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The basic rules of football

The best way of understanding the rules is to watch a few games. The game is fundamentally very simple and it's probably easier to pick things up by watching than it is reading about it. We've put the basics together; click here for footy in a nutshell.

The ups and downs of mini/junior football

Your child will be hugely enthusiastic about their football. It matters and they'll care about it. For mini footballers, it may well be their first genuinely competitive experience. How they deal with the emotional ups and downs will be influenced by their own personality of course. Enjoy the highs with them and console then through the lows (a missed penalty in a shootout is about as bad as it gets). Ultimately however, they will bounce back from short term set backs very quickly.

Role of parents

The golden rule; if they are enjoying their football everything else will slot into place. Don't forget that it's kid's football and that's basically about playing with their friends and for fun - there's no need to make it complicated. There will, of course, be other reasons for playing (to improve their skills for instance), but if they haven't got a smile on their face then they are playing for the wrong reasons and that could be just to please a parent.

Kit & Equipment

Basically………..a ball always comes in useful! There are loads to choose from in various sizes – so from tots to teens, you can't go wrong. Most sports retailers will have a good selection and they aren't expensive either.

Food & Nutrition

A sensible diet is really all that's required. Kids love their food, particularly the things that aren't the healthiest foods available! Active children obviously burn off more calories than inactive ones, but it is still worth giving thought to what and when they eat in the context of participating in football. A proper, balanced diet will help them perform to the best of their ability.

Get to a match

Your child will probably enjoy playing and watching football in equal measure.There's lots of football on TV, but there's nothing quite as good as being there.