Teams play small-sided games in a format known as Mini Roos.  The intention is that teams should mainly play for fun, rather than playing to win.  Scores and league tables are not published.

Some details are shown below.  Click HERE to read the complete game format and playing rules for Mini Roos.

For teams from U7 to U11, if teams are always being heavily beaten or are always winning by large margins then the MWFA may move them to a division that is more suited to their playing level.

Ball size

U6 to U9 use a size 3 ball and U10 and U11 use a size 4 ball.

Match Duration

6,7              20 minutes each way
8,9             20 minutes each way
10,11         25 minutes each way

Recommended minimum number of players on the field **

• U6 -U7:  Six (6) players – 3 on each field (max 4 on each field)
• U8 – U9:  Five (5) players (max 7)
• U10 – U11:  Seven (7) players (max 9)

** These minimums are a recommendation only.  There are no official numbers defined.

W8-W11 Girls

During July and August the MWFA runs Gala Days for all W8-W11 Girls teams.  These days replace the scheduled round of matches for the weekend on which they are held.

Youth and Senior teams play using the FIFA Laws of the Game (LoTG). 

The MWFA have also defined many rules that govern how the game is administered and played in our association.  These are known as the MWFA Playing Rules.

The main “Local Laws” affecting play that you may need to be aware of are:

• (for W12/U12s) the game is played with only 9 on each side and on a reduced size pitch.  Otherwise all usual LoTG apply, but with variations for three situations – the distance required at set pieces; the separation required for goal kicks; the banning of some types of kicks from the goal keeper
• (for W13/U13s-W14/U14s) the “25 metre rule” (to make it easier for teams to clear the ball from the back)
• (for all ages) “goal kicks and free kicks in the Penalty area” (for consistency on where kicks are taken from)

There are descriptions of the three above “local Laws” in the next section.

Click HERE to read the FIFA Laws of the Game.  In a following section on this page you will also see a summary of major changes made to the LoTG in recent years that you should be aware of.

Click HERE to read the full version of the MWFA Playing Rules.

Competition Structure

Teams play a round robin ‘home and away’ style points-based competition against teams from other clubs in the MWFA.  Scores and league tables are published on the DRIBL website.

At the end of the season, the team in each division with the most points is awarded the Major Premiership and becomes the MWFA Champion of the division for that year.

Where a division has greater than 8 teams, once all teams have played each other once the MWFA may split that division into two halves for the remainder of the season’s matches.

Ball Size

U12 to U13 use a size 4 ball and U14 and above use a size 5 ball.

Match Duration

12               25 minutes each way
13,14          30 minutes each way
15,16          35 minutes each way
18 up         45 minutes each way

Goal Kicks and Free Kicks in Penalty Area

Goal kicks will be taken from an area enclosed by imaginary lines drawn through the penalty spot, parallel to the goal line, and the side lines of the goal area if they were extended to meet the imaginary line.

Free kicks awarded to a defending team for an infringement in the penalty area between the goal line and the imaginary line drawn through the penalty spot and parallel with the goal line, shall be brought forward, parallel to the touch line, and taken from an imaginary line drawn through the penalty spot.

Rules for W12/U12s

W12/U12s play on a field that is shorter than a regular full-size field and with only 9 players on each side rather than 11.  The intention is that this age is seen as a transition year from the Under 10/11 years before playing on a larger field in a larger team.

The three MWFA local rules that apply in W12/U12s are:

• The distance for the opposition to stand at all set pieces will be reduced from 10m to 5m due to the reduction of field size.
• The opposition must be 10m back from the penalty area before the ball is in play after a goal kick or if the goalkeeper has possession of the ball in their hands.
• For the goalkeeper, to restart play after a save or gathering the ball with their hands, the ball must be thrown or rolled from the hands or played from the ground with their feet, within 6 seconds.  The goalkeeper is not allowed to kick or dropkick the ball from their hands.

The MWFA have provided an information sheet about these rules HERE.

