FFA to streamline Futsal National Championships
Trying to make it more competitive by allowing only one team per age category per federation.
Following consultation between the FFA and its member federations FFA has announced that the forthcoming Futsal National Championships will be streamlined to create a more competitive tournament with each member Federation being invited to enter one team per age category. Special consideration will be given to regional Federations such as Western NSW, Southern NSW etc to participate.
Please note that the FFA have also combined the girls age groups for 2013 onwards into double age groups, hence there is no longer a separate age group for U11, U13 and U15 girls. Players who are 10 and 11 can trial for the under 11s; those aged 12, 13 and 14 can trial for the under 14s; whilst players aged 14, 15 and 16 can trial for the under 15s. This was due to low numbers and a lack of adequate depth in many Federations, preventing them from fielding a team in these age groups. These changes are therefore designed to ensure more Federations are able to enter teams in all age groups, improving the competition for everyone.
Under these new directions Capital Football, along with other Member Federations, will subsequently be allowed to enter ONE team in the following age groups with the cut-off date being 31 December 2012:
• Open Men and Open Women
• Youth Men and Youth Women
• Under-16 Boys and Under-16 Girls
• Under-15 Boys
• Under-14 Boys and Under-14 Girls
• Under-13 Boys
• Under-12 Boys and Under-12 Girls
The changes bring the FFA Futsal Championships in line with the FFA Junior and Youth Football Championships making a more comprehensive Talent Identification process at the elite level. The rationale for the changes also means that each Federation will enjoy a wider-selection of fixtures against different teams. This will give the tournament a truly national feel at all levels and help to grow the game within those Federations where Futsal is still in a relatively fledgling state compared to the ACT, NSW and developing areas such as Victoria and Queensland (outside the Vikings structure).
Selection for the Capital Football representative teams will take place via trials apart from Open men and Open women squads which will be selected via performances in the CF Futsal Premier League. The trials for the 2012/13 program will take place on 14th and 21st of October. For the full list of age groups that will be trialling when and where, please click here.
To register your child for the trials, please fill out the online registration form.
PROGRAM DATES 2012/13
October 14
State Squad Talent ID Trials at ANU Sports Hall
October 21
State Squad Talent ID Trials at mPowerdome, Fadden
October 24
Train on Squads Announced on the Capital Football Website
October 28 – November 25
Pre-Futsal High Performance Training Program
(1 x per week Sundays)
November 28
ACT National Championship Squads Announced
December 2 – January 6
Pre-Tournament Training Program
(2 x per week Sunday and Midweek)
January 7 – 11
FFA Futsal National Championships
29 Comments
Sep 27, 2012, 12:46 pm
How will reducing the number of teams make it more competitive? How many comps have been won by NSW Lightning teams in recent years (including open Men). Wrong decision in my opinion and will make for a much weaker Nationals as not all th best players in the country will be competing. I wonder how many Sydney based players will take out temporary membership of Vikings and play in their Nationals?
Sep 27, 2012, 3:08 pm
your right simon,some of the best players in the country boys and girls not going because of where they live, also the other states loved to beat any nsw side. i suppose it gives them a chance for runners up
Sep 27, 2012, 7:18 pm
This is a ridiculous decision to cap each state to one team. For the last few years the second strongest team overall has been the NSW Lightning. Last year they won 2 titles and had another 4-5 teams in the final. How is the standard meant to get better when you take out the second strongest team? I remember one year a supposed third string NSW Storm girls team winning the final. To improve the quality of the nationals it makes more sense to be adding a third NSW team than removing the second team.
For the sake of the future of the nationals and Australian futsal I hope the FFA go back on this decision and allow the Lightning teams back in. May as well let the ACT Colts back in as well because for a few years when the likes of Victoria, Southern NSW and SA didn’t enter many teams it was the presence of the Lightning and Colts teams that kept some age groups viable. The Men’s Colts finished first after the group games last nationals as well. Maybe some of their teams aren’t up to it but some are and they deserve their opportunity.
Sep 27, 2012, 7:54 pm
All FFA is doing is pushing the players that miss out on Canberra towards Vikings Nationals.
Less expensive,,because they are at Windsor and Penrith, so no accommodation costs, less petrol, travelling, eating out etc.
I dare say the Motel owners of Canberra would be sad too! How much business will they loose from this?
It’s a backward step, in my opinion, and I can’t see how it will benefit the other states at all.
Playing against Thunder and Lightning has always been the thing that other state teams look forward to, and taking Lightning out of the equation, only detracts from the competition.
Sep 27, 2012, 9:22 pm
I agree with the comments, not a step forward.
