This information is applicable to anyone participating in the Macca's City Cup.

WHO CAN ENTER THE MACCA'S CITY CUP?

All clubs, academies, schools and teams are welcome to participate in the Macca's City Cup. Our goal is to give as many clubs and teams the opportunity to take part and compete.

Please note the Pre Academy and U16 Boys competition is by invite only. AWD is for Athletes with a Disability.

Copa  is for Kangaroos / A-Grade / NPL and Academy teams only

Liga  is for Metro Wallabies / Joeys / B-Grade / C-Grade / D-Grade teams only.

o    Kangaroos, A-Grade and NPL players are not eligible to play in this division without permission from the tournament
o    A signed letter from the Club Technical Director or President / Secretary  must be provided attesting that all players in the team are eligible to play in the competition

Regional Teams  teams can choose the appropriate level for their team

Academy Teams  must enter the Copa division unless permission is granted from the tournament

WHAT'S THE ADDRESS FOR THE TOURNAMENT?

Casey Fields is located at 160 Berwick-Cranbourne Rd, Cranbourne East. The main entrance is located on Casey Fields Blvd.

Inez Hunter Reserve is located at 45 Heather Grove, Cranbourne East, it is only a 5-minute drive from Casey Fields.  It was formerly referred to as Selandra Reserve.

DOES MY TEAM NEED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL 3 DAYS?

Matches will be played across all 3 days with round games played on Friday evening and Saturday with finals on Sunday. In most cases teams will play in at least 1-2 finals so please ensure you check your division's finals formats prior to the event.

U10 and above teams may be scheduled to play on Friday Night unless specifically stated to be unavailable.

Teams will not be required to be on-site all day on Saturday. We will minimise the time that teams need to be onsite. For example, if your team is scheduled to play three matches on Saturday your team might play at 9 am, 11 am and 1 pm, for example, then will be free to go.

Where possible we will try to accommodate requests however we cannot guarantee we will be able to fulfill all requests.

The Under 7 5v5 competition will take place only on Sunday 24 March while the AWD Kangaroos and Wallabies competition will only run on Saturday 23 March.

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS PER TEAM ALLOWED?

U7: 10 players - 5 Players on the field plus up to 5 on the bench
U8-U9: 12 players - 7 players on the field plus up to 5 players on the bench.
U10-U13: 14 Players - 9 players on the field plus up to 5 players on the bench.
U14-U16: 18 Players - 11 players on the field plus up to 7 players on the bench.

AWD:  15 players - 5 players on the field plus up to 10 on the bench. 

Please note this is the maximum amount of players you will be able to register online. 

WHAT IS REQUIRED BY TEAM MANAGER OR REP TO DO BEFORE THE EVENT?

• ✓ Register the team online and provide all details required
• ✓ Accept the terms & conditions
• ✓ Provide an official letter from your club to attest your team is currently competing in a Wallabies or Joeys FV competition (Only required for LIGA competitions)
• ✓ Ensure you have sent the player registration link to your player's parent/guardians and that they have completed it. 
• ✓ Collect 100-point ID check for all your players and bring digital or physical copies to the tournament (refer to Proof of Age Policy). This will be required to be shown by request only.
• ✓ Review the COVID-19 policy on a regular basis on the website
• ✓ Download the official tournament app for IOS and Android "Macca's City Cup"
• ✓ Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay updated

WHAT IS THE PROOF OF AGE POLICY?

Each coach/team manager will be required to collect 100 points of ID for every one of their participating players and have copies of these documents at the tournament. If you are asked to provide proof of a player’s age you must do so with appropriate documentation that can be in the form of any of the following:

• Passport (100 points)
• Driving licence or Learner’s Permit (100 points)
• Birth certificate (50 points) plus any of the following:
•    > Student card with photo ID issued by the school (50 points)
•    > A recent school photograph with the name clearly shown (50 points)
•    > Current library card with a photo (50 points)

Team Managers are entitled to submit ID checks for individual players on opposition teams. Any requests must be done with Event Staff and not directly with the opposition team. Please try to notify event staff before kick-off where possible.

The procedure for ID Checks that  must be followed is:

1.     The Team Manager is to approach the nearest event staff member and notify them that you would like to formally request an ID Check on a particular player(s).