25 Metre Rule (W13/U13-W14/U14)

The purpose of the “25m Rule” is to facilitate younger age groups playing out from the back with reduced pressure when they are awarded a goal kick or free kick in their penalty area.

The Clearance Zone is a rectangular area bounded by the touchlines, the goal line and an imaginary line parallel to and 25m from the goal line. This line must be indicated by cones, poles or other marking to assist the referee.

The 25m Rule applies to the W13/U13 through W14/U14 age groups and is in operation for goal kicks and also for free kicks awarded to the defending team in the penalty area.

• For a goal kick, the goalkeeper of the defending team must take the kick.
• For a free kick to the defending team in the penalty area, any player from the defending team may take the kick.
• The ball is in play when it is kicked, clearly moves, and before becoming stationary, is next touched by a second player from the defending team within the Clearance Zone.
• Opponents must be outside the Clearance Zone until the ball is in play.

For clarity,

• The ball cannot be kicked directly beyond the Clearance Zone.
• Infringement of any aspect of the 25m Rule results in the kick being retaken.
• If in the opinion of the Referee, infringement of the 25m Rule is being utilised to waste time by either team, the players guilty of the perceived time wasting will be cautioned.
• Once the ball is in play, opponents are permitted to enter the Clearance Zone and challenge for possession of the ball.
• The Clearance Zone does not apply to free kicks to the defending team outside of the penalty area.

2022 CHANGES

The LoTG changes mainly involve minor changes to the definitions of fouls – handball, invalid back pass to the keeper and offensive non-violent actions.

Click HERE for a full summary of the 2022 LoTG changes prepared by the MWFRA.

2021 CHANGES

A summary of the changes made in 2021 are:

• If goalkeepers move before a penalty is taken, the first time they will receive a warning, next time it will be a caution (Yellow Card).
• If a defender deliberately handballs the ball to an attacker, the attacker is not considered to be offside
• Clarifying handball – the shoulder is not part of the arm. the arm starts at the end of the armpit
• If an attacking player ‘accidentally’ handles the ball and then immediately scores a goal or passes to a team mate who scores then this will be considered a handball offence
• If the attacker ‘accidentally’ handles the ball and then the ball is passed several times, or passed a long distance or they dribble it a considerable distance then this will no longer be a handball offence
• A Goalkeeper who takes a restart of play (e.g goal kick or throw in) and then illegally touches the ball a second time and in doing so commits a SPA (stops a promising attack) or DOGSO (denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity) offence will be punished with a YC or RC
• If you allow a team to take a quick free kick after a DOGSO offence has been committed the player must now be cautioned (YC) rather than sent off (RC) and if the offence was SPA the player is no longer cautioned
• If the referee plays advantage for a DOGSO or SPA offence the punishment is now downgraded. Example for DOGSO it now becomes a caution (YC) and for SPA the player is no longer cautioned

Click HERE for a full summary of the 2021 LoTG changes prepared by the MWFRA.

2020 CHANGES

A summary of some of the changes made in 2020 are:

• The introduction of yellow and red cards for misconduct by team officials.
• A player being substituted must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line.
• At a goal kick and at a free kick for the defending team in their own penalty area, the ball is in play as soon as the kick is taken (ie. it can be played before the ball leaves the penalty area).
• Attacking team players must be at least 1m away from a defensive “wall”.
• Clearer wording has been defined for ‘handball’ and a new ‘dropped ball’ procedure has been released.
• The goalkeeper only has to have one foot on the goal line at a penalty kick.
• The team that wins the toss can now choose to take the kick-off or which goal to attack (previously they only had the choice of which goal to attack).

Click HERE for a full summary of the 2020 LoTG changes prepared by the MWFRA.

