We are pleased to announce that the Female Football Series will be returning for the 2021-2022 season to provide females aged 16+ with a disability with an additional playing opportunity for the season. 

This season will see three fixture dates taking place, with a fixture in Staffordshire, Birmingham and a finale at St. George’s Park. If there are enough numbers, there will be two divisions for each fixture date and we would like you to confirm this on your registration form. 

Each fixture date will be an individual competition, with a winner and runner-up announced for each division, along with a few other awards that will support the ethos of the female series, including a respect award. 

Fixture Dates

Saturday 12 March – Birmingham

Saturday 2 April – Staffordshire

Saturday 7 May – St George’s Park

Registration Fee

There will be a registration fee of £30, which will need to be paid when returning the registration form. The registration fee will cover all fixture dates, so no other payments on match days will be required. This will support with some of the basic costs to the events to enable the series to become sustainable as it develops.

How to register

To download the team registration form, please CLICK HERE

Divisions

Silver

Good to moderate mobility and fitness 

Good understanding of the game

Bronze

Limited mobility and fitness

Lack of understanding of the game and decision making within the game situation

Expectations

We aim to create a positive, fun, friendly, competitive, and safe environment for all involved throughout the Female Series. We expect each team to join us in creating this environment by following the FA Respect Codes of Conducts and by completing the entire series where possible, to ensure we have maximum attendance at each of the festivals.

Rules Overview

Ball Size: Size 5

Number of Players: 5 a side (Maximum squad size 10 players)

Match Duration: TBC for each fixture date

All rules will be played to the traditional small sided laws of the game and the Standard Code of Rules will apply. Additional rules confirmed as followed:

1. Goalkeepers 

-  When the ball has gone out of play over the goal line, play will be restarted with a goal kick from the floor within the goal area.

- If the ball is passed back to the goalkeeper by their own team-mate, they cannot pick it up, but they can play as an outfield would.

- When the goalkeeper picks the ball up in open play, they must release the ball by rolling under arm. The goalkeeper may choose to not pick the ball up when in possession in open play and play in accordance with the laws of the game. 

2. Throw ins can be over arm or rolled under arm

- Throws ins can be made over arm in line with the laws of the game or an underarm roll must be released below waist height.  

3. No slide tackling

- Slide tackling is not allowed when there is potential it may endanger an opponent player or be used to disadvantage the opposite team. If the referee deems a player to have been grounded due to lack of stability/ mobility and NOT with the intention of gaining possession of the ball, the player in question will not be penalised.

4. Results

- At the end of the match it is the team manager’s responsibility to ensure that the referee properly records the result. There will be no post tournament appeal.

5. Freekicks

- Opposing players must be a minimum of 3m from the place of the free kick

6. On Field Discipline – Time Out / Sin Bin

The laws of the games will be applied; the nature of a player’s disability may be considered when making all game related decisions (please make sure you disclose players impairments to the league and referees). The referee’s decision is final.

TIMEOUT: If a player has been ‘sin-binned’ they must leave the pitch for 3 minutes as a timeout. No replacement player is permitted during this time. The player may only re-enter the pitch at the discretion of the referee.

1. Any player can be shown a BLUE card and ‘sin-binned’ for 3 minutes as a timeout at the discretion of the referee for dissent, unsporting misconduct or repetitive bad language.

2. Any player that swears loudly and/or are being disrespectful, may be issued with an initial ‘warning’. If this dissent continues the player will be ‘sin-binned’ for 3 minutes as a timeout. Continuous dissent in this manner may ultimately result in a Yellow or Red card. 

3. Any player that is ‘sin-binned’ twice in one game will not be allowed to re-enter the field of play after the 2nd time. The team must then continue the remainder of the match with a player down.

YELLOW CARD: A player may receive a yellow card for a reckless challenge or persistent unsporting misconduct. Should a player receive 2x yellow cards during 1x match on the day they will automatically receive a red card. 

RED CARD: The player is not allowed onto the pitch for the remainder of that game and is automatically suspended from the remainder of their team’s games on that fixture day. NO replacement player is permitted for the remainder of the match in which the player has been sent off. 

NB. All yellow & red cards will be submitted to the County FA for processing and team secretaries will be made aware of any outcomes from this.

How to register

To download the team registration form, please CLICK HERE