East of Scotland Soccer Development Association

SFA Comet

SFA Comet is now open for SYFA registration for 2025. All year groups (except existing 2013s) must register with SYFA for 2025.
ESSDA registration for all teams, including 2013s, will open on 1st January 2025.

Teams will not be given permission for any friendly fixtures or festivals after New Year until they are properly registered with SYFA for season 2025.

Permission

Permission is required to play in any friendly fixture not scheduled by ESSDA.
During the SYFA Winter Outdoor Shutdown, teams must apply to SYFA at Hampden for permission.
To play any indoor fixture during the SYFA Winter Outdoor Shutdown, teams must apply to ESSDA as normal to play a one off friendly.

To play in an indoor festival during the Winter Outdoor Shutdown, teams must apply for permission using the SYFA Tournament form Tournament Application - Scotland (£10)
Failure to get appropriate permission means your fixtures are unauthorised and you will not be insured.

ESSDA Registration 2025

ESSDA registration for 2025 will open on 1st January 2025. All teams will need to register for the new season.
The cost for ESSDA will be £10/team for teams playing 7v7 and £5/team for teams playing 4v4 and 5v5
The cost for 2013 group (12s) playing 9v9 for 2025 First Half will be £5/team, as they only play half a season with ESSDA before moving to SERYFA in the summer.

Teams who change playing format in 2025 should not change until January.
The 2016 group should continue to play 5v5 until the new year and 2017 group should continue to play 4v4 until the new year.

The 2014 do not move to 9v9 until after summer 2025 and must not play 9v9 until after the end of the 2025 First Half in June 2025
The 2013 must not play 11v11 until after they have completed the 11v11 SFA transition event in May 2025.

These are SYFA regulations based on the SFA Player Pathway. ESSDA is enforcing national rules which all SYFA teams must follow.

SYFA 2025 Registrations

SYFA Registration for 2025 small sided teams will open on 9th December 2025.

All teams require at least one Coach who has a valid SFA 1.2 Children's Coaching Certificate before their team can register.

All Officials must complete

•   The Children's Wellbeing in Scottish Football e-Learning course
•   Their online declaration

before their team can register.

Existing 2013 teams playing SYFA football do not need to re-register with SYFA at this time. Their membership will automatically renew in January.

ESSDA registration for all year groups, including 2013, will open on 1st January 2025.

SYFA Season 2025 - Playing Formats

The playing formats for different year groups will change in 2025.

•   The 2013 (12s) group will continue to pay 9v9 for the 2025 season first half before moving to play 11v11 with SERYFA in the second half. Teams are not allowed to play 11v11 friendlies until after  they have attended the SFA 11v11 transition event in May 2025
•   The 2014 (11s) group will continue to play 7v7 in the 2025 season first half. The 2014 group will not be allowed to play 9v9 until after the end of the 2025 season first half.
•   The 2015 (10s) group will continue to play 7v7 in the 2025 season
•   The 2016 (9s) group will move to play 7v7 in the 2025 season. This group must continue to play 5v5 in any friendlies until after new year into the 2025 season.
•   The 2017 (8s) group will move to play 5v5 in the 2025 season. This group must continue to play 4v4 in any friendlies until after new year into the 2025 season.
•   The 2018 (7s) group will play 4v4 in the 2025 season. This group is not currently playing in ESSDA.
•   The 2019 (6s) group do not participate in ESSDA events, but they can still register with SYFA as a Soccer School and offer training to this group.

These are SYFA regulations and not ESSDA rules - every club in Scotland should be following the SFA Player Pathway. Teams not playing to the SFA Player Pathway will be playing unauthorised football and will not be insured. Clubs playing unauthorised football will be reported to SYFA and will be subject to SYFA fines/sanctions.

Permission is required for all unscheduled fixtures. Again, playing without permission makes your game unauthorised and will impact your insurance.

SYFA Registration for 2025 Season

SYFA Registration for clubs playing small sided football will open next week for the 2025 season. All ESSDA year groups except 2013 (12s) will need to register with SYFA for the new 2025 season.  The 2013 (12s) are in their transition year before moving to play 11v11 in the summer.
SYFA registration requires registering all coaches, officials, first aiders, helpers and players to the appropriate club catalogue on SFA Comet

ESSDA registration for 2025 will open on 1st January 2025 for the new 2025 season. Every team must register with ESSDA for the new 2025 season, including 2013 (12s).