2019 CHANGES

Some of the changes made in 2019 are:

• Where 2 separate cautionable (Yellow Card) offences are committed in close proximity, both cautions must be issued (eg. entering field without permission then dissent) – which will result in the player being sent off.
• If the referee plays advantage for Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO), the offender is cautioned whether or not a goal is scored.
• Sin Bin (This now applies to all competition teams) For U12 and up – any player (including the goalkeeper) who is cautioned for dissent towards a match official will be punished with a yellow card and a temporary dismissal period of 5 minutes (W12/U12-W14/U14) and 10 minutes (W15/U15 and above).

Click HERE for a full summary of the 2019 LoTG changes prepared by the MWFRA.

2018 CHANGES

Changes made in 2018:

• Sin Bin: For U12 and up – any player (including the goalkeeper) who is cautioned for dissent towards a match official will be punished with a yellow card and a temporary dismissal period of 10 minutes.
  (Note that in the MWFA, in 2018 this rule was only applied to Mens 18/1s)
• Coaches can now be issued with a Yellow (Warning) Card.

2016 CHANGES

Changes made in 2016:

• At kick off the ball can now be kicked in any direction, including backwards.
• If a player commits a Denial of Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity offence inside the penalty box it will now be a yellow card (caution) if the foul was an attempt to play the ball or challenge an opponent for the ball.  However the following offences will still be a red card (send off): Handball; Holding, pushing or pulling; Not attempting to play the ball; Not having the chance to play the ball; Serious fouls, violent conduct, etc.
• If a foul involves contact with an opponent it incurs a direct free kick.
• Attempted violence is a red card (send off), even if no contact was made.
• A defender who goes off the field over the goal line and stays off is considered to be on the goal line until play stops or the defender’s team plays the ball towards the half-way line and it is out of their penalty area.  So although a defender may be standing off the field over the goal line they may continue to be playing attackers onside.
• For penalties, if the goalkeeper moves early and causes the penalty kick to be re-taken, the goalkeeper will receive a yellow card (caution).
• For penalties, if the kicker stops and ‘feints’ at the end of their run it will always be an indirect free kick and yellow card (caution), even if they score (ie. there will be no re-take of the penalty and any goal will not count).
• Any player leaving the field may leave the field at any point, and is not obliged to leave at the half-way interchange point.

The MWFRA has guidelines aimed at reducing the prevalence of public swearing at matches – swearing that is audible to others but isn’t offensive, abusive or insulting.  Repeated or high volume public swearing, especially if it is being done to show dissent, can result in a player or official being cautioned or a player being sin-binned.

Swearing that is offensive, abusive or insulting are dealt with by the normal playing rules and can result in a send off.

Click HERE to read the full guidelines of how referees manage public swearing.

Click HERE for an easy-to-read a summary of the MWFA Sin Bin procedure (with images showing how the referee indicates a Sin Bin).

W12-W16 Girls

During July and August the MWFA runs Gala Days for all W10-W16 Girls teams.  These days replace the scheduled round of matches for the weekend on which they are held.

MWFA Grand Finals

• Finals are run over 2-4 weeks at the end of the season
• They are either a knockout or round robin points competition
• The format is determined based on he number of teams in the division and sometimes the number of free weekends available at the end of the season
• The two top teams in each division play in the Grand Final and the winner is awarded the Minor Premiership (aka “Knockout Winner”)

When the Finals competition is a knockout format, only the top four teams in each division are involved and the matches are played as semi-finals (1v4 & 2v3) and a grand final.  Teams finishing 5th or below play no “finals” matches.

When the Finals competition is a round robin points-based format, each division is divided into two halves and the teams in each half compete against each of the other teams from that same half or group.  At the end of the “top half” round robin competition the top two teams progress to the grand final.  At the end of the “bottom half” round robin competition the top two teams play off with the winner awarded the “Pennant Trophy”.

Champion of Champions

Competition teams that win the MWFA Division 1 Major Premiership in each age group are eligible to play in the Football NSW Champion of Champions knockout competition against winners from other associations.

The exceptions to this are the WU13 age groups for which FNSW does not run a competition.