Especially the womans side… As Vic pulled out last year, can QLD players afford the $1600 to only play nsw and act…. or will it even be viable?!
Sep 27, 2012, 10:07 pm
I also agree that it is a backward step, especially for the girls and womens teams. To go from 2 teams in each age group to 1 in two age range is too drastic a step. I guess Western NSW and Southern NSW will end up being the NSW Lightning teams. Or Northern NSW if they enter.
Sep 27, 2012, 10:34 pm
I think you are right. This will definitely strengthen Western and Southern NSW teams, as the Lightning players, particularly in Girls and Women, will go there instead.
This has already been happening to some extent with those missing out on Thunder and Lightning turning out for Western and Southern NSW.
As for NNSW I doubt they will enter. They don’t have the time, or resources, to worry about Futsal. The guy that used to keep it going has gone to Vikings.
NNSW also runs their Elite Football teams selection camp on the same week as FFA Futsal Nationals and they would be the only coaches experienced enough to coach at that level.
There was an attempt to enter a Youth team this year but that failed because some players didn’t support it.
Sad to see NNSW go but I can’t see them returning unless a miracle happens.
Sep 28, 2012, 6:10 am
over the years the only team that is competitive in some groups against thunder has been the lightning team. what worries me if the thunder teams win easy will parents look at this as a waste of money and time and again we lose owe best players. why didnt ffa make other states set up premier/super league comps to make the more competive
Sep 28, 2012, 3:17 pm
This is a backward step. The article talks about ‘pathways’. Quite often the pathway is the Lightning team. How many players get a year’s experience and then step up to Thunder the next year? And , having had first hand experience of the selection process (they were desperate enough one year to let me coach!) I have no faith in the best players being selected. It’s all at the whim of the coach and, trust me, I’ve been involved with some very, very ordinary NSW coaches over the last 6 years. That’s why Lightning often beat Thunder. FFA, make the other states accountable. Tell them to pay attention to futsal and to send sides. It’s not NSW fault we put in the time and effort to produce elite talent. Don’t level the playing field by disadvantaging your best players. They’ll leave the game if there is no pathway for them.
Sep 28, 2012, 3:46 pm
Consultation???? I wonder who were consulted obviously not too many stakeholders.
Sep 28, 2012, 5:35 pm
I understand the theory behind having only one state team but its not practical. The past 3 years my age group has been won by lightning. By no means was this a “second rate” team, however the politics and perception of players from coaches block these players from getting into the thunder squad. Its unfortunate that this is the situation we as players are in now, however for it to work the political coaches can’t go to nationals either. Theres nothing stopping a coach from picking all the players from his club at the trial.
Sep 28, 2012, 6:57 pm
Very true Marky, you often see Lightning teams winning in the older ages for both boys and girls largely because the Thunder coach picks the same players as before even though others have improved. There are always a few age groups where Lightning beat Thunder and deservedly so. You also often get a few age groups where the Lightning coach is far better than the Thunder coach but is usually newer to rep coaching and doesn’t yet have the right contacts or reputation. The Thunder coach might get the selections right but the Lightning coach does a better job in training and by January there is no longer an A and B team, rather 2 equal teams and its about who performs best on the day.
So what happens when as is usually the case NNSW, TAS, WA, NT don’t send any teams and Victoria and SA don’t send teams in all age groups? We could be left with 4 team comps because there’s no Lightning or Colts to bolster the numbers.
Sep 28, 2012, 5:58 pm
victoria, by there website are not sending 13 or 15 boys what a joke.lack or numbers was the excuse for the girls with consultation???also by all accounts the AWD had a good time gone sad
Sep 28, 2012, 10:59 pm
Do we know who is making these decisions at FFA? and who at FNSW agreed?
Can the clubs challenge this decision as it is a real backward step.
Sep 29, 2012, 4:50 pm
This was not a recommendation of the FNSW Standing committee. Can it be challenged, not sure but can always ask. Interesting that nothing has come from FFA or FNSW only an announcment from Capital Futsal. Maybe they were behind the decision or they are the new national body (Just kidding !!!). More details about the decision need to be found out, ie who, when, where, why was the decision made. Standing Committee has no information so can’t update anyone.
The following comments are my personal views nothing connected with the SC info above.
I personally was just as surprised as all of you when I read it on this site and only know what I have read here. The Nationals are supposed to be “Best of the Best” so in theory 1 state, 1 team, all states represented in valid – but what sounds good in theory doesn’t always work in practice. I can’t say I support this move in the current climate/structure of the sports development. However ….
I may go against some peoples thinking but I will throw this out there anyway.
