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.

Click here to read the 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)
• U8 – U9:  Five (5) players
• U10 – U11:  Seven (7) players

** This is 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 local rules that govern how the game is administered and managed and played.  These are known as the MWFA Playing Rules and Regulations.

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

• (for U12s-U14s) the “25 metre rule” (to make it easier for teams to clear the ball from the back)
• (for U12s-U14s) “short corners” (to make it easier for corners taken by younger players to reach the goal)
• (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 “local Laws” listed above 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 CompMan 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.

Corner Kick (W12/U12)

Corner Kicks shall be taken from an imaginary 1 metre arc drawn from a point 7 metres out towards the corner from where the boundary of the penalty area meets the goal line.

25 Metre Rule (W12/U12-W14/U14)

For W12/U12-W14/U14 teams there is a special rule that applies to goal kicks and free kicks awarded to a defending team in their penalty area.  It is known as “The 25m Rule“.

Its purpose is to create a clearance zone which attacking players are temporarily not allowed to enter and so take pressure off the defending team taking the kick and allow them to play the ball out from the back.

The clearance zone is a rectangular area bounded by the touchlines, the goal line and an imaginary line 25m from and parallel to the goal line.  This line must be indicated by a cone, pole or other marking to assist the referee.

1. Opposition players will be required to retreat behind the 25m line for both Goal Kicks and Free Kicks to the Defending Team in the Penalty Area.
2. Goal Kicks must be taken by the Goalkeeper.  Free kicks can be taken by any member of the team.
3. An opposition player will not be able to encroach inside the 25m line until a player from the team taking the kick has touched the ball once, the whole of the ball has left the Penalty Area and before the ball has come to a stop.
4. The ball cannot be kicked directly beyond the 25m line. If this occurs, the kick is to be retaken.
5. If an opposition player enters the 25m line prior to a player from the team taking the kick having his/her first touch then the kick will be retaken.
6. If in the opinion of the referee, the 25 metre rule is being utilised to waste time by either team, the players guilty of the perceived time wasting will be cautioned.

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.

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.