This information is applicable to anyone participating in the Western United Cup.
WHO CAN ENTER THE WESTERN UNITED CUP?
All female teams from clubs, academies, schools and teams are welcome to participate in the Western United Cup Ballarat.
Western United Cup Geelong is open to both boys and girls teams.
Our goal is to give as many clubs and teams the opportunity to take part and compete.
WHAT'S THE ADDRESS FOR THE TOURNAMENT?
The Ballarat edition of the tournamernt is held over a number of venues in Ballarat. The main venue is Morshead Park, also known as the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility, is located at 910 Pleasant Street South, Ballarat. Additional venues will be announced closer to the event.
Morshead Park Stadium is the home of Ballarat City FC.
The 2026 Geelong Tournament will be hosted by Geelong Rangers SC, Myers Reserve, Creamery Rd Bell Post Hill.
WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS PER TEAM ALLOWED?
U8-U9 Teams: 12 Players - 7 on the field and up to 5 players on the bench.
U10-U13 Teams: 14 Players - 9 on the field and up to 5 players on the bench.
U14-YOUTH: 18 players - 11 players on the field plus up to 7 on the bench.
Please note this is the maximum amount of players you will be able to register online.
WHAT IS REQUIRED BY TEAM MANAGER OR REP TO DO BEFORE THE EVENT?
- ✓ Register the team online and provide all details required
- ✓ Accept the terms & conditions
- ✓ Ensure you have sent the player registration link to your player's parent/guardians and that they have completed it.
- ✓ Collect ID for all your players and bring copies to the tournament (refer to Proof of Age Policy)
- ✓ Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay updated
WHAT IS THE PROOF OF AGE POLICY?
Each coach/team manager is be required to collect ID for every one of their participating players and have copies of these documents at the tournament. If you are asked to provide proof of a player’s age you must do so with appropriate documentation that can be in the form of any of the following:
- Passport
- Driving licence or Learner’s Permit
- Student card with photo ID issued by the school
- FV ID Card
- Birth certificate combined with recent school photograph with the name clearly shown
Team Managers are entitled to submit ID checks for individual players on opposition teams. Any requests must be done with Event Staff and not directly with the opposition team. Please try to notify event staff before kick-off where possible.
The procedure for ID Checks that must be followed is:
1. The Team Manager is to approach the nearest event staff member and notify them that you would like to formally request an ID Check on a particular player(s).
2. An official ID Check form will need to be completed. A $50 admin fee will be charged per player
3. Once the payment has been made, the Team Manager shows the receipt to the staff member. Event staff will conduct the ID check with the team in question.
4. If the player in question provides all necessary documentation, and is found to be of the correct age, the $50 will not be refunded.
5. Should the player in question not provide the necessary documentation, or is found to be overage, the $50 will be refunded and that player will either not be allowed to play if the game has not started, or your team will be provided with the points if it is deemed as a forfeit.
Digital or printed copies of the required documents will be accepted provided they are in colour, clear and legible. Please ensure a team official has this available at each match if requested by tournament staff.
Any teams that are found to be providing incorrect documentation or purposely playing older players to gain an unfair advantage will receive a 0-3 loss for any games the older players participated in. The ineligible players will also be disqualified from the tournament and offending teams may be disqualified from the tournament and other affiliated events. These actions may also jeopardise the participation of other teams from the same club at future affiliated events at the discretion of Tournament Management.
ARE TEAMS ALLOWED TO REGISTER OVERAGE PLAYERS?
Overage players may be considered by the tournament and must be applied for at least 7 days before the tournament.
Please refer to the Rules of Competition to eligibility requirements and the porcess to apply.
CAN I BRING MY OWN MARQUEE FOR MY TEAM?
Teams are welcome to bring marquees however they must not be placed within any playing surface.
Please ensure all BYO marquees are safely and strongly secured to the ground using weights only (no pegging). The venue is quite open and high winds are common. The tournament will not be responsible for damaged, lost or stolen marquees.
