Brand new tournament to incorporate special rules created by the legend Fandi Ahmad himself

 

 

SINGAPORE, 25 MAY 2022 – To encourage more children to play football and ignite interest in the community through street football, Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Singapore Pools (Private) Limited have teamed up to organise Fandi Rules, a 4v4 youth street football competition, with support from the People’s Association (PA).

 

The tournament, which will run from 30 May 2022 to 19 June 2022, will comprise Under-10 and Under-12* categories for both boys and girls and have special regulations set by the legend himself to bring back the “street rules” he grew up playing with. For example, the first team to score five goals wins the match immediately regardless of the amount of time left. This is to encourage teams to play on the front foot instead of sitting back. Other unique rules include the 1v1, which is awarded to the attacking team should a foul occur in the penalty zone.

 

All matches will be played on selected PA hard courts found in the heartlands in all five districts (North, South, East, West and Central) of Singapore. Interested participants can start forming teams consisting of a coach and up to six players in the same age category. Players who live in different parts of Singapore can sign up together as a team and compete in a district of their choice. Registration can only be done via the competition’s website at http://www.fandirules.sg.

 

Registration deadlines, competition venues and competition and competition period in the different districts

 

District	Registration Deadline	Competition Venue	Competition Period
North	29 May 2022	Khatib Multipurpose Court, Blk 838 Yishun St 81, S(760838)	30 May – 1 June
West	2 June 2022	Keat Hong CC Basketball Court, 2 Choa Chu Kang Loop #01-01, S(689687)	3 – 5 June
Central	6 June 2022	Toa Payoh South CC Basketball Court, 1999 Lor 8 Toa Payoh, S(319258)	7 – 9 June
East	9 June 2022	Kampong Ubi CC Basketball Court, 10 Jalan Ubi, S(409075)	10 – 12 June
South	12 June 2022	Telok Blangah CC Basketball Court, 450 Telok Blangah St 31, S(108943)	13 – 15 June

 

Teams will start out in the group stage, where they will be divided into groups of four and compete in a single round-robin format. The teams’ final placing in the group will determine which Knockout stage they  progress to. The first-placed team will progress to the Championship, the runner-up to the Cup, second runner-up to the Plate and last-placed team to the Bowl.

 

 

In the respective stages, the teams will compete with their peers from the other groups. Only the top two teams from the Championship knockout stage will qualify for the Grand Finals, where they will compete with the top two teams from the other districts. The Grand Finals will be held at the Singapore Sports Hub from 18 June to 19 June 2022.

 

The competition’s format and rules are modelled with the objectives of Unleash the Roar! (UTR!) and the National Football Philosophy in mind. Mr Chin Sau Ho, a UTR! Executive Committee Member and Senior Director at Singapore Pools, shared: “As a child, playing street football was a fun way that ignited my interest in football and allowed me to get to know my neighbours better. As a firm believer that football is a social leveler that can unite our nation, Singapore Pools is proud to support Fandi Rules under the ‘Let Them Play’ pillar to give our children more opportunities to enjoy the beautiful game. It is our privilege to partner Singapore football legend, Fandi Ahmad, FAS and PA in this project.”

 

Interim Technical Director at FAS Philippe Aw added: “We introduced certain things to create a fun but competitive environment for children to grow their interest in the sport and to teach them key aspects of the game from an early age. For example, there are four Knockout stages so that the children will have more game time even if they do not finish top in their groups.

 

“At the same time, the National Football Philosophy aims for children aged 12 and below to be introduced and be honing their first touch, dribbling, technique, and composure in one-versus-one situations. These four skills are crucial for our possession-based style of play, and it is important for players to have mastered them from an early age so that they will be able to adapt and execute our philosophy later in their careers.  Given the nature and style of play involved in street football, I believe the participants will have a fun time and will take back a thing or two from the competition.”

 

Having spent a large part of his childhood playing football in the corridors, void decks and basketball courts near his flat, Fandi Ahmad knows first-hand the importance of street football and credits it for his successful football career.

 

Fandi explained: “The smoother surface, smaller playing area, and fast pace of street football forced me to work on my ball control, technique and composure from a young age which helped to develop my game. I am a firm believer that more children should be playing street football and I cannot wait to see the participants having fun and competing against their peers. Who knows, we may even catch a glimpse of some of Singapore’s future footballing legends.”

 

*10 and under (born between 1 Jan 2012 – 31 Dec 2013) and 12 and under (born between 1 Jan 2010 – 31 Dec 2011)

 

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

 

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Unique regulations in Fandi Rules

 

S/N	Regulation
1.	All matches will be played with 4 outfield players and no goalkeepers. Teams must have a minimum of three players on the field of play to start or restart the match.
2.	An unlimited number of substitutions can be made throughout the match.
3.	Each team will have to defend and score at goals that measure 1.2m by 1m.
4.	Each match will last for 8 minutes without any intervals.
5.	The first team to score 5 goals will be deemed winners of the match regardless of the time left on the clock. Alternatively, the team who scored more goals at the end of 8 mins will be deemed the winner.
6.	A penalty is awarded when a player from the defending team enters their goal area. The penalty is taken from the centre mark where the player will shoot at an unguarded goal.
7.	If a foul occurs in the penalty area, the attacking team will be awarded a 1v1 shoot out which will be played by one player from each team. The player from the attacking team will dribble the ball from the centre mark and must take his/her shot within 10 seconds of his/her first touch of the ball. The defending player must position themselves within the penalty zone and outside the goal area and may challenge the attacker of the ball.
8.	Yellow and Red carded players will be put in the ‘Sin-Bin’ for 30 and 60 seconds respectively. In that time, their teams will have to continue the match with one less player.

 

Refer here for the entire list of rules and regulations of Fandi Rules.