Welcome

The Belwest Soccer Club welcomes all MiniRoos Under 5/6 players (previously known as Peewee Preschool and Kinder), families and supporters to the Football Season. To the families returning, and to all the new families to Belwest, or to football, we welcome you and hope you enjoy the season.

MiniRoos Under 5/6 football is designed as an introduction to football. It offers players a safe and enjoyable environment where the emphasis is on maximum participation for all players with fun being the main focus.

Team Allocation MiniRoos Under 5/6

Players are allocated to teams generally based on player preferences (friendship groups) if provided, and then school attended. Team numbers are generally kept to 4 players per team for the Under 5/6 age group.

Each team will be run by a parent coach, if you would like this job please let the age group coordinator know. The coach is welcome to run the field with the kids to help keep the game moving and running smoothly.

MiniRoos Under 6 will play a game each Saturday of the regular season. Most teams don’t train at this age group and in previous years we have run a skills session before the game but this is reliant on parent helpers. If you are keen to see this session continue please volunteer to help by contacting the age group coordinator or the technical director.

For any issues, requests for team allocation changes, please contact the age group coordinator. Please note however, that changes may not always be able to be accommodated as team numbers, team composition and other player requests may mean it is impracticable, but we will endeavour to do our best.

Location, Dates and Times

See Junior Football for the detailed schedule.

We recommend you arrive 15 mins early so the children have time to settle and be ready to play.

All games must commence on time as our schedule for  Saturdays are very tight and other age groups play after.

MiniRoos Under 5/6

MiniRoos commence at 10:00 am

Will do training/skills followed by a game from approximately 10.30 am in 2 x 15 min halves with 5 min break at half time.

MiniRoos Draw as listed on the board

Equipment

Belwest provides a playing shirt for the game and players are asked to dress appropriately for the weather. Players are allowed to wear tracksuit pants and long sleeve tops (under the playing shirt) if desired. Our club colours are white shorts and red socks which can be purchased at the merchandising shop on any day that soccer events are on.

Shin pads are compulsory for all games, and can be purchased from Belwest’s merchandise store at Latham.

Players should also wear adequate footwear. If you purchase football boots, the types with multiple moulded studs are recommended as they provide good stability, otherwise a sturdy pair of runners with good grip is required. Belwest runs a second hand boot pool from the merchandise store.

Please also remember to bring your own water bottle.

MiniRoos Under 5/6

Each MiniRoos team will be provided with a set of shirts (generally 4 per set) and a size three football. Teams are to hold onto these for the season and to return them on presentation day. It is requested that shirts remain together each week, and parents take turn washing them all.

Field set up

Fields should be set up each week by the time you arrive, however if they are not please see one of the Committee members who will be able to show you where the equipment is. Field layout and numbering.

At the conclusion of the game could you please collect the goals and cones, and drop them back to the shipping container behind the Canteen.

Game rules

MiniRoos rules are kept to a minimum to try and provide a free flowing game for the players to enjoy. To ensure this approach succeeds, each team requires a coach for each game. Coaches require no football knowledge or experience, just enthusiasm.

The coach is on the field for the entire game, and tries to organise the team, keep the game moving fluently and create an environment that ensures all players have fun and gain maximum involvement. Specifically they help with things such as making sure the players know which way to go, keeping the team back when the other team are kicking the ball in, giving all players a chance to kick or dribble the ball in, generally just giving lots of encouragement.

To assist with the above, below are some specific rules for MiniRoos. Coaches and the Referee are encouraged to use their discretion in enforcing these rules:

• Player numbers on the field is up to 5, but if there are more than this number of players for a team, all players play the whole game, there is no subs in these teams, it is not necessary to always have equal numbers.
• If one team is short on numbers, please try and encourage some of the other team players to swap sides for the game (or even for one half and then swap around other players for the second half).
• Players can come off and on the field at any time, though they should be encouraged to stay on the field for the full match.
• There are no goal keepers. Players should be discouraged from standing right in front of the goals, instead when players or the ball comes towards them, they should try and run towards them.
• If the ball goes out over the side line, a player from the other team resumes play by kicking or dribbling the ball in from wherever it went out. Opponents need to retreat approximately 4 to 5 metres back. Some liberty can be taken with balls going over the side line, as it is better to have the game flowing then continually stopping.
• If the ball goes out over the goal line, regardless of who kicks it out, a member of the defending team resumes play by kicking or dribbling the ball in, from anywhere along the goal line. Opponents need to retreat about 4 to 5 metres back.
• If a goal is scored the other team kicks off from half way. Goals and final score lines are not recorded.

Referees/Game Leaders

Belwest operates its own referees program, and for MiniRoos Under 6 matches, junior referees–Game Leaders–in training are sometimes assigned to games.

The purpose of Game Leaders for MiniRoos Under 6 is twofold. Firstly it gives Game Leaders invaluable experience in running games in a non-competitive environment, and secondly it gives the players experience in playing games with a Game Leader and listening to and observing their direction.

The role of the Game Leaders is to run the game, signalling goals, goal kicks, kick-ins, etc. They are instructed to let the game flow, so they will use their discretion in making calls and thus will not strictly enforce all rules to the letter of the law.

Game Leaders will not be available for all games. Depending on numbers, Under 6 games will have Game Leaders but it is not possible for Under 5 games due to the Game Leaders being required for the under 8 games. If no Game Leader turns up, please commence the game on time at 10:30 am, with the two coaches undertaking the Game Leader duties.

Questions, comments?

As this is often the first time children have played football in an organised environment, they can take a few weeks to adjust. Belwest's experience in running MiniRoos for over 20 years, is that it can take 3–4 weeks to get them settled in, so if a player is not certain, or not joining in at the beginning, try and persevere for a few weeks. If it does not work, and they do not want to continue, please let the Registrar know so they can keep a track of team numbers.

We hope you enjoy the MiniRoos Under 5/6 season.