Please remember to SLIP, SLOP, SLAP and keep hydrated.
DOES THE TOURNAMENT HAVE THE NECESSARY INSURANCE FOR PLAYERS IF INJURED?
The tournament does not offer player accident insurance cover to any participant.
Players, parents and coaches choose to participant in the tournament at their own risk and will be liable for the costs that arise from suffering an injury whilst participating in the event. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure participants are adequately insured including ambulance coverage.
We do however have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
WILL MY TEAM GET A REFUND IF WE NEED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE COMPETITION?
Please refer to the WU Cup Refund Policy under the Tournament Information menu.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TOURNAMENT IS POSTPONED OR CANCELLED. WILL OUR TEAM GET A REFUND?
Under these circumstances, the tournament organisers reserve the right to either retain the registration fee for the revised dates or to refund the registration fee after deducting an administration fee for costs already incurred for the organisation of the tournament which could not be recovered from third parties.
Should this occur teams will be contacted directly and provided with options.
***The tournament organisers are in no way responsible for injury or economic loss which may arise in the case of acts of terror, war, warlike events, civil war, revolution, pandemic, disease outbreaks or civil disturbances or because of the actions of the authorities, strikes, lockouts, blockades or similar events.**
DO TEAMS NEED TO CHECK-IN AT THE INFORMATION DESK?
All teams need to send a team official representative to check-in at the Information Desk, at least 60 minutes prior to your first game. This will ensure all your team’s paperwork (consent forms and team sheets) is in order and for you to collect your pack with the official lanyards and other important info.
CAN WE BRING ALCOHOL OR A BBQ TO THE VENUE?
The event will be fully catered. Full canteen services will be operational near all the fields serving delicious hot food and drinks (hot and cold), as well as yummy treats for those with a sweet tooth.
THIS IS AN ALCOHOL FREE EVENT. Anyone found to be consuming alcohol will be asked to leave the venue.
BBQs will also not be allowed in the venue.
CAN WE BRING PETS TO THE EVENT?
Due to council regulations, pets cannot be brought into the venue during the event. Only official service animals can enter the event sites.
ARE THE REFEREES FULLY ACCREDITED?
All referees will be fully accredited for all official games.
Offside is being played in U12 and above matches however lines people will not be required.
WHO DO I CONTACT FOR HELP?
You can contact us via email registrations@footballskool.com.au or our social media channels any time and we will respond to you within 24-48 hours.
WHAT IS CUP and PLATE?
Following the round games, some divisions will be divided into Cup and Plate finals competitions where there is enough teams to facilitate this.
The Cup competition will cater for the teams that finish in the top positions in their respective pools.
The Plate competitions will cater for the teams that finish in the lower positions of their respective pools.
This is a model that works well with other tournaments, whilst the pool games may not be as evenly matched, the Cup and Shield play-offs provide meaningful games for teams of a more even level.
Winners and Runners Up of Cup and Plate competitions will receive awards at the end of the competition which will be presented at the main stage following the finish of the final match.
CANCELLATION OF THE TOURNAMENT DUE TO FORCE MAJEURE*
In the event that the tournament can’t be held or is postponed due to events beyond the control of the tournament organisers (force majeure*) or due to events that are not attributable to wrongful intent or gross negligence or the tournament organisers, the tournament organisers cannot be held liable by the delegations for any damages, costs or losses incurred, such as transportation costs, accommodation costs, costs for additional orders, financial losses etc. Under these circumstances, the tournament organisers reserve the right to either retain the entire registration fee for the revised dates or to reimburse the delegations after deducting costs already incurred for the organisation of the tournament and which could not be recovered from third parties.
**The tournament organisers are in no way responsible for injury or economic loss which may arise in the case of acts of terror, war, warlike events, civil war, revolution, pandemic, disease outbreaks or civil disturbances or because of the actions of the authorities, strikes, lockouts, blockades or similar events.**