Hello Coaches and Managers,

Welcome and thank you for volunteering to coach and/or manage a team/s in the 2026 season.

Topics Covered

The Draw
- Regrading
Gameday
Game Reschedules
Alternate Strips (If playing another EWFC Team)
Match sheet Administration (Including DRIBL getting started videos)
Team Ground Officials
Training Protocols
Concussion in Sport (and in general)
Handy Links Summary

The Draw

The 2026 Season officially commences on Friday 11 April 2025 and is scheduled to conclude on the last week of August at the latest. The end date of your comp depends on the number of Teams in your league and other factors such as park closures due to weather. More detail around end dates will be provided closer to the season end.
Games scheduled on Anzac Day, Saturday 25 April will be commencing from 12:00
Games are not scheduled on the following dates:
- Friday 5 June – Sunday 7 June (Monarch’s Birthday Long Weekend)
- Friday 10 July – Sunday 12 July
Note that if you are playing in a 10 team competition league, games will be scheduled on the abovementioned dates. Additionally, the association may use these dates to assign any catch-up games necessary for your league.
10, 12 and 14 Team competition Leagues will have a double header round within the first 6 rounds.

Competition League in the above context refers to age groups U13 and above

The draw is available via the DRIBL app or this link -> https://cdsfa.dribl.com/fixtures/.

Please carefully review your draws. If you notice any discrepancies, notify Phil via competitionsecreatary@ewfc.com.au. Use this link for DRIBL download and sign in instructions. DRIBL Download and Login Instructions. If already installed, make sure DRIBL is updated to the latest version.

Regrading

Under 8 Leagues will be re-graded at the completion of Round 5 and again immediately prior to June long weekend.
Under 9 – Under 12 Leagues will be re-graded upon conclusion of the round immediately prior to the June long weekend

Relegation criteria
- No wins
- Greater than or equal to 4 point losses
Promotion criteria
- No losses
- Greater than or equal to 4 point wins

Gameday

DRIBL is your source of truth on GAME DAY for game locations, start times game status etc. IGNORE other clubs’ social media feeds, websites, or council ground reports.

DO NOT check the council field availability website on gameday. DRIBL overrides what the council pages say.

Scenario: If it is raining heavily, you are ready to leave home and the game is showing PENDING in DRIBL, assume it is on. Make your way to the game.

Clubs’ Social media feeds can cause confusion. If you do not show up whilst your game is showing as PENDING it is an automatic forfeit (3-0 loss) and may attract a fine for ‘late forfeit’.

DRIBL game statuses you may see are:
- PENDING: means the game is going ahead as per the details that appear, ie: date, time, field. Make your way to the field.
- WASHOUT RESCHEDULE: means the game is washed out and will be rescheduled to a later date. (U13 and above).
- WASHOUT CANCELLED: means the game is washed out and cancelled completely. (U8 – U12).

The EWFC Competition Secretary is the only source who can override what is in DRIBL. In this situation, Phil will be in direct contact with the affected Team Manager in the first instance then Coach if we cannot get a hold of the Manager. On game day, please ensure your phones are on and not on silent.
ANY Gameday/Competition matters that affect your game and are out of the norm MUST be communicated to me ASAP, not the Age Coordinator or anyone else. There are background processes that may need to immediately invoke.

If your game is a washout reschedule, you DO NOT need to carry out the match sheet administration duties. You will do this when you game has been rescheduled and you play as per usual.
If your game is cancelled, you DO NOT need to carry out the match sheet administration duties.
ALL Gameday and training injuries MUST be reported to me immediately.
Any other Gameday issues you are unsure of must be immediately communicated to me. Please try to obtain evidence of any matters as approrite.

Gameday Procedures

Setup/Pack up

EWFC home teams that are either the first or the last game on the field MUST setup/pack up as appropriate. For reference, our home grounds are Beaman Park field 1 &2 and Earlwood Oval.

