ESFA have provided the following list of FAQs on the current COVID-19 situation
Can I continue to play?
All ESFA football activities have been postponed until April 14, 2020. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Preseason trial matches
- ESFA Competition matches
- FFA Cup & State Cup involvement
- ESFA club training (both pre-season and winter season)
- ESFA football programs, including SAP Player Development Programs
- ESFA Coach Education courses and workshops
- ESFA Referee Seminar, meetings and training
Can I continue to train within my team environment using a club booking?
No.
Am I insured if a group of us play/train/have a kick around?
No.
Any football that takes place during this period is not sanctioned by ESFA, Football NSW or Football Federation Australia. As such, Personal Accident insurance may not apply and players taking part in this type of activity do so at their own risk
Can I take part in ‘external’ academy training / one-on-one sessions?
Any football that takes place during this period is not sanctioned by ESFA, Football NSW or Football Federation Australia. As such, Personal Accident insurance may not apply and players taking part in this type of activity do so at their own risk and under the insurance of the private contractor they are engaged with.
What does this mean for our competition structures?
As it stands, we may only lose a small number of games. ESFA and FNSW are currently working through this at the moment and have multiple models in place for different scenarios – including knockout competitions. It is fair to assume that football will be different in 2020 to any other year as our country is in the middle of an unprecedented public health situation.
Will we still have Semi–finals / Grand finals?
This will be dependent on the competition structure and the competition start date.
Is there a cutoff date where the season would be called off?
No. We will continue to take advice from the Federal Government and then make decisions on that direction.
Can I still register for the season ahead?
Yes! There is no set deadline at this stage.
What happens to my registration fees?
It is important to re-iterate that the 2020 season has not been cancelled. ESFA will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate with our football community as required.
At this point in time ESFA cannot comment on the impact the postponement will have on registration fees.
ESFA is monitoring the situation closely and will release further information regarding the likely season commencement date and the implications this will have on player registration fees.
ESFA are currently working with Football NSW and FFA and more information will be provided in due course.
What happens to the Active Kids voucher that was used to pay registration?
We are currently in discussion with Football NSW and will provide updates as they are released. Pease see here for more information: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active- kids-voucher#more-information
