Supporting your Mental Health, Become the best version of yourself.

Mental health is a critical component of overall health, when you join one of our football leagues and we aim to improve your overall well-being.

Designed for men and women with who are looking to improve their mental health and fitness.  We’re proud to help our players achieve a healthy lifestyle and improve their well-being. Get back to doing what you love.

GENERAL

Where not stated the normal Laws of Association Football apply with exceptions notably that there is no offside in Small Sided Football

NUMBER OF PLAYERS IN A TEAM

Depending on location games may vary from 5, 6, and 7 a side

Each team will have, where possible, an allocated number of players

Additional players can be requested for a squad above the standard number of players (maximum number of players), to cover for injuries or irregular attendance etc.

Substitutions

EmPowerBall allows for rolling unlimited substitutions so everyone can get some minutes under your belt at your own pace. The referee must be informed, and the substitution can only be made during a stoppage in play.

Goalkeepers

A player is chosen as Goalkeeper at the start of the game and should wear a top which differs to that of both team’s outfield players.

Changing places with the goalkeeper Any of the players or substitutes, may change places with the goalkeeper. The referee must be informed before the change is made. The change may only be made during a stoppage in play

FORFEITING

As a group it is encouraged to find a solution to play every game.

A match should not be considered valid if the playing strength of either team is reduced as follows;

• 5-a-side: Less than 4 players
• 6-a-side: Less than 4 players
• 7-a-side: Less than 5

In circumstances where a team does not have enough players to field a full team of players there are three options. One of these options must be selected by the team with too few players and agreed in advance with the opposing team and communicated with the league manager

1. Play the game with fewer players. This can only be taken if the team can field 4 (5 and 6-a-side leagues) 5 (7-a-side league). If a team chooses to play with the number of players listed above and during the course of the game can no longer field all of these players due to the dismissal of a player, the league manager may at their discretion take the current pitch score if greater than the 5-0 forfeit score.
2. Choose to borrow players of their choice to make up their team numbers. Teams would concede 2 own goals for every borrowed player. The team must have the minimum number of players required to take this option. Own goals are awarded by adding 2 goals to the opposition score pitch score. If a team has not been assigned the standard number of players they may be eligible to borrow up to two players without incurring own goals.
3. Choose to accept a 5-0 forfeit defeat but play the match with borrowed players as a friendly. Their weight loss scores would be counted towards the final score but the pitch score from the friendly game would be recorded as a 5-0 loss.

Teams may also forfeit their pitch result 5-0 if a player participates without weighing in first or is later found not to be registered to the club.

REFEREE

Each game is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the FA Laws of the Game.

Please respect the referee and any decision they may take. Any Abuse of Foul Language directed at the Referee will NOT BE TOLERATED and depending on the seriousness of the incident one of the following outcomes may occur.

1. Player is shown a red card and removed from the game.
2. Player may be suspeneded for future games
3. Player maybe be excuded from EmPowerBall Leagues
4. Player may be reported to FA leading to a wider ban

Powers and duties of the referee:

• Enforces the Laws of the Game within the spirit of EmPowerBall
• Allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time
• Keeps a record of the match and provides the appropriate authorities with a game report which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players, and/or team officials and any other incidents which occur before, during or after the game
• Acts as timekeeper
• Stops, suspends or terminates the game for any infringement of the Laws or due to any kind of outside interference
• Takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences
• Takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the playing area and its immediate surrounds
• Ensures that no unauthorised persons enter the playing area
• Stops the game if, in his opinion, upon injury assessment a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the playing area
• Ensures any player bleeding from a wound leaves the playing area
• Allows play to continue until there is a stoppage in play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured
• Ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2
• Make use of timed suspensions to exclude temporarily players guilty of infringements of the laws.

   

Decisions of the Referee

The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Communicate to the League Manager the team he views has been the most supportive and encouraging to team mates, will be crowned that games EmPowerBall team and earn themselves possible match winning goals.
Winning Team = 3 Goals

IMMEDIATE PASSBACKS

To prevent time wasting, when an outfield player receives the ball from the goalkeeper, the ball must be touched by another player before being passed back to the goalkeeper. This is punishable with an indirect free kick, 3 metres outside the area

GOAL AREA

Outfield players are not permitted to enter the goal area.