The Competition Secretary will be sending out the setup/packup roster midweek before the weekend’s rounds. The email will also include any updated competition and gameday information. Take the time to read the email. Normally there is not too much to add to what you already know. If you have not received the email, check your junk main, otherwise contact competitionsecretary@ewfc.com.au to get you added to the distribution.

EWFC Teams who are home Teams at the opposition field and are first or last game on the field need to offer assistance to setup/packup as required.
EWFC Teams playing on neutral grounds, i.e. neither the home ground of EWFC nor the opposition, both teams MUST setup or packup as required. See the field ground officials for direction.
For setup, please ensure your Team arrives at least half hour before the game. See the ground officials for advice.
PARENTS OF U8 – U17 age groups MUST BE ENCOURAGED TO SETUP/PACKUP. Between the administrative duties of the DRIBL match sheet, both pre/post game and the pre/post Team briefing, it is not fair on Coaches and Managers to have to also setup and pack up.

If this is problematic, please inform your Age Coordinator.

The setup/packup roster will be attached in the mid-week email comms.
EWFC v EWFC games, both Teams to assist with Setup / Packup as required.

Technical Areas

Only two Team Officials, per team are permitted in the technical area.
These Team Officials must wear their yellow Hi-Vis vests and their ID card is visible. Do NOT wear the orange ground official vest in the technical aeas.
Only players participating in the game are to be on the bench AND wearing bibs. Players not participating due to prior injury or suspension must NOT be in the technical area, rather need to be in the spectator area.
Players who obtain a red card during the game MUST NOT return to the technical area, rather exit the field, and stand in an area away from the technical area.

Referees

Referee payments are automated. The club will be debited directly.

Each team U13 and above is to ‘verify’ the referee attendance in DRIBL as per these instructions on how to verify referees

NO TEAM in ANY age group is to pay referee fees. If any scenarios arise relating to clubs/referees demanding payment, do not pay. Call me immediately.

Please remind your Teams that they need to respect Referees/Game Leaders, regardless if they are officiating your direct game or a neighbouring game.

A referee’s decision is final. Abusing a referee or challenging a decision will only make matters worse and in many cases only results in disciplinary action against the player or the Coach/Manager/Spectator/s or even the Team itself.

If there is a discrepancy and you have evidence, please inform the Competition Secretary. Although the decision cannot be changed, we can assist with fixing any issues for future games.

Player Borrowing

A player may only be borrowed up to a maximum of 5 times during the season. Anything more is deemed as an ineligible player. Penalties to the player and borrowing Team will apply.
Borrowing rules apply as per section 5.2.2 (page 23) of the 2026 Football Canterbury Rules of Association

Player borrowings are to be coordinated through your Age Coordinator.

Requests for players wanting to permanently move to another team need also need to be referred to your Age Coordinator.

Football Canterbury needs a good reason why a player needs to move teams post 31 May.

Forfeits

The Competition Secretary and Coaches/Managers can submit forfeits though DRIBL. This is done through the match sheet as per this screenshot .

Forfeits MUST be submitted at the latest 48 hours before kick-off time. Submissions less than 48 hours before kick-off will incur a Football Canterbury fine and full referee fees that will be payable by the team.

Email the competitionseretary@ewfc.com.au if you do forfeit so that validation of the forfeit can be made.

Notes

The second and each subsequent forfeit will incur a 1-point penalty on the ladder per forfeit.
Two consecutive forfeits can result in expulsion from the competition.

Game Reschedules

We need to submit game reschedule requests no later than 7 days before kick-off. Contact the Competition Secretary if you require a reschedule.

To get a reschedule organised can take several weeks as it is dependent on finding an alternate field AND the opposition agreeing to a reschedule.

A fee payable by the team requesting a reschedule is charged by Football Canterbury.
If for whatever reason the reschedule cannot be played, eg wet weather park closure, lighting issues etc. the requesting team will be in a forfeit situation, meaning the opposition is the winner of that match.

