Your Chance to Play at Wembley
Five-a-side football teams played for the chance to play at Wembley through this year’s Umbro 5s competition. This is through this year’s national Umbro 5s competition. Phil Cardew, Cornwall FA’s Football Development Officer organised the local heats said, “ We welcome teams who already play in local leagues but one of the great things about Umbro 5s is that players can get their own team together - you don’t need to be part of a recognised club.”
There were four county heats for men and women teams
11th April at the Dragon Leisure Centre, Bodmin
19th April at Cornwall College Camborne and Callington College
Monday 4th May at Newquay Tretherras School (Men’s teams only).
Two teams went through from each heat to the regional final on 17th May in Plymouth. The finals were at Wembley in the summer.
New Futsal Leagues
Futsal - the exciting version of five-a-side football is now appearing at a leisure centre near you in the east of the county. Teams taking part have a chance to go on to this year’s national finals. The new Futsal leagues are in St Austell and Torpoint on Mondays and Wednesdays respectively.
Futsal is the FIFA five-a-side game adopted by The FA. It’s the small-sided game but not as we know it. The name simply combines the Spanish words for ‘Hall’ – Sala and ‘Football’ – Futbol into Futsal. It is a five-a-side game, normally played on a slightly larger pitch with hockey sized goals and a smaller ball with a reduced bounce. It is played to touchlines and all players are free to enter the penalty area and play the ball over head height. As a small sided game players are constantly placed in situations where they must receive or play whilst under pressure or in confined spaces. As a game it places considerable demand on technique, movement, tactical awareness and fitness.
Cornwall FA is behind the new leagues. County Secretary, Barry Cudmore is pleased to be able to get the leagues going, “It really will make a difference to the skills of those taking part. Futsal is high tempo and the rules allow for a flowing, attacking game. I hope people will go along to watch as well as play. Futsal is also being taught in all secondary schools in Cornwall during the coming months. The programme will start with teaching boys and move onto to girls later. Again, it should give the young players a chance to enhance their skills whilst playing this fast and enjoyable game ”
Male players can take part in the new leagues which will have the proper Futsal goals and footballs provided for them by The FA. Nine teams are already playing at Torpoint & Rame Sports Centre on Mondays from 7.45pm-10pm (01752 815172). Tommy Matthews, Cornwall FA’s Futsal coach took a training session to introduce the finer points of Futsal.
The action at Polkyth Leisure Centre, St Austell started with an explanatory evening on March 22nd 7pm-10pm (01726 223694)
These leagues will carry on until the end of May when there will be a chance for the top team to go through to a regional final. Successful teams from the regional finals will have a place at the national finals in Sheffield.
Futsal has two referees, one controls the match overall, the other can stop the game for any infringement of the laws and oversees the substitutions. Ray Brown, Cornwall FA’s Referee Development Officer, said, “We’ll be holding a course to support the match officials for the two leagues. It’s an exciting opportunity for referees to develop their knowledge. They’ll also have a chance to progress and referee in the national finals.”
Ray has been a Futsal referee, “I enjoy it because the game demands a higher skill level from the players. There are fewer interruptions and more time for the officials to actually enjoy the game.”
A Futsal Factsheet and the Laws of Futsal are available on the right. For more information on Futsal, click here
Small Sided Football
The Laws of Small Sided Football are available on the right.
Please see the Governance pages for small sided discipline.