JUNIOR COMPETITION

Team registrations for our junior competition will open 7.00pm on the following dates and all team registrations will close Sunday 6th August 2023:

• U17s – Sunday 30 July
• U15s – Monday 31 July
• U13s – Tuesday 1 August
• U11s – Wednesday 2 August
• U9s & U7s – Thursday 3 August

The 2023 Junior Summer Competition commences Thursday 7th September 2023 for U7s & U9s, and Friday 8th September 2023 for U11s to U17s Boys and Girls.

Divisions

Boys and Girls Under 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s, 15s and 17s Divisions with A, B and C Grades in some age groups.

Game Times & Rounds

9 scheduled rounds plus finals, on Thursday & Friday afternoons for Boys and Girls Under 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s, 15s and 17s – games commence @ 4.10pm.

Game locations for our junior competitions are:

• All U7s and U9s games will be played at Nolan Reserve, North Manly
• All U11s to U17s games will be played at Nolan Reserve, North Manly & Passmore Reserve, Manly Vale

Download a copy of the Field Layout for Nolan Reserve & Passmore Reserve.

 

• Competition Starts for U7s and U9s – Thursday 7th September 2023
• Competition Starts for U11s – U17s – Friday 8th September 2023
• Final Round Game – Thursday 16th and Friday 17th November 2023
• Semi Finals – Thursday 23rd (U9s) and Friday 24th November 2023
• NSWTA Senior State Cup – No games Thursday 30th November and Friday 1st December 2023
• Grand Finals – Thursday 7th (U9s) and Friday 8th December 2023

The age restrictions for the 2023 Junior Summer Competition are as follows:

• U7s – born in 2016 or earlier
• U9s – born in 2014 or 2015
• U11s – born in 2012 and 2013
• U13s – born in 2010 and 2011
• U15s – born in 2008 and 2009
• U17s – born in 2006 and 2007

Correct Grade

• There is a section on the Team Registration Form which asks you to select which Division and Grade your team will be entered in.
• Please choose carefully as we will NOT be able to change or re-grade teams once the season commences.
• As a guideline, a team suitable for the A Grade should be comprised of all Manly Touch rep players, players with previous touch football experience. B Grade should be comprised of players with previous rugby league, rugby union experience or have played other representative sports such as netball, soccer, AFL, etc.
• If your team is young for the age group (e.g. 10 year olds playing U11s), you are a new team to our competition, have never played before, and playing just for FUN it is suggested you nominate for C Grade. No Representative players will be able to play in C Grade under any circumstances.
• Please refer to Page 8 of the Registration Pack for more information on the number of representative players allowed to play per junior team and the points system that applies for junior representative players.

• Please review our Help Guide on how to register a team
• All registrations are to be completed online via the MySideline link available on our website once registrations open.
• If you are registering a team and do not have a profile with MySideline we would suggest setting this up in advance by clicking here.
• Team registrations for our junior competition will open 7.00pm on the following dates and all team registrations will close Sunday 6th August 2023:
  • U17s – Sunday 30th July 2023 
  • U15s – Monday 31st July 2023
  • U13s – Tuesday 1st August 2023
  • U11s – Wednesday 2nd August 2023
  • U9s & U7s – Thursday 3rd August 2023

Team Fees & Payment Details

• • U7 & U9s: $1,010
  • U11s – U17s: $1,100
  • All team payments are processed online via MySideline at time of registering.
  • FULL payment must be received when registering. No part or individual payments can be made.
  • Reversible singlets used in 2022 will be re-used again in 2023. Singlets for new players, or returning players that need a singlet, can be purchased by players when registering to a team or via our shop.

 

Competition Capacity

Due to the overwhelming popularity of our junior competition, along with a finite field capacity, we must cap the number of teams in each age group and divisions. We are also aiming to reduce the number of byes because it is only an 9-week competition.

