How to
register

The base registration fee includes:

• Ultra Football voucher for player uniform:
  • New players: the voucher covers the cost of a full playing kit (shirt, socks, shorts)
  • Returning players: a $30 voucher to use in-store at Ultra Football in Alexandria
    • New players also get this $30 in-store voucher (in addition to the player kit)
• Football Australia (FA) player fee
• FA Processing Fee and GST
• Football NSW player fee and insurance
• Football Canterbury Association player and team fees
• Match Official (Referee/Assistant Referee) fees
• Ground hire fees for training fields and match days
• Team Training Kit/Balls + Match Balls (to be returned at end of season)

Transaction fees:

PlayFootball does not permit us to absorb the card fee, it will be automatically added to your total transaction amount at the time of payment.

It’s important that players register in the correct age group. For juniors, age groups are based on the age a player will turn during the year of the relevant season, regardless of which day or month. For the 2024 Winter season for example, a player born 14/12/2013 turns 13 in 2026 and should therefore register in the 13s (either 13 MIXED or 13 GIRLS). If they are playing up a year then they should register for either 14 BOYS or 14 GIRLS.

** In some instances a player may be playing up a year if they’re wanting to play with older friends or are graded that way. If this is the case, please ensure you select the appropriate age group when registering. **

A player cannot register into an age group younger than themselves.

For All Age teams, a player must be turning 18 or above during the year in order to qualify.

For O35, O45, and O55 age groups, the player must have turned 35, 45, or 55 respectively before the 1st of January.

You can use the table below as a guide:

During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to add a comment to specify which team or friends you (or your child) would like to play with. This will be taken into account when the Age Coordinator is putting the teams together (please note this only applies for non-graded teams). Please note that although we do all we can, not all requests can be accommodated.

You can also contact your Age Coordinator directly to let them know of your preferences.

Graded players must register with the club by the dates noted below to prioritise holding their place with the club. Players must meet the requirements below :

Returning Players

• Returning players that meet the following criteria are prioritised but not guaranteed a place in their preferred (or any) team in the new season:
  • if you played with the club in the previous season (including if they had to withdraw during the previous season due to injury)
  • complete registration and payment by February 1
    • If registration is not completed (including payment) by February 1, returning players will then rank equally with new players, although the club reserves its right to override this if necessary
• If all spots in an age group (or a preferred team) are filled and there are returning players still unallocated (that had registered by February 1), priority will be given to them over new players, although the club reserves its right to override this if necessary
  • best efforts will be made to place unallocated returning players into another team or eligible age group if possible
• If a spot in a team is not available, a full refund will be provided.
• if a spot in a team is offered but the player does not take it up, a refund will be provided less an admin fee as per the Club’s refund policy

Graded Players

• Graded players will have been offered a position in a Graded Team by the Registrar, Technical Director, and/or Development Committee
• Graded players must complete their registration by January 31 otherwise their position on a Graded team may be withdrawn
• New players who do not take up their offer to join a Graded Team will be subject to the same rules of registration as any other new player

Players are considered new if they have never registered with Balmain DFC before, or did not play for Balmain DFC in the previous season. Players that registered and paid the previous season but had to subsequently withdraw due to injury are considered as returning.

New players must consult with their Age Coordinators to determine team placement. A personal invitation from a Coach, Manager, or other parents does not guarantee placement into a team.

Note that new players may not be able to be fitted into a team (or into a team that is desired), so please consider your options if you or your child are waitlisted or are advised that places are limited. New players may be considered on various factors for any available places.

Players who have registered but not paid will not be assured of a place in a team until full payment is received.

Football NSW and Football Canterbury rules state that a player can only register with one club, and only one team within that club, per winter season. We understand how some players would relish the chance to play even more football every weekend (who wouldn’t!), but unfortunately we cannot accommodate multiple registrations for a single player.

If they are invited to, players are allowed to fill in (be ‘borrowed’) for another team if they are short on players for a particular match. There are strict rules and eligibility policies around the borrowing of players – the Team Manager and/or your Age Coordinator will be aware of these and will advise accordingly if this situation arises. Breaching these rules can lead to subtantial sanctions and fines.

All items of jewellery (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) are strictly forbidden and must be removed prior to starting a match. Using tape to cover jewellery is not permitted.

Referees are also prohibited from wearing jewellery (except for a watch or similar device for timing the match).

However, if in the opinion of the Referee a medical bracelet or necklace presents no danger, then it may be allowed on the condition that it can be taped or bandaged to the body to provide protection. A medical bracelet can be covered by a tight wrist guard and, similarly, a medical necklace can be sufficiently padded.

As per Football Australia’s national policy on wearing jewellery (published 2017):

• Medical alert bracelets and necklaces: these may be worn as long as they are secured to the wrist or body; the medical advice must not be covered

Family Discount

The Club provides a family discount of $50 per child for the registration of second and subsequent siblings. To qualify, all siblings must be registered in the U6 to U18 age groups.

Apply for Family Discount.

Student Rebate and Senior Discount

The club provides a $50 rebate or discount to enrolled full-time students (18+) and players aged 67 or over (prior to 1st January) who have paid the full adult registration fee.

Apply for the Student Rebate or the Senior Player Discount.

The refund process has changed significantly in the new PlayFootball registration system. Please reference these links for more information:

• Football Canterbury Refund Policy for Association Players
• Participant – How to Submit De-registration and Refund Request : playfootball

To withdraw from the competition and request a registration refund, send an e-mail to ua.moc.llabtoofniamlabobfsctd-67552b@rartsiger. The club will provide refunds of club fees in some situations.