Please ensure all your coaches and officials have the correct coaching, first aid and child protection qualifications, including PVG Scheme Membership with SYFA where appropriate. Every team, (not club or year group) needs a coach with SFA Level 1.2 and a qualified First Aider. Every team also needs two registered adults, with PVG Scheme Membership and fully registered on SFA Comet, who may be the same as the coach and/or first aider.

eg  club entering three teams into ESSDA 2014 leagues, playing 7v7, must have a 2014 catalogue

•   The catalogue must be linked to the ESSDA 2014 competition
•   The catalogue must have at least three registered coaches - with at least SFA level 1.2.  One coach per team.
•   The catalogue must have at least three registered First Aiders. One First Aider per team.
•   The catalogue must have at least one registered Team Manager/Team Secretary
•   The catalogue must have at least (3 teams x 7 =)  21 registered players, with year of birth 2014 or 2015. The maximum number of underage players born in 2015 is FIVE, despite the fact that there are 3 teams at 2014.

These are not ESSDA rules - these are SYFA rules which every SYFA Club must follow. Teams who do not satisfy these requirements will not get any scheduled ESSDA fixtures.

SYFA Winter Shutdown

The SYFA Supplementary & Playing Rules detail a winter shutdown of all outdoor small sided football between the second weekend in December to the second weekend in January inclusive.  To play any outdoor fixtures on or after 7th December 2025 until 12th January 2025 will require explicit SYFA permission from Hampden.
Indoor fixtures during this period and all other outdoor fixtures require permission as usual. Please see permission menu.

SYFA at Hampden have decided that the shutdown will operate as "No matches, friendly matches included, shall be played between the 16th of December 2024 and 13th of January 2025 without the consent of the SYFA. Clubs will be permitted to play friendly matches indoor or participate in Futsal Festivals during this period."
If you wish to play a friendly fixture on the weekend of 7th/8th December 2024, please submit your request to SYFA at Hampden, where they will approve.

Playing any match without a permit may invalidate your insurance. Playing without insurance is a serious child protection issue.

These are national SYFA rules, not merely local ESSDA rules.

ESSDA Playing Rules

All ESSDA small sided matches must follow all the regulations of the SFA & SYFA. All other small sided association in Scotland must follow these same regulations.
There are no "ESSDA specific rules". Associations who do not follow these rules should be reported to SYFA at Hampden.

• The SFA National Player Pathway on the SFA website
• The SYFA Supplementary & Playing Rules on the SYFA website

Please ensure you follow all the national rules in all your games.

PVG Scheme Applications

The last day for submitting PVG Scheme applications this season will be Friday 15th November 2024.
Applications will reopen on 6th January 2025.

Any new coaches or officials who require PVG Scheme Membership for the 2025 season are advised to get their application submitted immediately.

2024 Season

The 2024 Small Sided SYFA Season will end on Sunday 24th November 2024.

The SYFA Supplementary & Playing Rules ( https://www.scottishyouthfa.co.uk/images/Information-Downloads/Football-Games-and-Tournaments/Supplementary-and-Playing-Rules/Supplementary_Playing_Rules_2024-2025.pdf ) says

#3. Children’s Football Season
League / Association fixtures shall only be listed and played between 1 March and 30 November inclusive each year and no matches, friendly matches included, shall be played between the second weekend in December and the second weekend in January inclusive each year without the consent of the SYFA.
Clubs will be permitted to play friendly matches indoor or participate in Futsal Festivals during this period.

Any and all matches outside the regular season require permission from ESSDA and/or SYFA as normal.
No teams can play after new year until they have properly registered with SYFA for the 2025 Season as they will not be insured otherwise.

The playing format for teams does not change until after new year -

•  Year group 2013 will continue playing 9v9. This group may not play 11v11 until after they have attended the SFA transition event in May 2025
•  Year group 2014 will continue playing 7v7 until after summer 2025
•  Year group 2015 will continue playing 7v7 for season 2025
•  Year group 2016 will move from playing 5v5 this season to 7v7, but not until after new year.
•  Year group 2017 will move from playing 4v4 this season to 5v5, but not until after new year.
•  Year group 2018 will join ESSDA for the first time, and will play 4v4 after new year.