If you register after the maximum number of teams is reached in your age group and division, you will be redirected to a Waitlist form. After the team entry closing dates, we will review the numbers and ascertain if we are in a position to allow more teams to enter but we cannot guarantee this will be the case.

Unfinancial Teams

If any team fails to pay their team registration fees at all, players in that team will be deemed un-financial with Manly Touch (and therefore NSWTA and Touch Football Australia). Also, any games played will not count towards the games required to play in the finals series or games required as part of the eligibility criteria to play representative touch football for Manly Touch or higher representative honours.

• Unregistered players will be unable to take the field
• Once your team has been registered, your team contact or manager will provide you with the web link for individual player registrations. A step-by-step guide to register into your team can be found here (starts page 6 after Team registration process)
• ALL players must be registered into their team by Round 1 for insurance purposes
• Reversible singlets used in 2022 will be re-used again in 2023. Singlets for new players, or returning players that need a singlet, can be purchased by players when registering to a team or via our shop.

 

Rules of Play, Teams and Officials

• NOTICE: Manly Warringah Touch Association will conduct our competitions under the new Touch Football Australia (TFA) Rules, 8th Edition. Please take your time to review the new rules which come into effect for our Winter season.
• Please refer to the Manly Warringah Touch Association By-Laws – Junior and Senior Competition Rules and the MWTA Local Competition By-Laws – U7s & U9s Modified Rules which specify supplementary competition laws and procedures to be applied by MWTA in all our local competitions.
• U7s and U9s are played on a half-size touch football field.
• U7s, U9s and U11s use a Junior size touch football. All other age groups and opens use the Senior size ball
• The main modifications to U7s games is there is no scoring in U7s; the first receiver should touch the ball before defence moves up, unless the dummy-half runs themselves; and players will be afforded a full set of six touches whilst they learn the game. A drop ball, forward pass, over the mark, etc. is counted as a touch.
• All players, coaches, managers, officials, etc. participating in MWTA competitions agree to be bound by our MWTA By-Laws, rules and procedures and any other NSW Touch Association (NSWTA) and Touch Football Australia (TFA) requirements.
• MWTA Executive Committee has appointed an Administration Manager to administer our local competitions and a Ground Manager to run the actual game day operations and to ensure all local competitions are conducted in adherence to MWTA’s By-Laws.

Zero Tolerance

• MWTA supports a zero tolerance to abuse of referees, club officials and players. Such behaviour can lead to players being cited/suspended and/or teams losing competition points and in the case of more serious incidents removal from the competition.

Registrations

• Teams are required to register via MySideline using the link available on our website prior to the deadline date.
• A team’s registration will not be accepted unless each team is accompanied with the name of two points of contact, preferably a qualified coach and manager. These team officials will be the primary contact for their team. All communications from MWTA for the competition will be via these contacts.
• Teams will be required to pay their teams registration fee, as set by the MWTA Executive Committee, as part of the registration process, prior to the start of competition. Un-financial teams will not be entered into the draw or will be removed from fixtures until outstanding amounts are paid. No part or individual payments can be made.
• All players must be registered by the first game of the competition for insurance purposes. Unregistered players will be unable to take the field. Participants are not covered by the Touch Football Australia National Insurance Scheme until they are registered online.
• Manly Touch can provide team contacts with a list of registered players in their team prior to the commencement of the first game. The onus is on the Team Manager to notify any unregistered player in their team to register otherwise they risk not being allowed to play when the competition commences. This requirement is to ensure all players are covered for insurance purposes.

Insurance

• All registered players and officials are covered by Marsh Insurance through our affiliation with NSW Touch Association and Touch Football Australia. Please refer to the MWTA website for details regarding insurance coverage or via this link.
• PLEASE NOTE only players that have registered ONLINE are covered.
• All players in our Senior competitions will be marked off on the game registration sheet by the match referee prior to the commencement of their game for insurance purposes. 
• We do know of players that have been injured playing touch footy and have then tried to make an insurance claim but have had this rejected due to not being registered online and/or signing on prior to their game.

