Football Victoria updates its Return to Training/Playing

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Football Victoria has updated its Return to Training/Playing Conditions following Sport and Recreation Victoria’s (SRV) release of guidelines for the return to play for community sport.

In line with advice from SRV, junior and senior sport is treated differently. The Return to Training Conditions document provides guidelines for adult sport while the Return to Playing conditions document provides guidelines for junior sport.

Full contact training and competition can resume immediately for juniors including friendly matches. Non-contact training is permitted for senior sport.

Sport and Recreation Victoria stated that only non-contact training or competition was permitted, if at least one participant in a community sport was 19 years old or over.

“From mid-July, subject to the advice of Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and the continued management of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), adults can resume full-contact training from 13 July and full-contact competition from 20 July,” they said.

Some changes also apply to both junior and adult sport. Clubrooms, change rooms and showers can now be reopened for use at training or games.

The SRV has said that the minimum number participants required to conduct the sport should participate in the activity. Football Victoria is permitting normal squad sizes to undertake training.

Spectators are also allowed at training or games. Groups of up to 10 people are permitted however social distancing protocols must be followed. The groups must also be spread out around the ground.

In its Returning to Training Conditions guidelines, Football Victoria said that the conditions in the document are mandatory to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Football Victoria’s priority is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the football community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal and Victorian State governments have announced a roadmap to cautiously reintroduce football in a staged approach,” they said.

“The first stage was a limited return to training. The second stage extended the number of players who could train. The third stage now splits player activity based on age.”

Football in Victoria will resume from early July. NPL Junior Boys are set to resume over 4th and 5th of July. NPL Junior Girls, Community Club Juniors and MiniRoos will resume over the 11th and 12th of July.

July 25-26 will see the the return of Football Victoria NPL Senior, VPLW, State League Seniors and Metropolitan/Masters leagues as part of the updated announcements.

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Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

Community Spirit Shines on AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026

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Image credit: Football Australia

This week, Football Australia (FA) celebrated AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026, championing the people and communities who continue to hold up a safe, inclusive and supportive environment in the football landscape.

‘For all, for life’

In collaboration with Football NSW, Canterbury Football Association and community club, Balmain & District Football Club, the day reflected the very best of what football provides.

The event brought in participants of all ages – from 4-74 years-old – and reached a total of 400 people. Girls-only programs, all-abilities sessions and over-age football ensured all were catered for.

Such a diverse range of participants builds on a wider drive during FIFA World Football Week, which seeks to promote the sport not just as the dazzling lights of 100,000-seater stadiums, but as a way to foster community spirit and social development.

Furthermore, FA support through its Club Changer program was a welcome addition to the action, emphasising the organisation’s commitment to nurture a real love for the game across communities in Australia.

“Through Club Changer we support our clubs to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable environment where everyone is welcome; whether that be as a player, volunteer, referee or supporter,” explained National Program Manager Club Development at FA, Grace Lambourne.

“Everyone should feel they belong and are welcome to play, stay, and love the game.”

 

A welcome celebration

While the upcoming FIFA World Cup will no doubt inspire millions of future Socceroos and Matildas, events like the AFC Grassroots Football Day represent something beyond just inspiration.

It is a platform. An opportunity to express a love for football and to connect with others while doing so.

And connections between the professional and grassroots game is more important than ever if Australia is to nurture the next generation of talent.

This is particularly clear in the rise of women’s football across the nation. Since the FIFA Women’s World Cup, female participation rose by 32%, and registrations for the MiniTillies Program skyrocketed from 264 in 2023, to 1223 in 2024.

The professionals spark passion. But communities turn that passion into playing time.

That is why celebrating grassroots football – and the volunteers and families who sustain it – is a vital part of Australia’s football future. Together, FA and the AFC are creating strong foundations built on positivity, engagement, and inclusivity for all with a love for the beautiful game.

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