic will be photographing the players & teams at the football pitches and at the presentation evening. The photographs will be available to buy at the festival and online at www.barkersphotographic.co.uk

SCI Event First Aid Cover

SCI Youth Football Festivals, provide fully qualified First Aid Personnel, who will be located at the Control Point, available to deal with any issues that cannot be dealt with by the Team First Aider.

Child Protection

SCI Youth Football Festivals follow and support Football Association guidelines on Child Protection. SCI recommend that all participating clubs have a Child Protection policy.

Respect Barriers

SCI is committed to following FA Guidelines on youth football and with this in mind we are
introducing respect barriers at all of our 2012 SCI Youth Football Festivals. This will create a
great playing atmosphere for all players to enjoy their football in.

Official SCI Event Insurance Cover:

SCI Youth Football Festivals understand the importance of having adequateinsurance protection in place for everyone attending our festivals.

With this in mind, we have worked with Endsleigh Sports to arrange a policy which provides comprehensive cover to all bookings – from serious disabling injuries to a broken arm or leg.

In addition to the Personal Accident cover, our policy will also reimburse the entry fee paid by any of your party in the event that they are unable to attend a festival due to injury or illness.

The Cancellation cover for your party commences once the full balance is paid and not before. The schedule of benefits is detailed below, and full details are available at www.sci-footballfestivals.co.uk




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