2.     An official ID Check form will need to be completed. A $50 admin fee will be charged

3.     Once the payment has been made, the Team Manager shows the receipt to the staff member. Event staff will conduct the ID check with the team in question.

4.     If the player in question provides all necessary documentation, and is found to be of the correct age, the $50 will not be refunded and proceeds will be donated to charity.

5.     Should the player in question not provide the necessary documentation, or is found to be overage, the $50 will be refunded and that player will either not be allowed to play if the game has not started, or your team will be provided with the points if it is deemed as a forfeit.

Digital or printed copies of the required documents will be accepted provided they are in colour, clear and legible. Please ensure a team official has this available at each match if requested by tournament staff.

Any teams that are found to be providing incorrect documentation or purposely playing older players to gain an unfair advantage will receive a 0-3 loss for any games the older players participated in. The ineligible players will also be disqualified from the tournament and offending teams may be disqualified from the tournament and other affiliated events. These actions may also jeopardise the participation of other teams from the same club at future affiliated events at the discretion of Tournament Management.

ARE TEAMS ALLOWED TO REGISTER OVERAGE PLAYERS?

Overage players will only be allowed in limited circumstances. Please see the table below outlining which age categories will permit overage players.

U7 Mixed  division will permit one (1) player who is 12 months older than the permitted age cut off (i.e. the player can be born in 2016). 

U12, U13, U14, U15 and U16 Boys  divisions will not cater for overage players.

U8, U9, U10 and U11 Boys  divisions will be able to apply for a maximum of (2) dispensations per team as follows:

1. One (1) player who is born no earlier than 1 November of the previous year for their respective age group (for example if the player is born on 1 November 2013, they can apply to play in the U10 competition)

 2. One (1) player who is 12 months older than then permitted age cut off (for example if the player is born in 2013 they can apply to play in the U8 competition)

It is important to note that in both of the cases above the following conditions must apply for a dispensation to be considered:

• The player must be registered in the 2024 winter season with the team that’s making the dispensation request
• A note attesting this is the case on official club letterhead signed by the President or Technical Director will need to be submitted via email to registrations@footballskool.com.au

U16 Girls  can have up to three (3) players that are born in 2006

All other Girls divisions  do not have specific limits however will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

All requests must be completed online via the Cup Manager Portal when registering the player and any supportive documentation must be submitted by email to  registrations@footballskool.com.au

Girls are allowed to play in boys’ age groups one year younger than the age cut-off without dispensation. The application will still need to be completed online however will be approved.

Any age dispensation requests need to be submitted at least 10 days before the tournament once all players in the team are registered. Overage players cannot play until they have been officially approved in the Cup Manager portal. Tournament Management reserves the right to apply any conditions it deems reasonable.

Team managers and coaches must ensure all players are registered and are the correct age for their age group and have the necessary documentation in case they are required to provide it to prove a player’s age. Please refer to section 3.1 for more details.

Players are allowed to participate in more than one team, as long as they are not in the same age group and they meet the necessary age requirements. i.e. an U12 player can play in an U13 and U12 comp but not in two U12 teams regardless of Copa or Liga.

Girls teams are eligible to play in a younger boys’ age group at the discretion of Tournament Management. For example, an U14 girls team can play in an U13 boys’ age group, where a suitable girls competition is not available. If the next available age group in the boys’ competition is not offered, the team may be placed in an alternative category in order to provide the most appropriate level of competition to the teams involved.

CAN I BRING MY OWN MARQUEE FOR MY TEAM?

Teams are welcome to bring marquees however they must not be placed within any fenced playing surface within Casey Fields.

Please ensure all BYO marquees are safely and strongly secured to the ground. The venue is quite open and high winds are common. The tournament will not be responsible for damaged, lost or stolen marquees.

Please remember to SLIP, SLOP, SLAP and keep hydrated.

DOES THE TOURNAMENT HAVE THE NECESSARY INSURANCE FOR PLAYERS IF INJURED?

The tournament does not offer player accident insurance cover to any participant.

Players, parents and coaches choose to participant in the tournament at their own risk and will be liable for the costs that arise from suffering an injury whilst participating in the event. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure participants are adequately insured including ambulance coverage.

We do however have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.

WILL MY TEAM GET A REFUND IF WE NEED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE COMPETITION?

Before the event

As a general rule, we don’t provide refunds for teams who withdraw from the competition unless a replacement team is confirmed. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact us as soon as possible so we can try to work out a solution. Please note an admin fee may apply.

