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Post by Rajiv on Mar 26, 2020 8:56:29 GMT 8
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Post by Rajiv on Mar 26, 2020 16:05:09 GMT 8
Different venues are taking different positions, and these may change over time. For now, will update by each game, on the schedule thread.
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Post by Rajiv on Mar 27, 2020 15:41:54 GMT 8
The Premier Pitch (both @ Grandstand and @ Khalsa) are allowing 5-a-sides on their pitches. The Cage (who operate HYFA @ Macpherson) have closed all their pitches until 30 April 2020. Rainforest management messaged me as follows today: I received the following information from the management at Premier Pitch @ Grandstand: The following was also forwarded to me yesterday:  Stranger Soccer is operating under similar lines. They sent out an e-mail today stating as follows: Currently, these are the pitches I have available from tomorrow until 30 April 2020: - Saturdays, 5 to 7 pm, Grandstand, 5-a-side covered pitch.
- Saturdays, 5 to 6 pm, Khalsa, 7-a-side pitch, but limited to 5-a-side.
- Mondays, 10 to 11 pm, Khalsa, 7-a-side pitch, but limited to 5-a-side.
- Tuesdays, 9 to 10 pm, Grandstand, 5-a-side covered pitch.
- Wednesdays, 9 to 10 pm, Khalsa, 7-a-side pitch, but limited to 5-a-side.
- Fridays, 9 to 10 pm, Khalsa, 7-a-side pitch, but limited to 5-a-side.
I will schedule games as above until further developments. If games fill up quickly, with a lot of players on waitlist, I may try to get one or more additional slots. On the other hand, if games do not fill up, I am more inclined to cancel than to ask around. I may ask around to fill one or two places at most. I do not want to be asking players to play at a time like this, when players have to make their own choices. As tomorrow's games at Grandstand are somewhat complicated, I have taken over the administration this time. The Khalsa game tomorrow has been replaced by the Grandstand games.
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Post by Rajiv on Mar 29, 2020 20:40:18 GMT 8
I received the following messages from the Premier Pitch managers this afternoon: - For Khalsa: "We have just been informed by SportsSg that we need to close until end April. They said it's our decision but we don't really have a choice cuz we cannot ensure players will keep 1m away while playing."
- For Grandstand: "So sorry... as for now, we have to cancel all bookings till further notice. I've cancelled all your ... booking till end April. Will update you till further notice."
All games cancelled until 30 April 2020 or further notice.
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 15, 2020 19:34:03 GMT 8
On CNA: Our games might have to wait a bit longer.
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 16, 2020 14:13:19 GMT 8
According to the management of our various venues, they will also have to wait for new directions/guidelines from SportsSG.
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 16, 2020 16:55:05 GMT 8
In the meantime, Stranger Soccer is offering "Football Fitness": 
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 17, 2020 21:54:43 GMT 8
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Post by Rajiv on Aug 11, 2020 12:44:23 GMT 8
FAS guidelines are here. The material part: It doesn't really allow for our usual games. Stanger Soccer has adapted the above for 3-a-side football. From their promotional e-mails:  Basically, the mandatory "coach" joins the 5 to make 3-a-side. Anyone try it?
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Post by Rajiv on Aug 11, 2020 15:55:14 GMT 8
I came across this earlier. Our venues should try it, might be fun. Just need to draw lines across the pitch.
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 13, 2020 9:44:41 GMT 8
Some other groups were circumventing the rules to play 5-a-side, but that violated the social distancing requirements, so I believe the venues were forced to clamp down. Even the 3-a-side risks violating the rules, because strictly speaking, there can be no tackling if everyone has to stay 1 m apart.
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 14, 2020 18:03:50 GMT 8
I have merged the two threads, one of the Schedule board, and one on this (Discussion) board. We are looking at re-starting games, subject to prevailing guidelines. From the OPSAGE board: Premier Pitch just informed me it is possible to play 5-a-side between two teams (Team A and Team B) as follows: - Goalkeeper and 2 defenders from Team A, plus 2 attackers from Team B, stay in one half of the pitch.
- Goalkeeper and 2 defenders from Team B, plus 2 attackers from Team A, stay in the other half of the pitch.
- Players designated to one half of the pitch cannot cross onto the other half.
The main change that allows for this is that the ball can pass between the two groups of five.
If there is sufficient interest, I will see if there is a pitch available this Tuesday (9 to 10 pm) and/or this Saturday (5 to 6 pm or 4 to 5 pm). Please add your name below.
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 15, 2020 18:12:42 GMT 8
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 17, 2020 20:41:43 GMT 8
From the thread on the OPSAGE board: The Saturday regulars have prior arrangements, so I will switch this weekend's game to Sunday, 5 to 6 pm, Grandstand. It doesn't look like we'll have enough for Sunday. I will do the following for the rest of September 2020: - Tuesday, 22 September 2020, 8.50 to 10 pm, Grandstand, 5-a-side (covered).
- Saturday, 26 September 2020, 5 to 6 pm, Grandstand, 5-a-side (covered), as a challenge match organised by Raj.
- Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 8.50 to 10 pm, Grandstand, 5-a-side (covered).
These games are subject to the additional rules set out above.
I aim to continue these games into October 2020 and beyond. If there is demand, I aim to resume as many of our regular time slots, at our regular venues, from the start of October 2020 onwards. However, all games will be 5-a-side, subject to the same additional rules.