These are not just ESSDA rules. These are the SFA Player Pathway rules and must be followed by all SYFA affiliated associations.

SFA Player Pathway - Playing Rules

All ESSDA matches, in fact all SYFA small sided matches, must follow the SFA Player Pathway.

In particular year groups playing 7v7 must play with a retreating line. Attacking players must move behind the retreating line when the goalkeeper has the ball or when there is a goal kick. The attackers must not go over the retreating line until after the ball has been passed  to a defender, and they have taken a touch, or the ball has come to rest.

The aim of this rule is  to give the defensive team time and to encourage them to play out from the back. If the defensive team allow the ball to stop then they have used up their time, and the attackers can now challenge for the ball.

SFA Comet & Player Registrations

All players in SYFA small sided football, including 4v4 and 5v5, must be registered on SFA Comet, and must be showing with a status of ACTIVE.

eg Any player in a 2016s match playing 5v5 must be added to the catalogue of players linked to your club 2016 year group - even underage players born in 2017.

This includes any players playing under any SYFA dispensations.

You can only have a maximum of FIVE registered underage players in any year group, regardless of how many teams you have at that year group.
eg If you have 3 teams playing 2016s matches, you can only have a maximum of FIVE players born in 2017 playing across all three teams. These 2017 born players are no longer eligible to play in the 2017s matches as they are registered to the 2016 group.

SFA Player Pathway

Another reminder that every ESSDA game should follow the SFA National Player Pathway, common to all small sided games across Scotland.
Teams should not be following their own local rules.

A summary of the National Player Pathway rules can be found on the SFA website https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football-development/participation/childrens-youth-football/children-youth-player-pathway/    Please use this summary, and not the summary on other websites and/or SFA Comet

In particular, please note:

•  All free kicks are indirect, in all formats of small sided football at all year groups.
•  Only year group 2013 use a throw in. All other age groups should use a short, side-foot kick in.
•  All corners should be short, side-foot kick in, including year group 2013
•  Only year group 2013 playing 9v9 have a pass back rule. Other year groups can pass back to goalkeeper who can pick up the ball
•  Goal keepers must not kick from hand
•  Results of any small sided match must not be published on any social media or club website.

Different formats of the player rules are currently on various websites - but please follow these rules. SYFA will update the websites/app shortly to make them all consistent.

These are national SFA and SYFA rules, and not local ESSDA rules. We have no authority to alter these rules locally.
Teams not playing these rules will be reported to SYFA.

SYFA Contacts

The SYFA is currently swamped with enquiries and are working through their backlog as quickly as possible.
Any new enquiries should be addressed as follows:-

• For any child protection matters or self-declaration queries, please contact syfaprotection@scottish-football.com
• For any PVG related queries, please contact Janice.toner@scottish-football.com or jacqueline.keatings@scottish-football.com
• For the approval of players in a competition, please contact syfaplayers@scottish-football.com
• For the removal of players from a competition, please contact syfa@scottish-football.com
• For the approval of officials in a competition, please contact syfaclubs@scottish-football.com
• For the removal of officials from a competition, please contact syfa@scottish-football.com
• For any general enquiries, please email syfa@scottish-football.com
• For any first aid enquiries, please email syfafirstaid@scottish-football.com
• For Scottish cup fixtures, please email syfaplayers@scottish-football.com
• For Scottish Cup teamline help, please email syfacup@scottish-football.com

Formal Complaints

Anyone who wants to make a formal complaint about any aspect of ESSDA or ESSDA matches must follow the SYFA Complaint Management System. This can be viewed at http://www.scottishyouthfa.co.uk/index.php/members-corner/complaints-management-system

Complaints must be made in writing to Hampden using the forms available on SYFA website.

The Complaint Process consists of several steps:

Stage 1) Discussion with the party the complaint is about
Stage 2) Telephone or email enquiry to SYFA
Stage 3)  Lodging a formal complaint with SYFA
Final Stage) Complaint referred to a senior person within SYFA

Feedback on ESSDA Matches can be made using the ESSDA Monitoring Form. or directly to Darren as the Disciplinary Secretary using Contact Us page

!! SYFA Annual Declarations !!

