Move More Cheltenham District ESFA GIRLS Football

**GIRLS ONLY EVENT**

Event Details:

• Matches are to be seven –a-side

• Matches will last 7 minutes each way. Please make a quick change round at half time – perhaps two minutes.

• Substitutes can be made at any time – please inform the referee.

• Please support all referee’s decisions (right or wrong!)

• 3 points for win, 1 point for draw.

• Winners of each group to be decided (in this order) by:

• points accrued.

• goals scored.

• goal difference.

• results against each other.

• penalty shootout. (5 penalties each)

The winners will then represent Cheltenham in the County round of the ESFA Inter-School competition, details to be confirmed.

The no heading rule will be implemented. To ensure player welfare and mitigate against potential health risks linked to heading the ball. A number of local youth leagues have introduced this rule also.

Otherwise, rules are the same as in the league games e.g. no offside etc.

What is a deliberate header?

A deliberate header / heading will usually involve a player moving their head and / or body:

• Towards the ball and / or
• Into the path of the ball When judging if a header is ‘deliberate’, account should be taken of whether the player had the time / opportunity to avoid the ball.

This will be influenced by:

• The speed of the ball
• The distance between the ball and the player when it is played by another player or rebounds from the goalpost or crossbar etc.

Law Changes 

Deliberately heading the ball is an offence punishable by an indirect free-kick. The indirect free-kick is taken at the point where the ball was deliberately headed.

• Where a player of the defending team deliberately heads the ball in their own penalty area, the indirect free-kick is taken from the penalty mark

Deliberately heading the ball is not a cautionable (yellow card) or sending off (red card) offence, unless it:

• Stops or interferes with a promising attack (yellow card)
• Denies the opposing team a goal or obvious goal-scoring opportunity (red card)
• Occurs often enough to be considered ‘persistent misconduct’ (yellow card)