Please do not put any more names down on this thread. I will create a thread on the Schedule or Challenge Match boards (as the case may be) for each game.
I will merge this thread into the "Covid-19 Restrictions" thread on the discussion board.
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 23, 2020 17:30:22 GMT 8
The games on the 5-a-side covered pitch at Grandstand (5-a-side last Tuesday, 4-a-side yesterday), have gone reasonably well. I have had some queries about re-commencing games on other days or at other venues. These are the options:
- For Mondays and/or Thursdays, at Khalsa, 8.50 to 10 pm, 4-a-side on the 5-a-side pitch, or 5-a-side on the 7-a-side pitch, at $10 per person.
- For Sundays, 5-a-side on the covered 5-a-side pitch at Grandstand, 4.50 to 6 pm, $11 per person.
HYFA at Macpherson are still limiting games to 5 players in total, as they think the additional rules are difficult to enforce.
I will only try one or two additional games first, if there is sufficient interest.
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Post by Rajiv on Oct 7, 2020 16:19:20 GMT 8
With only the Tuesday night game on a small covered pitch at Grandstand (apart from the Saturday evening challenge match on a big covered pitch at Grandstand) resuming after the Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed in mid September 2020 (but still subject to additional rules, including being limited to a form of 5-a-side), I have been taking a lighter touch on the rules. However, with 4 withdrawals on the day of the game yesterday (Tuesday), we almost had to cancel. I wasn't expecting the Premier Pitch management at Grandstand to take the hard stance on late cancellations that they had taken before the Covid-19 situation. In the end, we had to scramble to get 2 more players late on. I therefore have to apply the rules on filling places and withdrawals, and cancellations, strictly. In particular: As an aside, I only realised today that Premier Pitch have someone watching the game to enforce the additional rules. I suppose they have to, otherwise they may be liable for any breaches. Continuing from the post above, the management at Khalsa has always been less fussy about late cancellations, so I'll try the Thursday night game at Khalsa (5-a-side on the 7-side pitch, subject to the same additional rules) from next week (15 October 2020).
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Post by Rajiv on Oct 24, 2020 14:59:09 GMT 8
Continuing from the above, from the report thread for the game at Khalsa on Thursday (22 Oct 2020, 5-a-side on the 7-a-side pitch, subject to additional rules): Hilarious night of 5v5 football with safe distancing measures in place. Due to facility rules, game started only 10-15 mins later to allow for exit and entrance of teams between sessions. First time experiencing playing with a DMZ. Sure felt more like netball than football. Final score 13-1 to reds. Not sure if I would be any keen for the next one but other than the rusty kicks and passes, we definitely had a good 45 min workout. Oh well, we make do with what we can. The Tuesday night games at Grandstand and the Saturday evening challenge match at Grandstand have been fairly consistent since the games resumed with additional rules. I received the following text from HYFA yesterday: Next Thursday's game will be at HYFA @ Macpherson, 5-a-side on the 7-a-side pitch.
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Post by Rajiv on Nov 4, 2020 8:42:38 GMT 8
There were no names down for the game on Thursday (29 Oct 2020), so I moved it to Monday (2 Nov 2020). There were still no names down, so I won't schedule any more games at Macpherson or Khalsa until there is further relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions. The management at Premier Pitch @ Grandstand has informed me that the reduction of price for the Covid-19 period has been reversed with effect from 1 November 2020. While the price of the pitch was reduced, I had reduced the price per player to $11 (otherwise, it would have been $13 per player). I can bear some of the increase, but I would still have to increase the price per player to $12. I kept last night's game at $11 per player because it had been scheduled as such.
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Post by Rajiv on Nov 12, 2020 15:42:55 GMT 8
As Iqbal has been doing a lot to keep the Tuesday night game going during this Covid-19 period, especially by introducing new players to make up the numbers, I have given him a one-time $5 credit. He can consider converting the Tuesday night game to a challenge match: The Saturday evening game at Grandstand has been a challenge match since September 2019.
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Post by Rajiv on Nov 25, 2020 13:46:34 GMT 8
From the thread on the Challenge Matches board for 21 Nov 2020: After confirming today's game via WhatsApp on Monday (16 Nov 2020), Raj WhatsApped me on Thursday (19 Nov 2020) to say he had 20 players, so they would take two 5-a-side pitches. Fortunately, two 5-a-side pitches are available from 5 to 6 pm today. .... I understand from Raj that the first 10 will be on one pitch, and the second 10 will be on the other pitch. Due to legal requirements arising from the Covid-19 situation, there can be no mixing between players on the two pitches. Another way to split the 20 players is to treat them as a single pool of players, with four captains each selecting their team of 5. With four teams, lots can be drawn to decide which two teams will be on each pitch. If a similar group of players play next week, the winners from this week can play against each other, while the losers from this week can play on the second pitch. However, I leave it to Raj and the captains to decide. Most important is that the players on each pitch are remain separated today. They went ahead with 2 games. Raj messaged me on Monday (23 Nov 2020) to say that he again has 20 for this Saturday 28 Nov 2020), so they'll again play two 5-a-side games on two pitches. That's two weeks in a row. Two pitches are again available. The game from 9 to 10 pm on Tuesdays is also continuing. I will also try scheduling the following additional games at the same venue (5-a-side covered pitch at Premier Pitch @ Grandstand): - 5 to 6 pm on Sundays, starting from 29 Nov 2020.
- 9 to 10 pm on Fridays, starting from 4 Dec 2020.
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