Long term I do support the theory of 1 team/state. We have for years “devalued” the importance and honour of wearing our state & national colours. We hand them out to anyone that can pay. Its reached the stage where you are in the minority if you HAVEN’T played for your state or country. Lets face it, we all know of Rep players out there who quite frankly are not up to the standard. Players who have been invovled in 2-3-4 Rep Teams (NSW & Aust) who can’t even make the cut at SL-PL level. A hard reality but reality none the less.
There has always been the argument that reducing NSW no’s means that a lot of players who are good enough and deserve to be there will miss out. True, but if they are passionite about the sport and have a desire to succeed, won’t that drive them to improve further, thus lifting the quality. Or do they only want a spot in the team if they don’t have to fight and work hard for the honour. I know players like Simon would walk over broken glass and fight tooth & nail for the honour of NSW/Aust representation. If missing out on one state team makes you throw your hands up, say it’s all too hard and walk away then as a coach, or team mate, maybe your not the sort of person I want representing me.
Sporting history is littered with great players who, were constantly overlooked for rep honours, not because they weren’t good enough, but because there were only limited spots available. To me the argument that some good players will miss out is not really valid, I feel for them, I’ve been in the situation, but thats life unfortunately.
Brainsnap raised a good point – about time FFA started forcing the state bodies to take action. I’ve been away from the outdoor scene for a while so correct me if I am wrong, but I think under the terms of the state affiliation service agreements it is mandatory for the member states to field teams in each of the age groups for the outdoor nationals, as i said it may have changed but it used to be compulsory.
Maybe it is time for them to inforce the same rules for futsal if they are serious about one structure for all forms of football ?
Can I also say how great it is to get back to open constructive discussion about the sport & its issues again. So much better that the negative, political, name calling that began creeping into the forum for a while. Thanks guys, lets keep this attitude going. I will certainly be raising our concerns at the next standing committee meeting (assuming I am welcomed back !)
Sep 30, 2012, 4:15 pm
phil, i can see your point but for the sake of competitiveness why not allow 2 teams per federation up until u16 then 1 team for youth and open. queensland on the 27 july nominated all there coaches including 13/15 girls so they didnt know a month ago of the changes. with victoria looking like they might not send some grades, they will have to rely on western and southern to supply teams. if not i can see some grades lucky to have 4 teams and probably uncompetitive. hopefully something will be released why this decision and which federation/ federations made it
Sep 30, 2012, 8:04 pm
Your right short term its a bad decision and I also fear this years Nationals will suffer greatly from the backlash.
As i said I support the move “long term” but the neccessary ground work and infastructure needs to be in place first. I don’t support it suddenly just being thrown in without proper consultation and thought about the possible consequences of the move. Unfortunately we are the ones left trying to salvage the situation and minimise the damaged to the sport.
It needs to be phased in over 2-3 years so that everyone – states, members, players & administrators, can impliment it in a controlled and sensible manner. Making such a major decision and trying implimenting it immediately is ridiculous.
Oct 1, 2012, 1:30 pm
It is ridiculous to think that FFA can make it mandatory for the State Federations to enter teams into Nationals when the players are the ones that fund their own trip to Canberra.
I know my State Federation cannot afford to pay for 200 players plus coaching staff to attend Futsal Nationals so it’s impossible for FFA to enforce anything.
I heard it was Capital Footballs choice along with selected members from each State Federation that made the changes to the age groups and number of teams eligible to participate in Canberra, I’m not sure FFA had anything to do with it although surely FFA have to approve the changes to sanction the competition.
I get tired of hearing all this talk about pathways and development for futsal. Currently the only pathway is for males. There is NO PATHWAY for females!!!
Now with the changes made with 1 team per State I can’t see why any of the female divisions would bother to nominate to play approx 3-4 round games and pay up to $2000 to attend.
As far as development goes what exactly are we trying to develop players for if there is no pathway? I personally have no interest to develop elite futsal players for outdoor football, I only want to develop futsal players for futsal.
We all know that FFA is doing nothing whatsoever to develop futsal in this country. They’ve been proving it for years!
Oct 1, 2012, 4:22 pm
you are right samba regarding the girls. if look at last year and the same teams nominate this year under this system 16g and youth women will have 4 team draw. victoria and queensland players would have to wonder if the cost is worth it
Oct 2, 2012, 11:02 am
From my understanding the proposal was brought forward at the 2011 nationals by various heads of member Feds. It was then revisited at this nationals when all federations sent members to meet. NSW pushed very hard for the reduction, as did ACT. The other states agreed and here we are. The idea of 1 team per age group is ok as long as western and southern are permitted to enter. Cutting the girls is ridiculous. Despite the cuts I have been informed that it may be possible for member fed to enter odd ages ie 13 and 15 girls into the 14 and 16 girls categories as a 2nd team provided there is talent.