During or after the event

Refunds will not be provided for matters concerning referee's decisions or any other similar matters. Refunds will not be provided to teams that are expelled from the competition due to a breach of the code of conduct.

During or after the event 

Refunds will not be provided.

Refunds will not be provided for matters concerning referee's decisions or any other similar matters. Refunds will not be provided to teams that are expelled from the competition due to a breach of the code of conduct.

If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact us as soon as possible so we can try to work out a solution.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TOURNAMENT IS POSTPONED OR CANCELLED. WILL OUR TEAM GET A REFUND?

Under these circumstances, the tournament organisers reserve the right to either retain the registration fee for the revised dates or to refund the registration fee after deducting an administration fee for costs already incurred for the organisation of the tournament which could not be recovered from third parties.

Should this occur teams will be contacted directly and provided with options.

***The tournament organisers are in no way responsible for injury or economic loss which may arise in the case of acts of terror, war, warlike events, civil war, revolution, pandemic, disease outbreaks or civil disturbances or because of the actions of the authorities, strikes, lockouts, blockades or similar events.**

DO TEAMS NEED TO CHECK-IN AT THE INFORMATION DESK?

All teams need to send a team official representative to check-in at the Information Desk, at least 60 minutes prior to your first game. This will ensure all your team’s paperwork (consent forms and team sheets) is in order and for you to collect your pack with the official lanyards and other important info. 

CAN WE BRING ALCOHOL OR A BBQ TO THE VENUE?

The event will be fully catered. Full canteen services will be operational near all the fields serving delicious hot food and drinks (hot and cold), as well as yummy treats for those with a sweet tooth. Please support the local caterers.

THIS IS AN ALCOHOL FREE EVENT. Anyone found to be consuming alcohol will be asked to leave the venue.

BBQs will also not be allowed in the venue.

CAN WE BRING PETS TO THE EVENT?

Due to council regulations, pets cannot be brought into the venue during the event. Only official service animals can enter the event sites.

DOES AFS OFFER GIRLS' ONLY COMPETITIONS FOR ALL AGE GROUPS?

In 2024 we are offering girls competitions for U10/11, U12/13, U14/15 and Youth (U16-U18) subject to demand. 

Age groups will need to have a minimum of 4 teams to go ahead and age groups may be combined to facilitate a suitable competition. 

ARE THE REFEREES FULLY ACCREDITED?

All referees will be fully accredited for all official games. 

In 2024, Macca’s City Cup will be trialling having no linespeople in any match and offside decision making will lie solely with the on field referee. This has been common practice in European junior tournaments for many years.

Football Victoria referees may be appointed as Assistant Referees in Grand Final matches if available

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR HELP?

You can contact us via email registrations@footballskool.com.au or our social media channels any time and we will respond to you within 24 hours. 

WHAT IS CUP AND PLATE?

Following the round games, some divisions will be divided into Cup and Plate finals competitions.  

The Cup competition will cater for the teams that finish in the top positions in their respective pools.

The Plate competitions will cater for the teams that finish in the lower positions of their respective pools. So please ensure you check your finals fixtures. Even if you finish last you may be playing.

This is a model that works well with other tournaments, whilst the pool games may not be as evenly matched, Cup and Plate provide meaningful games for teams of more even level.

Winners and Runners Up of Cup and Plate competitions will receive medals at the end of the competition which will be presented at the main stage following the finish of the final match.

CANCELLATION OF THE TOURNAMENT DUE TO FORCE MAJEURE*

In the event that the tournament can’t be held or is postponed due to events beyond the control of the tournament organisers (force majeure*) or due to events that are not attributable to wrongful intent or gross negligence or the tournament organisers, the tournament organisers cannot be held liable by the delegations for any damages, costs or losses incurred, such as transportation costs, accommodation costs, costs for additional orders, financial losses etc. Under these circumstances, the tournament organisers reserve the right to either retain the entire registration fee for the revised dates or to reimburse the delegations after deducting costs already incurred for the organisation of the tournament and which could not be recovered from third parties.

**The tournament organisers are in no way responsible for injury or economic loss which may arise in the case of acts of terror, war, warlike events, civil war, revolution, pandemic, disease outbreaks or civil disturbances or because of the actions of the authorities, strikes, lockouts, blockades or similar events.**