Scouts at ESSDA matches

Please see below communication from the SFA Children’s Wellbeing Department:-

We have received reports that an individual(s) may be approaching clubs impersonating as a scout. We are currently looking into this; however, we would like to take this opportunity to remind clubs of best practice:

•  Scouts must not have direct and unsupervised contact with children or young people.
•  Clubs/associations must take steps to ensure that the identities of their Scouts are published, for example on a website, to ensure that identities can be verified at all times
•  Clubs/associations must issue an ID card to all Scouts, which contains their name, photograph and role as a Scout for the club. The ID card should only be valid for one season and must be renewed on an annual basis.
•  Scouts must not attend club training and/or skill development sessions unless they have prior agreement with the relevant club representative.
•  Scouts must contact the club at least 72 hours in advance of the game to request attendance and provide information of the game they wish to attend.
•  Scouts must not approach parents, carers or others known to the child or young person personally, in connection with their child’s involvement in football without firstly doing the following: -
  • The express permission of the Head of Recruitment or equivalent club/association official who has responsibility for player recruitment within the scout’s club or association; and –
  • The express permission from the club where the child or young person is already playing.

If you, or any of your staff/volunteers are approached by a scout please ensure that you:

•  See a valid ID card and check it has been issued within the past year
•  Verify their identity, contact details and interest in the player(s) with the club they are representing to ensure they are genuine.

If you doubt the authenticity of anyone acting as a scout, or the above details do not check out you should report the matter to the police. We would also ask that you inform the Scottish FA Wellbeing and Protection team on Childrenswellbeing@scottishfa.co.uk
Can you please ensure that you share this with your heads of academies, coaching staff, and anyone else you feel is appropriate at your club.
In addition, we would also ask that you take time to highlight to children and young people, parents and carers:

•  The correct procedures for Scouts
•  What children and young people and parents and carers should do if they are approached directly by a Scout
•  A reminder of the Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer contact details

ESSDA Games

Everyone who is acting on behalf of your club on match day, must be a registered official of your club, and must be recorded as such on SFA Comet.
This includes everyone in club colours at pitch side and acting as a coach. 

•   There must be a First Aider at every game, and they must be recorded on SFA Comet as a First Aider for that year group.
    The First Aider must have an appropriately stocked first aid kit.
•   There must be at least two SYFA registered officials at every game, one of whom must be a registered Coach on SFA Comet..
•   Everyone who helps on match day - setting up goals, lining the pitch etc, should be recorded on SFA Comet as a registered Team Helper.

Failure to follow these rules will mean you are not adequately protecting your players and you may be charged by SYFA and the game should not go ahead.

Anyone without the necessary SFA Comet registration has not completed the necessary child protection protocols and must not get involved on match days, even under the supervision of a properly SFA Comet registered Team Coach.

Update from ESSDA Disciplinary Secretary

Please read the full update from Darren McGinnis (ESSDA Disciplinary Secretary) on the Referee Page.
Referees for ESSDA 9v9 games are optional, but where clubs opt to use a referee, please follow the new process agreed between ESSDA and Edinburgh & District Referees.

See the the Referee Page for

• 9v9 update - In 2024 First Half we had unprecedented volume of disciplinary incidents at 9v9 games. This has to stop!!
• Booking a Referee - details on how to book a referee, dates and timelines https://www.edinburghanddistrictreferees.co.uk/appointments/ agreed by ESSDA and Edinburgh Referees.
• Team Lines - 9v9 games with a referee. Both teams must give Team Lines to the referee. See how  to produce team-lines using the new SFA Comet system
• Red cards - read about new disciplinary process for players and officials who receive a red card from an SFA Referee

All 2013 year group teams playing 9v9s in 2024 Second Half must familiarise themselves with the process above and detailed on Referee Page

HTTP v HTTPS

After years of planning, I have taken the opportunity to upgrade the ESSDA website from HTTP to HTTPS protocol.
This means the site is using a more secure connection, but it should not change how anyone uses the site.
Any attempt to access the site via HTTP will automatically swap to to the more secure connection HTTPS.

