U6 - U11 Small Sided Football

Unless your your child wishes to join a high skill komodo dragon team in U9, 10 or 11 (full details below), there is NO selection or grading process at all in forming or joining a team in SSF.  All that is required is for your child to be ready and willing to enjoy and learn the game.  You can form your own team of friends or make new ones.

The following squad sizes are set for each age group:

Further information on all aspects of small sided football for each age group is set out below.

Forming a Team

Forming a new team is easy - if your child and friends want to join the club for the first time, it is simply a matter of getting their names together and letting us know prior to sign-on weekend.  However, the following procedure must be followed to ensure all your players will be in your team.  The coach/manager MUST:

• obtain a team nomination form - please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. requesting a form for your child's age group and it will be sent to you by email

• list the full names of each player, and names and full contacts details of the coach or manager of the team

• send the team nomination form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least one week prior to sign to ensure your team nomination is processed by the club prior to sign-on

• ensure that each nominated player pays their membership/registration fees on the sign-on weekends. Otherwise, if a nominated team player has not been registered by the completion of sign-on, the club reserves the right to place a registered player in the team .  The club has over 400 players in small sided football and the allocation of registered players into teams is a top priority.

Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any enquiries or to lodge your team nomination form.

Joining a Team

Joining a team is also very easy - just come along to sign-on and a Club volunteer will ensure that your child's name is placed on a team list.

Player Age Policies

• Minimum Age to Play: Please note that pursuant to Football Brisbane and insurance requirements, the club cannot register any child until they have turned five years of age.  Once a child has had their fifth birthday, please contact the club to see if there is still a vacancy in an U6 team.  The club will do what is possible to accommodate a child turning five after the sign on weekend subject to availability of positions within teams

• Whilst a child can sometimes play up a year, there are no circumstances upon which a child can play in the year below (eg. a child turning 7 in 2012 must play in at least U7 in 2012 - the child cannot play in U6).  This is Football Queensland policy.

• Players are naturally encouraged to play in their appropriate age group.  The club recognises that children in U6 to U8 will sometimes be playing up one year above their age group to be with school and other friends.  The club supports the primary enjoyment of children playing with their friends.  However, from U9 and upwards and in line with FFA rulings  players must play in their appropriate age group to ensure that the children are playing with and against other players of the same physical size and skill level.

For all enquiries, please contact our club secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Muster Night

Please monitor the website events calendar for the first training night (also called 'muster night').  On this night, club officials welcome all players and then muster all age groups and teams and allocate a regular training position on the field.

More Information on Small Sided Football

For all information of small sided football, including the parent flyer, game leader resource (U6/7) and instructing referee resource (U8/9/10), please go to www.smallsidedfootball.com.au

Under 6 & 7
Numbers on Field 4 v 4 (Squad size 6)
Field Size *30m x 20m
Penalty Area Nil
Ball Size 3
Goalkeeper No
Playing Time 2 x 15 minutes
Half Time Break 5 minutes
Game Leader

Under 8 & 9
Numbers on Field 7 v 7 (squad size 9)
Field Size * ¼ Full Size Pitch
Min. - 40m x 30m
Max. - 50m x 40m
Penalty Area 3m in length onto field
Ball Size 3
Goalkeeper - Yes
Playing Time - 2 x 20 minutes
Half Time Break 5 minutes
Instructing Referee


Under 10
Numbers on Field 9 v 9 (squad size 11)
Field Size * ½ Full Size Pitch
Penalty Area 5m in length onto field
Ball Size 4
Goalkeeper Yes
Playing Time (U10 - 2 x 25 minutes) (U11 - 2 x 30 minutes) 
Half Time Break 7.5 minutes
Instructing Referee .

Points Table & Finals

FFA advises that the keeping of points table and playing of finals must not be done for the Under 6 - 11 age group. This should not start until the Under 11 age group where children start playing 11 v 11 on a full size pitch.

U9,10 and U11 - 3 Levels - Geckos, Goanna and Komodo Dragons

FFA has recognised the need where possible that teams of reasonably equal ability are playing each other. In 2010, Football Brisbane utilised a three level grouping system - Geckos, Goannas and Komodo Dragons.

Briefly the groupings are as follows:

Geckos - Players in the team are of minimal skill or are new to the sport and need time to learn rules and develop skills and teamwork. These teams will play either in-house or in hubs, depending on the club.

Goannas - Players in the team have average skills, played the sport previously and as such know the rules and how to play as a team and can engage in matches with minimal instruction from their coach. These teams will play in-house or in hubs, depending on the club.

Komodo Dragons - Players in the team have average to above average skills. Matches are usually played with speed, skill and tactics. These teams will play in either the North, West or South zone. Therefore, travel between clubs will be required. The number of hubs within each zone will be dependent on the number of nominations.The players and the teams in Komodo Dragon divisions will be required to train twice each week. This level is ideally suited for players that aspire for such challenges and possess the requisite abilities.

Teams are automatically nominated for the goanna level.

If you wish to nominate your team for the gecko level, please email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss the matter and ensure that this is the appropriate level for your team.

If your child wishes to try out for komodo dragons, assessment sessions are carried out at the beginning of the season.  View the website calendar for details.  If you require any further information, please email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All groupings will follow the SSF Rules and there will be NO points table or results kept or advertised.