Rules for the Governance and Law Of Small Sided Football
Updated 12/06/2025
Introduction
The following is a comprehensive list of rules and regulations relating to the playing of small-sided football at Gôl Centres Limited facilities.
Small-sided football means 5, 6 or 7 a side football. It does not include mini-soccer.
In particular these rules relate to:
- The Terms and Conditions for playing
- The Laws of the game.
- The Discipline Procedures.
The Terms and conditions for playing
1.0 The Playing area.
1.1 The pitch must be rectangular. The length of the touchline must be greater than the length of the goal line.
Length: Minimum 25m
Maximum 50m
Width: Minimum 16.5m
Maximum 35m
1.2 The centre mark is indicated at the midpoint of the pitch.
1.3 The pitch is surrounded by barriers, which shall mark the boundaries of the pitch.
1.4 Goals must be placed in the centre of the two smaller boundaries.
1.5 They consist of two upright posts equidistant from each corner and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar.
1.6 The distance (inside measurement) between the posts is maximum 5m, minimum 3m and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is maximum 2m, minimum 1.2m
1.7 Both goalposts and crossbar have the same width and depths of 8cm. Nets, made of hemp, jute or nylon, are attached to the posts and crossbars behind the goals.
1.8 The goals may be portable but must be anchored securely to the ground.
1.9 The playing surface must be flat and even and may be of artificial material.
1.10 The ball is: Spherical, made of leather or other suitable material and of a size appropriate to the age group playing.
If the ball bursts or becomes defective: the match is stopped, the ball replaced and play recommences with a drop from where the first ball became defective.
2.0 A Gôl Centres Limited “League”
2.1 Each Gôl Centres Limited 5 or 7-a-side Division will consist of a minimum of four and a maximum of twelve clubs (hereafter known as “teams”).
2.2 A league season will normally constitute each team in the division playing each other twice; smaller divisions may operate a different procedure to enable all divisions to finish at the same time.
2.3 Three points shall be awarded for a win, one for a draw and no points for a loss.
2.4 League position shall be decided by: a) Total points b) Results between teams c) Goal difference d) Goals scored
2.5 Gôl Centres Limited policy is that 2 teams are promoted and two teams are relegated from each division at the end of the season. However in the event of teams not re-registering, withdrawing or being withdrawn from the league, Gôl Centres Limited reserves the right to promote, relegate or otherwise alter the fixtures of any team, within reason at any time.
3.0 Team Entry
3.1 Teams may be entered by the team organiser completing the prescribed league application online and player registration and paying the good faith bond in full.
3.2 Newly registered teams may be placed on a “standby list and required to play grading games to ascertain their playing standard, whilst waiting for a suitable league place to become available.
3.3 Gôl Centres Limited reserves the right to enter new teams into vacated league spaces at any stage during the season.
3.4 Any team owing money may not be allowed to enter a new season. Records are kept of all monies owed. Teams who have an outstanding balance will risk losing their place to teams on the “standby list”.
3.5 Team organisers must sign the league agreement form, noting the liability disclaimers contained within. Failure to sign the form will result in the team being withdrawn from the league.
4.0 Player registration and availability
4.1 All players in adult leagues must be a minimum of 16 years of age and the team organiser must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
4.2 Players may be registered by a team a maximum of 48 hours following the end of a given match by a team member or a member of Gôl Centres staff.
4.3 All teams may register a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15 (20 for 7-a-side) players that can be used per season. Teams may add to their squad during a season as long as the number of players does not exceed a total of 15 (20 for 7-a-side). All players must be registered on the online portal.
4.4 Eight players may be selected for each match, 5 players and three substitutes. For 7-a-side, ten players may be selected, 7 players and three substitutes
4.5 Players once registered for a particular team for a season may not transfer to another team in the same division. Exceptions may be made with the agreement of both teams and Gôl Centres (who will impose a designated “cooling off” period during which the player can’t play for either side)
4.6 Any team found with suspended players on the field will have the match awarded to the opposition with a 10-0 score line; there will be no re-imbursement of match fee and a point will be deducted from their team. Gôl Centres Limited reserves the right to deduct additional points if it suspects teams are deliberately attempting to gain an advantage, by playing unregistered or suspended players, they may also expel teams from the league if persistent breaches occur.
4.7 Any team found to be deliberately falsifying team sheets will have the match points awarded to the opposition with a 10-0 score line and a point will be deducted from their team.
4.8 Should a team have already registered the maximum number of players for the season, and still be unable to raise a side they may use “Guest players” to fulfil the fixture. Guest players may not be permanently registered to another team in the same league division as the team they are guesting for.
4.9 A player may be allowed to stand in to play for another team within the same division, but only if the following conditions are met:
* The player in question is not precluded from playing by any disciplinary ban
* The player or players may only make up to the 4th man and must be removed from the field of play if subsequently an officially registered player or players joins the team after kick off.
* The S