Oct 2, 2012, 1:09 pm
mrfutsal i dont think nsw or act push for the change why would they. all that had to do is the same as victoria and have trials for any age groups they want. i think you will find the other federations are of the opinion that it hard enough to beat one team let alone 2
Oct 2, 2012, 6:08 pm
I know NSW definitely lobbied for 1 team per federation. The view was that this would make it an elite competition. This is not what the result of the reduction in teams will, be though.
Oct 2, 2012, 7:18 pm
It would be a bit of a joke if Western and Southern were permitted to enter and were full of Metro based players (as has happened to some extent in the past 2 seasons). ACT entered 2 teams in Open Men and Open Women in 2012 and both made the semis; with ACT Colts now reappear as Riverina? Will we see a host of ‘Northern Territory’ teams resplendent in NSW blue? The decision makers are making a rod for their own backs and don’t appear to have the interests of the game at hearts. Thank God we have decent people running our clubs or the game would die.
Oct 2, 2012, 8:20 pm
I have coached two Queensland junior teams at the FFA Nationals in recent years. Clearly NSW Thunder and Lightening, in most cases, are the strongest teams in most age groups. This is because of the superior futsal infrastructure in NSW under the FFA system. In Queensland, were are in the middle of a Vikings (aka Aust Futsal Assoc.) stronghold. The solution to this is plain and clear. Unify the sport for the sake of the players and combine both associations. Queensland will never compete with NSW under the FFA system because the Football Qld brand of the sport in Qld is still in its fledging stage, compared to Vikings which is strongly entrenched here – because Vikings started out in Qld and have slowly spread outwards from there. There are still far more Vikings clubs in the greater Brisbane metro area than Football Qld clubs. This is the reason why our representative system is so ‘watered down’. Until the associations merge and unify this same old argument will go round and round for years. Fix the infrastructure and you fix the problem of standards of rep teams.
Oct 2, 2012, 9:01 pm
futsalrulz, just a few points. i dont think viking will walk away and let queensland football take over a business they have built over years. secondly you say if they fix the infrastructure you fix the problem of rep teams, i dont totally agree, take victoria as a example viking do not have a stranghold there but there junior team lag behind the nsw sides it the infrastructure{ premier/ super leagues/ coaching} which provides high intensity games every week
Oct 2, 2012, 10:55 pm
Hi Mr. Futsal. I was at both meetings and I have a written record of the last meeting.
At no stage did NSW push for a reduction and neither was this reduction sought by ACT at the meeting. The only suggestion of this was raised by a Victoria representative. There was some dicussion on the issue but no decision was sought or made. This was only a very small issue in a meeting that lasted over 2 hours. The main issues raised were; Coaching courses, commercial partnerships, AWD futsal, National Futsal referees roster, National Futsal Conferance every year, Optus Small sided game, joint football/futsal registrations, A League involvement, a National Working Group, and a national Womens team as a priority. Unfortunately the FFA Chair at the meeting has since left FFA.
Oct 4, 2012, 10:39 pm
Given what mseeto has said, I’m guessing somebody at capital football liked the FFV representatives idea of one state one team.
Futsal rant has received a few emails on the issue in the past few days.
Whoevers idea it was, hopefully they change there mind.
It is laughable when FFA and Vikings nationals post groups and there’s NSW north, south,east west, city and a team from one other state but that’s just the nature of futsal in AUS at the minute… Or is it?
Finance and politics aside I’m sure there is the possibility of having 6-7 states represented across all genders and age groups. However it’s probably 5-10 years away.
Oct 5, 2012, 7:25 am
I am on the management committee of our states FFA Member so it came as a complete surprise to me. I contacted our Chair to clarify what the situation was – they to were very surprised to hear of the change. Clearly stakeholder consultation and impact analysis are not the FFA’s strong points! Very disappointing. There doesn’t seem to be any strategic approach by the FFA – if there was they would not make a decision today to implement tomorrow without understanding each states unique circumstances. They would factor in the impacts and look at a long term plan (and by long term I mean 3-5 years, 5-10 years) to implement such an approach. I thought the FFA were trying to grow the game not stunt it! Its about time FFA learn how to properly manage change…
Oct 15, 2012, 10:15 pm
You dont think all the nsw teams are just going to be full of premier league players because there apparently the better players? whats going to happen with super league players majority wont even get looked at in the trials