The club will provide a full refund of the club portion of the registration fee if a playing member cannot be placed in a team for that season.

When members withdraw their registration, they may also be eligible for a refund of the club portion of fees. The amount of the refund is based on the request date of the withdrawal.

The official date used to determine a refund for the club portion of fees is the date of the email sent to the Club Registrar.

** The Active Creative Kids Voucher portion of fees is not refundable and cannot be transferred or otherwise reimbursed

Yes, the club does consider hardship situations and may offer a payment plan or waiver of part or all registration fees for those in genuine financial need. Applications should be submitted to the club Treasurer at ua.moc.llabtoofniamlabobfsctd-4ce28b@rerusaert.

The complete guide below covers the below and can be downloaded here – FA Guide to International Transfer Certificate, however the broad guidelines are found in the section below.

An International Transfer Certificate (ITC) is a certificate provided from one national Football Association to another to facilitate the transfer of a player between countries. It is a global FIFA policy that all national Associations are bound by.

ITC: Amateur Adults

An ITC will be required for a senior player aged 18 or over where that player’s previous football registration was overseas.

ITC: Minors

The international clearance process applies to any player aged 10 to 18 years (Minor) seeking to register to play football in Australia at any level.

The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA Regulations) require all players to obtain an ITC where the immediately preceding registration was with a national association other than the national association in which the player is registering. This is a FIFA requirement to ensure players are not under contract or suspended and is applicable even if the player is an Australian citizen or if they have been registered in Australia previously.

Football Australia’s (FA) National Registration Regulations (NRRs) prescribe various obligations in relation to the requirement for a player to have a valid ITC prior to registering and playing football in Australia.

Yes it is.

A current version of FA’s National Privacy Policy can be found at www.footballaustralia.com.au

What is the age of a Minor?

A player aged 10 to 18 years (Minor) seeking to register to play football in Australia at any level.

Why do Minors require an ITC?

• The FIFA Regulations also apply to any Minor who is a foreign national (including refugees) seeking to register in Australia, irrespective of whether they were registered to play football in their previous country or not.
• The FIFA Regulations also capture any Australian Minors who are returning to Australia after having played abroad. Any such Minor seeking to register to play football will need to complete a Minor ITC Application.
• This is a FIFA requirement to ensure players are not under contract or suspended and is applicable even if the player is an Australian citizen or if they have been registered in Australia previously. It is also in place to protect minors from exploitation.

What if we have not played overseas and have migrated over to Australia?

The FIFA Regulations also apply to any Minor who is a foreign national (including refugees) seeking to register in Australia, irrespective of whether they were registered to play football in their previous country or not.

Where a Minor was born in a country other than Australia and is registering to play football for the first time, the international clearance process will still need to be carried out.

What age of minors DO NOT require an ITC?

Children aged under 10 do not require an ITC.

My child is an amateur, do they still require an ITC?

An individual player’s footballing ability or nationality has no bearing on the ITC process.

What’s NEXT?

To avoid unnecessary delays (this can be a lengthy process), please ensure:

• that you send the Minor ITC Application Form and supporting documents to Balmain DFC immediately (the club may also initially contact you if they’re informed that a registration with an ITC component has been lodged); and

• the supporting documents provided are in accordance with the relevant checklists

• Minor ITC Application & Declaration Form types:
  • BLUE FORM – International move of both the player’s biological parents
  • PURPLE FORM – International move of one of the player’s biological parents
  • GREEN FORM – International move of none of the player’s biological parents
  • ORANGE FORM – The player lived continiously for the last 5 years in Australia prior to the request
  • RED FORM – The player is undertaking an academic study program in Australia
  • AQUA FORM – The player is a refugee.

Why is so much documentation required in a Minor ITC Application?

The level of documentation required for a Minor ITC Application is set by FIFA. FA is responsible for ensuring the FIFA Regulations are correctly applied within Australia, and that all Minors seeking their ITC meet FIFA’s documentation standards. Where a Minor application is required to be submitted to the FIFA Players’ Status Committee in Switzerland, incomplete applications will be rejected. FIFA have the ability to audit applications made to FA for Minor ITCs, requiring an assessment of all of the supporting documentation submitted to FA. It is pertinent that all supporting documentation is sent to FA to ensure that FIFA’s requirements in relation to Minor ITC Applications are adhered to. FIFA also published a guide to submitting a Minor ITC Application

An ITC will be required for a player aged 18 or over where that player’s immediately previous football registration was overseas. An ITC request is triggered during the PlayFootball self-registration process, which requires the player to respond truthfully to the following questions:

(a) Was the player’s last registration to play football in another country?

(b) In which country (other than AUSTRALIA) did the player last register?

(c) With which Club did the player last register in [NAME OF COUNTRY IN (b)]?

(d) In which year did the player last register in [NAME OF COUNTRY IN (b)]?

What happens if your last registration was overseas?

If the player answers “yes” to question (a) their registration status switches to ‘Pending ITC”.

NB: Please advise Balmain DFC  that an ITC has been triggered for your registration so we are aware it is in process and can action any required paperwork as it comes through.

What is NEXT?

The players request is sent to FA so that they may request an ITC. The player’s registration will remain in Pending mode until the ITC is received.

How long do I need to wait for the request?

FA cannot register a player unless and until: (a) the ITC is received; or (b) no response has been received from the relevant National Association within 30 days from the date FA sends the ITC request.

TIP:

As a guiding principle, Clubs should allow 35 days from the date the ITC is requested. However, during peak periods this time frame may vary.

See Football NSW Guide to ITC