As we enter the business end of the Youth Super Cup, the stakes are higher, the matches are tighter, and every moment counts.

With finals football upon us, it is vital that all coaches, team managers, and parents are fully up to speed with the Rules of Competition, you can find this document here

To ensure a smooth weekend and avoid any confusion on the pitch, we have summarized the most critical rules below:

Please review these carefully with your team prior to your matches

Player Eligibility: No Team Sheet, No Play

We strictly remind all teams of the player registration requirements.

Mandatory Registration: Every player participating in a match  MUST be registered online and appear on the official match day team sheet.

Consequences: Any team found fielding a player who is not listed on the team sheet may face sanctions, which could include a forfeit of the fixture.

Please double check your squad list before arriving at the venue to ensure all players are eligible.

Knockout Fixtures: Straight to Penalties

There is no extra time in finals matches this weekend.
If a knockout match is drawn at the final whistle, the winner will be determined immediately by a penalty shootout.

Penalty Shootout Procedure

• Each team will select five players to take the first round of penalties. These can be any players from the squad, all squad members are eligible to participate in the shootout.

• If the two teams have different squad numbers, the team with the larger squad must reduce their list so that both teams have the same number of eligible penalty takers. This means some players may miss out.

  • In this situation, the coach must select which players will participate to match the other team's number.

• If scores remain level after the initial five kicks each, the shootout will proceed to sudden death (one kick each) until a winner is decided.

• Before any player takes a second penalty, every eligible player in the (matched) squad list must have taken one including the designated goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper Substitutions for Penalties: Teams are permitted to change their goalkeeper for the shootout. However, there is a specific condition: the player taking over as goalkeeper must have been on the pitch as an outfield player at the final whistle.  Once the penalty shootout has commenced, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced.

Age-Specific Rules

A reminder that rules regarding set pieces and offsides differ depending on the age group.

U8 to U11 Categories:

• Free Kicks: All free kicks are indirect. A goal cannot be scored directly from a free kick; the ball must touch another player before entering the net. This excludes corner kicks
• Offside: The offside rule does not apply in these age groups.

U12 Categories and Above:

• Free Kicks: Direct free kicks are permitted
• Offside: The offside rule is enforced

We wish all teams the very best of luck for this weekend. Let’s make it a great weekend of football and sportsmanship!