Your browser may have shown a red triangle or a padlock with a red line through it next to the website address. This should disappear now that we are using the more secure HTTPS protocol.

If you have any questions, or queries, please get back to me.

SYFA Permission System

Following the SYFA AGM on 29th June 2024, the SYFA revised the permission system for festivals and reintroduced  a fee for permission to attend all festivals.
The revised rules came into force at the start of July 2024, so all clubs must follow the new rules. The new forms and details are on the SYFA website at https://www.scottishyouthfa.co.uk/index.php/information-downloads/football-games-and-tournaments

To play in an approved festival in Scotland, please complete and return Tournament Application - Scotland (£10)

To play in an approved festival in England, please complete and return Tournament Application - England (£20)

To play in an approved festival elsewhere in Europe, please complete and return Tournament Application - Europe (£50)

If you want to host a festival at your club, please complete and return Tournament Host Application (£50)

To play a one-off match against other ESSDA or SYFA registered club, please complete ESSDA permission form (FREE)

SFAR - Edinburgh Referees

Sadly, due to a number of incidents at recent ESSDA 9v9 and 11v11 matches, Edinburgh Referees have taken the decision not to support our matches for the rest of the season.

We will be holding disciplinary investigations into all the alleged incidents and players, officials and  teams can expect to receive sanctions if found guilty.

Over the summer, ESSDA will hold dialogue with Edinburgh Referees, and hopefully we can resolve the reporting issues before the start of the next season when 2013s move to play 9v9. In the meantime, any 9v9 fixture or 11v11 friendly will not be refereed by an Edinburgh based SFA Referee.

Please note - until further notice, Edinburgh Referees will not officiate at any ESSDA scheduled or friendly fixture.

SFA News

Our playing rules are not local to ESSDA, everyone should be following the national rules as described in the SFA/SYFA Player Pathway. This is available to view in the attached summary picture - SFA Child Strategic Pathways. (JPG - 2.2MB). All Clubs should be following these national rules, not playing their own preferred modifications.

You can also download and read the Scottish FA Grassroots Football (PDF - 3.0MB) update here.

Coaches should all have booked into the Player Pathway Zoom workshops via SFA Live. You book courses through your SFA Live Learner Account Coach Education account.
"Player Pathway - Introduction to Small Sided Games - South East - Player Pathway"

Social Media & Club Websites

The SYFA small sided games rules on the SYFA website (see https://www.scottishyouthfa.co.uk) prohibit the publication of results on websites and social media.

      Results
      It is unacceptable for a league and/or club to post results from development matches on to any website or publish in any newsletter or newspaper.

Please ensure nobody connected to your club publishes the results of any of your development football games.
All small sided football games are development football. All ESSDA games are development football.

SFA / SYFA Player Pathway

All ESSDA games should follow the SFA / SYFA Player Pathway as held on the SYFA website https://www.scottishyouthfa.co.uk/index.php/information-downloads/football-games-and-tournaments

Please note Rule #3 on team squad size:
    Soccer 7s - the maximum squad size is 10 players
    Nines 9s - the maximum squad size is 16 players

Where possible, all players should receive equal playing time. 
Please ensure that players get more game time than just the last few minutes, and then only if the team is winning.

SYFA GUIDANCE ON HEADING FOOTBALLS

Following Dr Willie Stewart’s recent study into dementia risks in former professional footballers, the SYFA has now updated our guidance accordingly.

We would recommend, with immediate effect, that any drills which involve heading the ball are removed from all training sessions for age groups up to, and including, under 11s (7 v 7 teams).  As far as possible, heading the ball during games at these age groups should also be avoided.

The SYFA would also take this opportunity to remind all of our coaches and officials that if any player, at any age group, is suspected of having a concussion they must immediately cease playing in the game and should not re-join the match. Coaches and officials are also reminded of NHS advice on concussion and head injury, and should seek immediate medical advice if symptoms continue or worsen, or if a player is suspected of having lost consciousness.

For more details, please read the Sport Scotland's Concussion Guidance.

The SYFA is committed to ensuring the safest environment possible for children and young people to play football. Although there is not yet a definitive link between heading the ball and brain injury, it is essential that we take the relevant precautions to best protect our players.