Draw, Results and Ladders

The draw is available on our website www.manlytouch.com under Fixtures & Results.

Uniforms

• MWTA follows the Touch Football Australia 8th Edition rules regarding uniform requirements.
• All players must wear their own matching team shirts on the exterior of all clothing and an identifying number on the rear of the team shirt.
• No two players in the same team may wear the same number. Players are also not permitted to swap shirts in the sub box.
• Team shirts are provided for the Junior competition (10 for each U7 and U9 team and 12 for each U11-U17 team) and are part of the team registration fee. The sizing of the shirts is as follows: U7s size 8 shirts, U9s size 10 shirts, U11s size 12 shirts, U13s size 14 shirts, U15s size 16 shirts, U17s size Small Adults shirts. If you require any shirts of different sizes than the ones provided you must email [email protected] as soon as you register, with your team name and specific sizing requirements. However, unless you have a player that requires a shirt two sizes smaller or two sizes larger, we will not be taking individual sizing orders. Most players can wear a shirt one size too big or too small.

Referees Payments

• Each team pays the referee $5 each prior to the start of your game. The game does not commence until the referee has their $10 cash. Please see the referee policy on our website for further info.

Duty of Care

• Games will not proceed in the case of heavy rain, hail, lightning, thunderstorms or extreme heat. Manly Touch has adopted TFA’s Extreme Weather Guidelines. Please refer to the MWTA By-Laws for more information.
• Manly Touch uses the TFA approved Concussion in Sport Policy. These ‘Return to Sport Protocols’ should be adhered to if a player suffers any form of concussion during a MWTA competition game regardless of the mildness or severity of the incident. • Any player with a bleeding cut or abrasion is to leave the field immediately and have the cut or abrasion cleaned and covered. At this time, any blood-stained clothing must also be either cleaned or replaced.
• An ‘AED Defibrillator’ is located at the Ground Manager’s Desk during all local competition games.
• All persons accept that, by participating in our competitions, they may be photographed/filmed and that these images may be used by the MWTA for promotion of our club and sport. If this would cause a welfare problem for you or your child(ren) please contact our Admin Manager at [email protected] immediately.

Protests

• Protests and disputes including breaches of by-laws must be lodged with the MWTA Ground Manager immediately after the conclusion of the game in question and followed up in writing addressed to the MWTA Executive Committee within 24 hours via [email protected].

The MWTA Executive Committee reserves the right to alter any local competition rules it deems fit. If you would like more information on our By-Laws and Local Junior and Senior Competition Rules contact our Admin Manager at [email protected].

Player Eligibility

• All players must be registered online into MySideline.
• The match referee will also mark off each players attendance on the game registration sheet prior to the commencement of their game.
• Players can only register and play in one (1) team per division.
• However, players can play in more than one (1) division, for example, a player may play in their own age group as well as a higher age group in the junior competition.
• A player must have played a minimum of five (5) matches for a team in that particular division, grade and pool to qualify to play for that team in the finals series.

Players Per Team

• Junior teams can register a maximum of 10 players per team for U7s and U9s and a maximum of 12 players per team for U11 – U17s Junior teams (this is the amount of playing shirts provided for each team, hence the maximum number of players).
• However, MWTA recommends that junior teams do not have any more than 10 players to ensure everyone spends a fair amount of time on the field (and assists with Covid-19 social distancing). This is a social competition and there is no need to have 14 players like representative sides. It is about having fun, enjoying the game as much as possible whilst still competing. Kids cannot enjoy the game of touch footy if they only play a 1/3 of the game.

