U8/W8 and U9/W9 football is focused on the further acquisition of skills, through short and dynamic (7 v 7, including goal keeper) games to mimic the format of full-size football. The aim is to continue the development of young players to enhance the skills introduced during the U6 and U7 age divisions. The focus will be to enhance each players skill in 4 key areas of the game:

• Running with the ball
• Striking the ball
• 1 v 1
• First touch (introduced in U8 and U9 football)

Girls teams play their games on Sundays.  These age groups start with a “W” eg. W8, W9, etc and only girls can play in these teams.

Boys play their games on Saturdays.  Girls can play in this competition too, so age groups are referred to as “Mixed” and are named U8, U9, etc.

Each U8/W8 or U9/W9 team is made up of a squad of 10 players, with a parent coach and manager. The game is 7 v 7 (including goalkeeper) and is played on a 45 m x  35 m pitch with 20min halves.  More details on the playing format and rules for U8/W8 and U9/W9 football can be found HERE.

Seaforth FC truly hopes you have a enjoyable, fun-filled and exciting season.

For the 2024 Season, the dates of birth that are eligible to play in each age group are:

• U8/W8 – children born in 2016
• U9/W9 – children born in 2015

In some cases, children can play up an age division, but approval must be sought from the relevant Age Coordinator.

From  under 8s, girls can elect to play in a Girls Only competition (on Sunday), Mixed competition (on Saturday), or both.

The following are the key steps to register to play football for Seaforth FC:

• If you want to use your $50 Active Kids Voucher (school aged children only) first obtain it from Service NSW.  You’ll be asked to enter voucher details during registration (Tip: Make sure you enter the number without spaces or it won’t be used and you’ll be charged the full amount).
• Read the instructions in General Information & Fees and the Registration Guide.
• Visit FFA Play Football to register as a player, coach or manager.
• For girls wishing to play in the Girls Only competition, be sure to select the age division starting with ‘Womens’. The age divisions starting with ‘Under’ is for the Mixed competition (boys and girls). If a girl player wishes to play in both competitions, please first register for the Mixed competition, then under ‘Other Products’, select ‘Dual Registration’.

If you would like your child to play with certain other children, children from the same school or a specific team, please include this information during the registration process. Please note that Age Coordinators will make every effort to accommodate any requests, but no guarantee is made.

There is no grading for girls Under 9 (W9) players. Grading for Mixed/Boys Under (U9) players is optional. For Mixed/Boys U9 players who are interested in playing at a more competitive level we strongly recommend that they come along to grading. If you don’t think grading is for your child that’s fine too – we’ll work hard to try to ensure that we keep the teams at a social level and with past team mates.” For detailed information, please visit Grading & Team Allocation.

Check HERE to see the status of all age groups and confirm that we are still accepting registrations for this age group.

For further information, please refer to the FFA Play Football information and FAQs or contact the relevant Age Coordinator.

Soon after the registration period has closed and grading has been completed, the Age Coordinator will notify all registered players of their team. Once the teams have been released, it is the responsibility of each team to complete the following next steps:

• Select a manager to organise the players, delegate duties and communicate with the Age Coordinator, as required.
• Select a coach(es) to run training session and lead the team on game days. Suggestions for finding a coach are available at Information for Managers.
• Contact the Training Ground Coordinator to select a suitable date and location for the teams weekly training session. This is typically one afternoon after school, but can also be on a weekend if that is more preferable. Detailed booking instructions, field layout and ground allocation is at Training Ground Bookings.
• The manager and/or coach must attend the Information Session to learn about the season ahead and collect their teams gear (training balls, match ball, training bids, cones and player jerseys and socks).

For any questions or issues that arrive prior to and during the season, the team manager can contact the relevant Age Coordinator for assistance and support.