Goalkeepers are not permitted outside the goal area.

KICK OFFS

The Home team has a choice of ends, the away team will kick off the first half. As much as we love a goal from kick off, goals won’t count that are directly scored from kick off.

The kick-in A kick-in is a method of restarting play and may be replaced or used in conjunction with an underarm roll at appropriate venues. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in/roll in. A kick-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball: When the whole of the ball passes over a touch line, either on the ground or in the air, or hits the ceiling/ overhead nets From the place where it crossed the touch line or 2m into the playing area adjacent to where the ball left the playing area when barricades are in use Position of the ball and players.

The ball: Must be stationary on the touch line; or 2m into the playing area from the barrier where barricades are in use Is kicked or rolled into play in any direction

The player taking the kick-in: Has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line at the moment of kicking the ball; or Must stand between the ball and the barricade where in use

The players of the defending team: Are at least 2m from the place where the kick-in is take

GOALKEEPERS

A goal clearance is a method of restarting play. A goal may not be scored directly from a goal clearance. Opponents remain outside the penalty area.

The goalkeeper does not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player. The ball is in play when the ball played by the goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper is not permitted to drop kick the ball, it can be either thrown or placed on the ground and kicked to a team mate.

FREE KICKS

All Free Kicks are indirect. The ball much be stationary when kicked and the kicker cannot touch the ball again until another player of either side has touched the ball. A goal cannot be scored unless the ball touches another player.

If the kicker touches the ball for a second time before it has been touched by another player:

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team which has to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred. For any other infringement of the kick-off procedure the kick-off is retaken.

PENALTIES

A penalty kick is awarded if:

• The goalkeeper leaves the area. If the goalkeeper makes a save and part of his body slides out of the area, then the referee shall use his discretion. However, in this instance, for the referee to rule in favour of the goalkeeper, the ball must have this instance, for the referee to rule in favour of the goalkeeper, the ball must have remained in the area and part of the goalkeeper’s body must also have remained in the area.
• If, in the referee’s opinion, the goalkeeper started a sliding save too near to the edge of the area, which he could have reasonably foreseen would have taken the majority of his body out of the area (even though the ball may have remained in the area) then the referee shall penalize the goalkeeper. The referee shall take into account the conditions of the surface in determining how far goalkeepers may slide out of the area.
• A defender enters his own box. However, no player shall be penalised if, through no fault of their own, they enter the area when they have made a reasonable attempt not to enter the area. This particularly applies to attacking players who may push defending players into the area

   

DISCIPLINE

EmPowerBall operates temporary time suspensions (‘sin bins) and the exclusion of a player arising from the issuing of a red card.

The options for a match official imposing disciplinary sanctions are therefore;

• Player shown a blue card and temporarily suspended from play.
• Player issued with a discretionary second blue card and temporarily excluded from play.
• Player issued with a red card and permanently excluded from play.
• A blue card offence will be accompanied by a temporary suspension from play.

The period of timed suspension in EmPowerBall shall be two minutes. The release of players from a temporary suspension should be at the direction of the Referee.

Sending-Off Offences

A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following offences:

1. is guilty of serious foul play
2. is guilty of violent conduct
3. spits at an opponent or any other person
4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
5. denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
6. uses offensive, insulting or abusive language
7. receives a second blue/yellow card in the same match

If play is stopped for a player to be sent from the playing area without having committed any additional infringement of the Laws, the game is restarted by an indirect free kick, awarded to the opposing team, to be taken at the place where the infringement occurred. However, if the offence is committed in the penalty area, the indirect free

*Serious incidents maybe escalated to match suspensions and even eviction from the EmPowerBall league.

HOW TO WIN

Throughout the season, the winner of each match is awarded;

Win – 2 Points

Draw – 1 Point

Lose – 0 Points

The team with the most goals combined from the team’s pitch and Empowerball, wins (+2 Points). If both teams score an equal number of goals or if no goals are scored, the result is a draw (+1 Point).

WINNING THE LEAGUE

The team with the most points from their league fixtures, win!

• If more than one team are level on points, Goal Difference will be the deciding factor.
• If more than one team share equal Goal Difference, the teams overall EmPowerBall points are taken into consideration.

• Failing that the head to head record should be used to determine the winner of the pitch l