Invitation

Ellerslie AFC has extended an invitation to all eligible teams throughout New Zealand to participate in the Ellerslie AFC U11 Festival of Football.  After an extremely well received event in late 2020, the club is looking to build on that success in 2021.

Our aims for this event include:

• Bringing together young players and supporters from around New Zealand
• Providing opportunities for teams to compete against opposition of a similar level from throughout the country
• “Playing football - scoring goals, having fun through fair play”

Registration

To register a team entry, email Hollie Leona – info@ellersliefootball.org.nz   by Monday 18th October 2021.

One male and one female team entry per club will be accepted in the tournament, however a second team entry may also be accepted at the discretion of the Tournament Committee if the number of team entries allow.

If two entries from the same club in the same gender are accepted, players will be ring fenced to one team & cannot play for both teams.

Payment Details

Entry Fee is $550.00 per team (including GST), payable by Monday 18th October 2021.  Any clubs that enter a male and female team, will receive a discount with the entry fee being $500.00 per team (including GST).  Invoices will be issued via Friendly Manager.

Payment can be made by online banking to: 
          Ellerslie AFC
          ASB Bank acc # 12-3060-0187771-01
          Reference – U11 FOF, your club name, your team name

Once payment of the entry fee is received, no refunds are available unless the tournament is postponed due to COVID-19 limitations and the teams cannot participate on the rescheduled date of the tournament.

Eligibility

Players must be born on or after 1st January 2010 and on or before 31st  December 2011 (eligible for U10 & U11’s grades) and have been registered players of a club affiliated to a Federation of New Zealand Football.

All players must have been registered with their club in Comet in the 2021 season.  to allow a check on proof of age to be verified.  Guest players are to have been registered for their club previously for the same reason.  Any players not listed in Comet will be accepted at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.

The Tournament Committee’s preference is for all players to be registered with the same club entering the tournament but will consider up to two guest players on application.  The application is to be sent to info@ellersliefootball.org.nz prior to submitting the team list and include permission from the guest player’s club.

The 13 players who will take part in both days of the tournament must be entered into the Friendly Manager online team list by 8th November 2021.

Only in extreme circumstances will the Tournament Committee consider a replacement for any members of the 13 playing squad. 

The Tournament Committee seek individual players to be included on a Tournament injury / concussion replacement list who are not participating and available to assist teams who don’t have 13 players or suffer an injury that results in a player not being able to continue for the duration of the festival.  Any players interested in this opportunity, please email info@ellersliefootball.org.nz

Dispensations for players outside of the above criteria to be considered by the Tournament Committee.  The Committee’s decision is final.

Information Packs

The Information packs will be available for collection prior to the team’s first match, from Tournament HQ in Arena 2 at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday 20th November 2021.  There will be no Coaches briefing.

Playing strip

Playing shirts do not require numbers to participate in the festival.  If shirts are numbered, the number is to be recorded beside the appropriate player in the Friendly Manager online team list.

Referees and Match Balls

Ellerslie AFC will be responsible for organising referees for all games.  Each team is to supply an assistant referee for each match they are involved in.  If there is not a referee appointed, each team is to referee one half each, with the team listed first in the fixture to referee the first half.

If your club would like to put forward a referee with a current and recognized Community Referee or higher qualification to be included in the referee roster, please email Kelly Bolus on info@ellersliefootball.org.nz   They would not be appointed to matches involving their team.

Ellerslie AFC will supply Size 4 match balls for all games.

Facilities

There will be a range of drinks, coffee and hot and cold food available for purchase on site from the John Walker Lounge and vending trucks.  No commercially packaged food is to be brought on site to Mt Smart Stadium.

Please respect the fields and take note of the roped off areas.  Please walk around the marked fields during the tournament so the fields stay in good condition for the length of the tournament.

Only players, coaches, managers and referees will be able to access the marked fields inside the main Stadium field and Arena 2.  All participants must be wearing the correct footwear.  To avoid disappointment by being turned away, please make sure that everyone is wearing molded sole football boots.  Boots with metal sprigs are not acceptable.

If you wish to set up a marquee for the tournament to provide your team with a base, please contact Tim Adams – chairman@ellersliefootball.org.nz to book a site.

Dogs are not allowed at the Mt Smart Stadium venue, please leave them at home ?  

Mt Smart Stadium is a smoke-free zone so no smoking or vaping is permitted at the venue.

Parking

There is plenty of parking available at Mt Smart Stadium which can be accessed via O’Rorke Road or Maurice Road entrances.

Postponement Date and Cancellation Notice

There is no ability to postpone the event so if games are cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, there will be a revised format provided on the day advised by the Tournament Committee.

Fair Play and NZF Code of Conduct

This is a Junior tournament, and as much as winning is important, so are the values that come from playing sport in a team environment. 

The Club Committee ask that all coaches, spectators and players respect the Referee and their decisions at all times.  This courtesy also extends to the opposing team and supporters.

Any incidents where it is deemed that the NZF Code of Conduct has been breached will be viewed in a serious manner.

No coaching from on the field or from the team’s assistant referee. 

All support and encouragement must be from the side-line only (not on-field or behind in-field goals).