Brilliant News! Alan Watkins has confirmed that Megan and other girls in Gwent will be able to play on mixed teams as there is no Gwent Girls League. He has also kindly said that he will discuss the rule below with members of the FAW on our behalf.
However, the rule does still need changing so that even if there is a local girls league, girls should still be able to choose to continue playing on a mixed team, if they so wish.
A call for the Football Association of Wales to increase the age that girls can play on mixed teams. Inline with rules that apply in other countries.
My daughter Megan has played in a mixed team for the last 5 seasons andhas chosen to continue playing in a mixed team,
Luckily for her she can continue, but other girls in different areas of Wales do not have the choice. We want equality for all girls across Wales.
The rules for mixed-sex teams is 15 in Scotland, 15 in England and there is no limit in Northern Ireland. This is regardless of whether or not there is a girls league available locally.On the continent girls often play in mixed-sex teams until the age of 18.
Here is the FAW rule that we think is unfair -
115. Same gender matches:-
115.1 Except in small sided matches involving players under the age of twelve years, no football match in which Players of the opposite sex are involved shall be permitted to be played on any football ground within the jurisdiction of the Association, except that in those Area Associations where there is no junior league available for girls (the area referred to is identified as the geographical area of the local boys’ Directly Affiliated League or Area Association Girls’ League as appropriate), the age limit will increase to under sixteen (16). Members and Subordinates are not permitted to associate themselves in any way whatsoever with mixed football matches that fall outside the aforementioned criteria.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
June 17, 2014
Reached 100 supporters
June 3, 2014
June 1, 2014
Reaching one hundred signatures will put more pressure on the board to listen to our concerns. I am exhausted by this process but we have to keep pushing until these rules actually change for every girl in Wales.
160 Comments
This would be suicide for the girls leagues in Wales who have worked so hard to promote female football the numbers in the girls section would be drastically affected and standards in the leagues would also be affected with strongest girls carrying on playing mixed football for the good of girls and women's football it should be kept at u12s
Not a fan of football, but I am a fan of freedom and fair play. FAW should raise the age to match the rest of UK as a minimum... I think to match UEFA rules would make sense as UK will probably align itself with Europe soon, so FAW can be leaders instead of reluctant followers.
I too have girls who were stopped because of the age rule - no wonder we lag behind other countries. To develop our girls they need to be playing with boys - its that simple!
we have a female player in our team. she's been with us for 3 years and I don't think it's fair that when we go to u12s in 2 years time she will have to leave. surely as long as the league and other teams are ok with it she should be allowed to carry on playing.
Megan wants equality and the freedom of choice. She has fantastic relationships with her teammates and wishes to continue to play with them. If we lived in England or Scotland, she could be playing until age 15, which doesn't seem fair.
I have a 9 yr old who loves football but is already upsetting her that she has tole age a team she has come so far in due to mix sex games not being allowed at age 12
I loved playing rugby as a child, in a mixed sex team. I was the first girl in Bedwas juniors to play in a boys team. I represented 7 aside rugby full contact and played better than alot of boys!! I was quickest sprinter in my year group and played on the wing. When i was due to move up to comp in year 6 i was told i couldnt play rugby no more. I feel had this rule not been there i may have got very far in a career of rugby. This is sexist and wrong. I think it should be the childs decision if they wish to accept the risk of injury, and if the parents accept this risk why shouldnt girls be able to play the same sports as boys? I am signing as i have a niece in exactly the same position. Shes EXCELLENT at football better than most boys. And now he career looks like it may hit a brick wall due to safety regulations and laws which are in my eyes very outdated. I will help fight the cause of this NOT to happen.
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Brilliant News! Alan Watkins has confirmed that Megan and other girls in Gwent will be able to play on mixed teams as there is no Gwent Girls League. He has also kindly said that he will discuss the rule below with members of the FAW on our behalf.
However, the rule does still need changing so that even if there is a local girls league, girls should still be able to choose to continue playing on a mixed team, if they so wish.
A call for the Football Association of Wales to increase the age that girls can play on mixed teams. Inline with rules that apply in other countries.
My daughter Megan has played in a mixed team for the last 5 seasons andhas chosen to continue playing in a mixed team,
Luckily for her she can continue, but other girls in different areas of Wales do not have the choice. We want equality for all girls across Wales.
The rules for mixed-sex teams is 15 in Scotland, 15 in England and there is no limit in Northern Ireland. This is regardless of whether or not there is a girls league available locally.On the continent girls often play in mixed-sex teams until the age of 18.
Here is the FAW rule that we think is unfair -
115. Same gender matches:-
115.1 Except in small sided matches involving players under the age of twelve years, no football match in which Players of the opposite sex are involved shall be permitted to be played on any football ground within the jurisdiction of the Association, except that in those Area Associations where there is no junior league available for girls (the area referred to is identified as the geographical area of the local boys’ Directly Affiliated League or Area Association Girls’ League as appropriate), the age limit will increase to under sixteen (16). Members and Subordinates are not permitted to associate themselves in any way whatsoever with mixed football matches that fall outside the aforementioned criteria.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
June 17, 2014
Reached 100 supporters
June 3, 2014
June 1, 2014
Reaching one hundred signatures will put more pressure on the board to listen to our concerns. I am exhausted by this process but we have to keep pushing until these rules actually change for every girl in Wales.
160 Comments
My daughter is in the same situation she loves her football team she is the only girl but she loves it she is now 10 years old the thought of her going to play with some1 else kills her she wants to stay where she is
This would be suicide for the girls leagues in Wales who have worked so hard to promote female football the numbers in the girls section would be drastically affected and standards in the leagues would also be affected with strongest girls carrying on playing mixed football for the good of girls and women's football it should be kept at u12s
Not a fan of football, but I am a fan of freedom and fair play. FAW should raise the age to match the rest of UK as a minimum... I think to match UEFA rules would make sense as UK will probably align itself with Europe soon, so FAW can be leaders instead of reluctant followers.
I too have girls who were stopped because of the age rule - no wonder we lag behind other countries. To develop our girls they need to be playing with boys - its that simple!
we have a female player in our team. she's been with us for 3 years and I don't think it's fair that when we go to u12s in 2 years time she will have to leave. surely as long as the league and other teams are ok with it she should be allowed to carry on playing.
Megan wants equality and the freedom of choice. She has fantastic relationships with her teammates and wishes to continue to play with them. If we lived in England or Scotland, she could be playing until age 15, which doesn't seem fair.
I have a 9 yr old who loves football but is already upsetting her that she has tole age a team she has come so far in due to mix sex games not being allowed at age 12
I loved playing rugby as a child, in a mixed sex team. I was the first girl in Bedwas juniors to play in a boys team. I represented 7 aside rugby full contact and played better than alot of boys!! I was quickest sprinter in my year group and played on the wing. When i was due to move up to comp in year 6 i was told i couldnt play rugby no more. I feel had this rule not been there i may have got very far in a career of rugby. This is sexist and wrong. I think it should be the childs decision if they wish to accept the risk of injury, and if the parents accept this risk why shouldnt girls be able to play the same sports as boys? I am signing as i have a niece in exactly the same position. Shes EXCELLENT at football better than most boys. And now he career looks like it may hit a brick wall due to safety regulations and laws which are in my eyes very outdated. I will help fight the cause of this NOT to happen.
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My daughter is in the same situation she loves her football team she is the only girl but she loves it she is now 10 years old the thought of her going to play with some1 else kills her she wants to stay where she is