SUMMER FOOTBALL

CLICK BELOW TO REGISTER YOUR TEAM FOR THE 2025/26 SUMMER SEASON!​​​​​​​

Please contact sandy@nelsonsuburbs.co.nz for further information.

A chance to play football over summer!

NELSON SUBURBS RUN A SUMMER FOOTBALL LEAGUE INVITING PLAYERS OF ALL ABILITIES TO REGISTER.

Our aim is to provide you and your friends the opportunity to have a ‘FUN’ night out, playing the ’Beautiful Game’.


THE BASICS

  • All games are played at Champion Green.  Entry is via Saxton Field or Champion Road.

  • All games are 6-aside with rolling subs.

  • All games are played on either Mondays and Wednesdays (Competitive/Social), Tuesdays (Families), Thursdays (u12's & u14's).

  • The games start at either 6pm, 6:45pm or 7:30pm and are 20 minutes each way. Straight turn around at half time.

  • League winners are found by adding up the points from all league games.

  • Limited to 100 teams

  • Competition dates 20 October - 11 December 2025, 12 January - 19 February 2026 (14 weeks).

  • Entry fee is $300 per team (based on a squad of 8 players @ $38 per player for 12 weeks).  Must be paid at time of registration.

  • Players playing in Competitive teams CANNOT fill in for Social teams.  A 3-0 win will go to the team affected by their opposing team not complying to this rule.  Teams are asked to contact us if they notice competitive players breaking the rules.

  • Competitive Grade (1 division) - For the more serious footballers.

  • Social Grade (1-3 divisions) - Can comprise of all men or women, or mixed.

  • Family Grade - Only 2 adults max on the field at one time, no adults can play as goal keepers, adults CANNOT shoot/score.  Players 15+ years are classed adults!

  • U12's & U14's Grades - We are introducing two new ages this summer.  Teams can consist of all boys or girls, or mixed. 

  • Please select your grades carefully.  There will be NO movements made once the competition is confirmed.

  • Teams can only enter one grade per night.

  • We will NOT be moving any game times to cater for teams/players that are away, have other committments or play on another night.  This is too disruptive to the competition.

  • It is the teams/players responsibility to find replacement players if this is required.

  • It is the teams responsibility to advise their opposing teams if they cannot make a game (via our FB Summer Football page).  The opposing team will be awarded a 3-0 win in this instance.

  • Registrations closed 6 OCTOBER 2025.

  • Team entry fees must be paid to complete the full registration!

  • Team managers are responsible for making sure that the whole team knows the Summer Football Rules and for enforcing that the games are played in the ‘Summer Football Spirit’. 

  • Follow the ​​​​​​​Nelson Suburbs Summer Football FB page for all updates throughout the summer season.

IMPORTANT NOTE! ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT THE SUMMER FOOTBALL COMPETITION HAS BEEN CREATED TO CATER FOR ALL ABILITIES.  WE ASK ALL PLAYERS TO BE MINDFUL OF THIS AND TO BE RESPECTFUL TOWARDS THEIR OPPONENTS.  

TEAMS/PLAYERS THAT CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE RULES WILL BE ELIMATED FROM THE COMPETITION.  NO REFUND WILL BE ISSUED.

THE GRADES

  • Competitive (ages 15+) grade played on Mondays and Wednesdays.

  • Social (ages 15+) grades 1 - 3 played on Mondays and Wednesdays.

  • Family (ages 9+) grade will be played on Tuesdays.

  • U12's & U14's grades will be played on Thursdays.

GENERAL GUIDE WHEN SELECTING YOUR GRADE -

Div 1:  Team consists mainly of more serious/experienced players.

Div 2:  Team is a mix of experienced/social players.

Div 3:  Team consists of less experienced/social players.


DRAWS/RESULTS

The draws will be published on our website.  Please check these each week as we will not be emailing these out regularly.  We will have paper draws on display for you outside.

It is important that someone is responsible for entering your score on the paper draw after each game.  Failure to do this will result in no score being recorded.

SUMMER FOOTBALL RULES OF PLAY

All the rules of Football apply with the variations as set out below.  Games are not refereed, so it is up to the teams to ensure that all players know the rules and to play the game in an honest manner and play fairly.

  • The goal half circle line is a vertical line from the ground to the sky. Contact with the ball must be made outside this line. The only person who may play the ball when the whole ball is within the half circle is the goalie. If a player is standing outside the line but makes contact inside the line they are offside and a free kick is to be awarded to the goalie to be taken anywhere inside the circle. If a player makes contact with the ball outside the circle and their momentum takes them into the circle they are not offside unless they interfere with the goalie. Where the ball is on the half circle line the ball is deemed to be in play and contact may be made by field players provided they are not within the half circle.

  • The goalie is the only player allowed in the goal half circle. If an attacking player enters and interferes with play a free kick is awarded to the goalkeeper. If a defender enters and interferes with play a penalty is awarded to the attacking team at the middle point of the circle. A one step run up is all that is allowed for the person taking the penalty. Teams must agree on whether a penalty applies at the time. If the game progresses beyond this point without a penalty it is deemed that no penalty was applicable.

  • When the ball leaves the field of play over the side line - it is kicked in where it went out. Over the goal line - it is a corner or a goal kick. Corner - Where the defending team kicks the ball out over the goal line the kick in is taken from the corner point of the field. Goal kick - Where the attacking team kicks the ball out over the goal line the defending team goalkeeper takes a goal kick from anywhere inside the half circle. The ball is deemed 'out of play' when the whole ball is over the field boundary line. Please note a goal cannot be scored directly from a side line kick in, a corner, or from a kick off.

  • Substitutions can occur at any time and players must swap on and off at the same point on the field. If substitutions occur for territorial advantage a free kick can be awarded for ungentlemanly conduct. Goalie substitutions may only occur when the ball is dead.

  • The opposing team must retire three metres when any goal kick, kick in or free kick is taken.

  • Offside and back pass rules to goalies do not apply. Kick offs at the start of game and when goals are scored can be forward or backward.

  • No slide tackles are allowed. In particular slide tackles from behind the player with the ball and entering a tackle with studs directed to the opposite player are deemed dangerous play that warrants a free kick and potentially the dismissal of the player involved.

  • If you are short of players you can call on players from teams in a lower grade (excluded in this are known football players who would be seen to be giving your team an advantage). The only exception to this is a higher league player who is not a goalie filling in as a goalie. A team found to have played a fill in player in breach of this rule will be deemed to have forfeited the game and the result would be recorded as a 3-0 loss to the team in breach of this rule

  • If a team defaults twice they will be removed from the competition with no reimbursement of entry fee.

  • The Nelson Suburbs Football Club Committee reserves the right to amend these Rules at any time to ensure they provide appropriate guidance to players for the safe playing of games.

CANCELLATIONS 

We'll post these on our Nelson Suburbs Summer Football Facebook page and send out an email to the team managers, by 4.30 pm if we have to cancel.