Note: Fields to play at an alternate time are difficult to come by if at times impossible to find, so there is no guarantee a reschedule will be possible.

Alternate Strip (When playing another EWFC Team)

Under 8 – Under 12 – The HOME needs to wear their jerseys inside out. The HOME Team can turn their jerseys inside out prior to arriving to the field.
Under 13 and above – The HOME Team will need to organise the away strip. Reach out to our Apparel Manager at apparel@ewfc.com.au to organise pick-up.
- Upon game completion, please gather all jerseys, wash the kit, and organise return to Earlwood Oval ahead of the next weekend as there’s only a limited set of kits.

Match sheet Administration (Including DRIBL getting started videos)

First time users should go to your app store and download the DRIBL app. DRIBL Download and Login Instructions

The steps below are outlined in the Video Instructions for Preparing and Submitting Team

IMPORTANT

Please remember before the game to:

Mark your participating Players/Coaches/Manager as available. NOTE: You MUST have a coach and/or manager marked as available. This applies to ALL age groups including seniors. Football Canterbury Fines, payable by the Team will apply if not done.

Mark your participating Players/Coaches/Manager as available. NOTE: You MUST have a coach and/or manager marked as available. This applies to ALL age groups including seniors. Football Canterbury Fines, payable by the Team will apply if not done.

Assign jersey numbers to each player. This step is required on the first round. Jersey numbers carry over to each round after that, ie you don’t need to set jersey numbers every week.

SUBMIT your Team. Football Canterbury Fines, payable by the Team will apply if not done..

CONFIRM Opposing Team (Once they submit their Team). ** Football Canterbury Fines, payable by the Team will apply if not done..

Remind your opposition to CONFIRM YOUR TEAM

Referee Verification (U13 and above) – Referee payments are automated, however Football Canterbury does require the Teams to verify the referees’ attendance. This should be done as soon as you see the referees for your game are there. Click here for Instructions on how to verify referees

After the game, please remember to immediately enter the Full Time scores.

NOTE: For any gameday questions or issues, including accessing DRIBL, please contact me directly. There is no such thing as a silly question and am happy to answer anything.😊

Team Ground Officials

We are asking the coaches/managers of each Team to nominate one of you appropriate adult spectators to wear the orange vest at each game, in particular games played at Earlwood Oval and Beaman Park, as Football Canterbury has introduced more scenarios where orange vested ‘Ground Officials’ are a requirement on game days.

In summary, the role involves;

Patrol the area your Team’s spectators are in. Ground Officials must NOT enter the field or technical area under any circumstances.
A Team ground official cannot be performing coaching or managing duties.
Look for any unruly behaviour and help keep the peace in the event of any particularly unruly EWFC parents/spectators. Ask for any unsportsmanlike barracking be refrained from. I.e., no abusing the ref, opposing Team, our own Teams, other spectators etc.
If issues arise, they are to not get involved in any physical or verbal altercations, rather make club officials / head ground official aware.

Training Protocols

Training MUST NOT go ahead if your allocated park is closed. Check the council website at 3pm on your training day -> https://fieldav-public.cbcity.nsw.gov.au/?

If there is someone else in your area when you arrive, they are probably from the prior slot and have lost track of time. Advise the team you are there for your session.
When you are training, please keep track of the time and clear off to allow for the next group to come on.

If there are any discrepancies or issues with your allocated training slot, ie someone else is there claiming the spot is theirs, please call me immediately so that we can work out where the oversight may have occurred.

If the park is OPEN however storms are looming, please refer to the Football NSW Lightning Policy to help determine if your training session should proceed -> FNSW_Lightning_Policy.pdf (footballnsw.com.au)

If you are asked by another Team or non EWFC people about using an adjacent field/areas, please do not ‘give permission’. If it is an EWFC Team, refer them to me. If non-EWFC advise them the field has being booked for exclusive use by EWFC.