Number of Players on the Field

• There are By-Laws regarding the number of players allowed on a field and that can be registered in your team depending on whether you have a senior or junior team. Please refer to the Manly Warringah Touch Association By-Laws – Junior and Senior Competition Rules for more information.
• Six (6) players take the field in all Junior competitions, except for the U7 and U9 junior competition which is five (5) players per side There must always be a minimum of three female players on the field at any time in Mixed games.
• A minimum of 4 players must take the field in order for the game to commence and to avoid a forfeit.

Junior Representative Players

• There are By-Laws regarding the number of representative players allowed to play per junior team. Please refer to the Manly Warringah Touch Association By-Laws – Junior and Senior Competition Rules for more information.
• MWTA uses a points system to ensure we do not have teams consisting entirely of representative players.
• The aim is to make for a fairer competition across all grades, promote healthy A grade competitions in each age group, but still taking into account kids want to play with their mates as this is a social competition after all..

What is the definition of a representative player for our junior competition?

• ‘A side’ representative players are those players who were selected to represent MWTA at the most recent Junior State Cup
• ‘Development side’ representative players are those players that were selected into our most recent MWTA ‘Development’ side

• Please note even if the Junior State Cup is cancelled or our development teams are unable to participate at Junior State Cup, the players selected in those teams will still be considered to be representative players. This definition also applies to players who have represented other affiliates.

How many points does a representative player incur in our junior competition?

• 3 points – ‘A side’ player remaining in their correct age group [eg a 14A playing U13s again]
• 2 points – ‘Development’ player remaining in their correct age group [eg a 14 Dev playing U13s again]
• 2 points – ‘A side’ player moving up to their correct higher age group [eg a 12A playing U13s]
• 1 point – ‘Development’ player moving up to their correct higher age group [eg a 12 Dev playing U13s]

How many representative players are allowed in each team?

• A Grade – Total of 10 representative player points
• B Grade – Total of 3 representative player points
• C Grade – Total of 0 representative player points – Therefore NO ‘A’ or ‘Development’ players in C grade.
• However there are to be no more than 5 representative players playing in their correct age division in our A Grade competition
• This restriction is in place to prevent a whole team, for example, ten 1 point players (i.e. a team total of 10 points) competing in the one team. This would basically be our whole Development side in that age group. We want to share our representative players across a number of sides.

Can representative players play up an age group?

• All current representative players playing up in a higher age group are worth 0 points.
• For example, if you qualify to play U13s this year, but choose to play U15s then you do not incur any points.
• However any younger rep teams playing up an age group and with more than 5 rep players (and whilst not incurring points) are encouraged to play A Grade.

Penalties

• If a team breaches the representative player points allowance they run the risk of forfeiting games, competition points or even expulsion from the competition for repeat offences.
• Please let us know if you believe a team is not following the rules and the MWTA Executive Committee will investigate.

Do you accept individual player registrations?

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept individual player registrations. If you cannot form your own team with friends, try posting a message on our forum to see if there are teams looking for players. You need to register and then login to access the forum.

Our team needs extra players, can you help?

Try posting a message on our forum with your details to see if there are players looking for a team . You need to register and then login to access the forum.

How do I register as a player?

Players can register into their team once their team has registered. Please click on the link available on our website once registrations open.

How do I find out if the games are cancelled due to wet weather?

Please check our website www.manlytouch.com and Manly Touch Facebook page after 3pm on the day of the competition, as we do not find out from Northern Beaches Council whether the fields are open until this time.

What should I do if my team needs to forfeit?

If your team needs to forfeit your game, please contact our Admin Manager, Lara Long via [email protected] by 3pm on game day (preferably as soon as you know) so that we have enough time to inform the other team. In the case of a forfeit, the offending team does not receive any points on the competition table. The non-offending team will be counted as a team on a bye and any rules associated with a bye team will apply. However, they receive 3 competition points and the game is scored as a five (5) – zero (0) victory for junior competition games and nine (9) – zero (0) victory for senior competition games.

Who do I contact regarding registrations, general enquiries, injuries etc.?

Please contact our Administration Manager, Lara Long via [email protected]