Aim

"To provide an opportunity for Young People to come together for a National Fun Weekend Tournament promoting self esteem, teamwork, friendship, social, personal and educational skills, sportsmanship and citizenship and to integrate with other young people from around the country."

The Galway Fun World Cup celebrates Cultural Diversity

General Information:

The Galway World Cup Fun Weekend is a two-day National Fun Soccer Tournament for Young People between the ages of 14 years and 16years. These Young People are attending Youth Project's in various areas around Ireland, which includes Neighbourhood Youth Projects, Youth Development Projects, Outreach Projects and relevant Youth Clubs.
First held in 1999 as "The Last World Cup of the 21^st Century", this events popularity has made it an annual occurrence. This tournament has received great support in the past from many agencies including the Galway City Partnership, Bank of Ireland, Galway City V.E.C., HSE, Western Area, Foroige and The Football Association of Ireland. Sponsorship is also received from local businesses.
Last year over 320 young people from all over Ireland participated in what was a fantastic success. The event received great recognition from the Local and National media.
A number of the Teams who were representing different countries received recognition from the corresponding Embassy.
The interest generated by the success of Last Years Tournament is responsible for the enormous interest from projects all over Ireland to participate in this year's event.

SOCCER

The tournament will run along similar lines as the World Cup, i.e. each team will be given a group (4 teams in a group) from which the top two will qualify to the next round.  On day two teams will be grouped based on the results from the first day.

Day 1 - four teams in each group (8 groups)

Day 2 - Top 2 teams - Group for the World Cup and Shield competition

3^rd Team - Group for Plate Competition

4^th Team - Group for Bowl Competition 

Followed by Semi finals and finals for each competition

The soccer is played 5 a side (5 rolling subs).  The games will take place on astro turf over the two days.  Each game will be approx. 10-15 minutes long (time to be confirmed). Each final match is played 7 a side.

"Fun Weekend Champions"

Points will be issued to teams who participate in the overall weekend in a fun, respectful and enthusiastic manner. A special award is presented to this team.

 Competition Rules

1 All players must be between the ages of 14-16 on the weekend of the Galway World Cup

2 All players are required to enter their date of birth and in the event of a query they are required to provide proof of their date of birth, to be shown to a member of the committee. Teams failing to produce the required proof age may face elimination. All such matters are at the discretion of the organising committee, whose decision on the mater is final.

3 All players must wear standard runners/trainers during all games, any kind of football boots are prohibited, this includes moulded studs and moulded blades, referees will carry out a footwear check before all games. Shox (Shocks) runners are also prohibited.  All players must wear tracksuit bottoms while playing.

4 All games will be refereed. The referee's decision is final.

5 Chewing Gum or smoking is not allowed in or around the pitches.

6 Teams are expected to have their own set of jerseys or tee shirts which must be numbered from 1-10 and include each players name on his own jersey/tee shirt above the number on the back.

7 If the goalkeeper picks up a backpass a penalty will be awarded against him.

8 The ball can be played off the side boards but not off the end boards. If the ball hits the fencing above the boards (or goes outside the pitch) then a free is awarded from where it hit the fence or went out of play.

If a defending player hits then ball off the fence above his own semi circle, then a free kick is awarded against him & the free is to be taken like a "short corner" in hockey - where the semi circle meets the boards. Also a short corner is given when a defending player hits the ball off the end board

9 If the ball hits the fence from a deflection, play continues.

10 Slide tackling is not allowed.

11 Goals can be scored from any area of the pitch.

12 Charging or rough play is strictly forbidden

13 The referee cans sinbin a player for 5 minutes.

14 Substitutions are on a roll on basis, only during a break in play and with the referees acknowledgement. The referee must also be notified by a leader if a team wishes to change goalkeeper during a match.

15 At least 2 adult supervisors / leaders must be present

16 All teams are expected to play in a sporting manner and are asked to enter into the spirit of the competition. Any player who consistently breaches the rules will be expelled from the competition by the organisers.

17 Any disputes are to be resolved by the organising committee whose decision is final.

18 Rules are open to amendment as the tournament progresses.

19 Three points for a win, one for a draw. Goal difference and Goals scored will be taken into account if necessary

Remember this is a fun tournament and any player or players who do not enter into the spirit of the competition will be asked to leave by the organisers.

The above rules are subject to change, any changes will be posted on the www.galwayworldcup.com website, leaders are advised to check website regularly for any changes or updates re: the tournament and the weekend in general
 

Essential Information for Each Team - NB

Creative Kit Competition

The Creative Kit Competition is a major part of the Galway World Cup Fun Weekend. Each team is allocated a Country to represent and is expected that their kit reflect this country. The Creative Kit gives teams the opportunity to learn more about the culture and traditions of the country they are representing - everything from what people wear, to the language they speak - and the challenge is for the team to be as creative as possible in representing the country visually and in a positive way. We have seen some fantastic creations during the past seven years: everything from Russian Ballerinas to American Presidents....

There are people from many different countries living in Ireland today and so it is more important than ever that we learn more about the cultures and traditions of those who live here. The Creative Kit competition is a great opportunity to do this and teams always have great fun making their kits and banners. The colour and variety of all the team kits is then displayed during the Opening Ceremony of the Galway World Cup Fun Weekend. 

Judging & Prizes

Teams are expected to arrive on time on the first day when the judging for the most "creative kit \ banner" takes place.  The judges include sponsors and guests and all will be given a chance to meet with each team and ask questions on their knowledge of the country and also to have a good look at the costumes etc.  The teams then parade around the pitch and pass a viewing stand where each judge gives their score for each team.  Scores are then collected and the one with the most points wins.

There are fantastic prizes for the Creative Kit Competition, with each member of the winning team receiving a prize. So do your research and once you've been inspired, get to work on your Creative Kit. We look forward to seeing your team decked out in your kit at the Opening Ceremony.
 

 Good Luck!

Fundraising for Charity

Fundraising is an important aspect of the Fun World Cup and we are asking each team to raise funds for the sports persons charity GOAL (see profile of GOAL below).

If possible we would ask each team to set a target of raising €200.

Sponsorship cards are available, but if teams wish to come up with their own unique fundraising idea they are welcome to do so, and if so could you inform us as we would be interested in publicising these events.

Sincere thanks to all the participants of the Galway World Cup who have contributed towards this very successful and worthwhile project.

 For more details on this and the charity GOAL please contact Ronan Scully at 091 786123 or 087 6189094

OFF PITCH ACTIVITIES

There will be a number of off pitch activities/games throughout the tournament. These events are organised on a team and individual basis. There will be a range of prizes on offer for these events.

 ENTERTAINMENT

In the past we have had music, DJ's and dancers etc performing throughout the two days to add to the atmosphere.

Perhaps you have young people who would be interested in getting involved ( eg. Opening ceremony, parade or the closing ceremony).  If so, could you contact us before the end of May, so that we can reserve a slot for them.
   
Itinerary for Weekend

The following is an approximate guide for the two days a more detailed plan will be available closer to the time.

Friday

• 10am - Registration- all teams must register on arrival
• 10.30am - meeting with Team leaders (all leaders must attend)
• 11.00am Parade and judging of Creative Kit
• 12.30- 5.00pm 1^st Round Games

  Saturday