As we all know, the 2020 community football season is going to be unlikely any previous year at Abbotsford Juniors Football Club (AJFC) with training initially subject to a number of very important social distancing measures and other guidelines agreed by football associations, government and government health agencies to ensure the safety of all players, coaches, club members, parents and the wider community. 

On May 21st, Football NSW lifted the ‘temporary suspension’ as it related to football training and released its Return to Training Guidelines "Level B" and a series of resources for Associations, Clubs, Teams, Players and Parents to follow and implement.

As at June 1st, Football NSW's ‘Return to Play Guidelines’ ("Level C" are the next level, and provide for the resumption of full competitive matches and other football activities at all ages and for all levels across the various leagues and competitions in New South Wales.

This page provides important information on the new guidelines and changes for all club members.

Return to Football Play Guidelines and Changes
It is critically important that all volunteers, coaches, managers, players and parents are familiar with the "Return to Play Guidelines" issued by Football NSW and endorsed by the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA) and the Club.  A copy of these guidelines can be found here.

The key guidelines for the conduct of football training sessions have now changed.  As at June 1st, the training guidelines at AJFC are:

    •  Football pitches will be split into quarters and halves for training purposes

    •  Full squads may train together in their allocated pitch but must stay within their team grouping.

    •  Full competitive training is now permitted including training games and friendly matches

    •  Body Contact – through tackling and challenges – is now allowed

    •  Sharing of training equipment is allowed however Clubs and their members should continue to maintain cleaning and disinfectant measures

    •  Use of changerooms or wet areas should be limited to players and team staff and thorough cleaning is recommended

      •  If training bibs are used, each individual player is to be allocated a bib and they are responsible for taking the bib home to wash and return after each training session

    •  Players are to enter and leave the pitch in a timely manner. Social activity should be limited to essential activities

Coaches and Team managers can download a summary of these guidelines from the Football NSW website - Return to Play Summary > Level C.

AJFC Operational Changes
There are also a number of changes that the Club will be making to ensure compliance with the new guidelines:

    •  Teams will continue to be allocated quarter pitches based on team size and need (20 people per quarter pitch).

    •  Training sessions will continue as scheduled. Teams that wish to train for longer may apply for additional training time.

    •  Coaches are no longer required to keep a record of attendance (including players, coaches/managers and parents) for all training sessions.  This will be facilitiated through the use of the Football NSW's Play Football system.

    •  The Clubhouse will now be open during training sessions meaning that the use of portable/training goals, training posts or other equipment will be possible at this time.  Equipment must be returned to the club for cleaning.

    •  Hand sanitiser stations and bins will be provided

    •  COVID Safe signage and posters will be displayed prominently at the Club house.

Player Responsibilities
Our successful return to community football will be dependent upon everyone playing their part.  This is just as true of our players as it is our coaches, managers, volunteers and club officials.  Players returning to training or attending a game should follow these simple guidelines:

•  Arrive at training or your game promptly, dressed and ready to start

•  Wash or sanitise your hands before and after training and your game

•  Fill and bring your own clearly labelled water bottle from home. Do not share water bottles, food or other equipment.

•  And most importantly, do not attend training if you exhibit any of the following symptoms: Fever, Cough, Fatigue, Sore Throat or Shortness of Breath.

COVID Safe Application
The CDSFA and Abbotsford Juniors Football Club strongly encourage all coaches, managers, players, parents and volunteers to download the Australian Government Department of Health COVID Safe App.  For more details please visit https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app.