Coping with Covid-19 restrictions

The Covid-19 Restrictions have forced us into playing 4-a-side for all our games.

I have the following exchange with Peminder today, after the Tuesday night challenge match at Grandstand was forced to switch to 4-a-side (with effect from the game last night:

• Peminder: 4v4 is too open. Game was really one sided
• Me: that's the law for now unfortunately, need to adapt, switching players around, adapting rules etc

4-a-side was an issue when we used to play 5-a-side on the small covered pitch at Grandstand, and were sometimes a couple of players short.   It was no longer an issue after we switched to the 6-a-side pitch at Rainforest from August 2018 onwards.

Now that we are forced to play 4-a-side due to Covid-19 restrictions, ideas on how to make games more balanced are welcome. 

My own view is that with 4-a-side on a 5 or 6-a-side pitch, there is more space for younger, faster and fitter players, who can swing the game.  After all, many of our players are older, slower, and lacking in fitness, making up for it with experience and position sense.  Doesn't work as well on a less crowded pitch!

One way forward might be to go back to the Cage @ Kallang, where the pitches are smaller.  We haven't played there for years!

According to Raj, the management at Grandstand provides the 4-a-side game on Saturday with smaller goals:


   

I'm not sure why the smaller goals were not provided for the game last night.

Raj updated me to say the goals above were purchased by Desmond, and left with the management at Grandstand (indoor). It is kept locked with a number lock. Sushil has the number so the goals are available for the Tuesday game when Sushil plays. I know they used it last week (23 Feb 2021), not sure if they used it this week (2 May 2021).

From the report thread for the game at Khalsa on 25 February 2021:

Mar 2, 2021 23:00:16 GMT 8 Rajiv said:

....

Feb 28, 2021 14:46:40 GMT 8 Jeff Salleh said:

.... We also use this for the game. 

Who provided it?

Mar 4, 2021 11:02:33 GMT 8 Jeff Salleh said:

I bought it. We have been using it for the last 3 games.

If the players find it improves the game, starting from the game last night (Thursday, 4 Mar 2021), I will give Jeff $1 credit for each game in which it is used, up to the price he paid for it. As with ball credit and glove credit, it should be claimed on the report thread.

Jeff informs me that the net from Decathlon didn't fit, so he got this one from Taobao.

This is the link if you all are interested. Choose the 7-aside option.

item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=573910313440&price=187-388&original_price=320-521&sourceType=item&sourceType=item&suid=3de7f5da-779f-410c-bb03-8f6d3ea89fe3&shareUniqueId=8148087541&ut_sk=1.Xz%2BIoIV0nQEDAN4QL5iJGuKc_21646297_1614918378418.Copy.1&un=0d1a88f346d885bd9eedd86203cf18d8&share_crt_v=1&spm=a2159r.13376460.0.0&sp_tk=bzAzTWNCSnR6VzY=&cpp=1&shareurl=true&short_name=h.4lekicE&bxsign=scd_EO1lrXhdxBJik4uM4UJNz85LGFP_tSqi9uZ2qSINcvHajJKpplG08bOJZ5X_Bh3w0VFAUckClEf89IM6WPFa2HmUja7MHBfy_9GbitUYqk&sm=7d1481&app=chrome

According to the manager, we are allocated Pitch 3 at Khalsa, for the 4-a-side games. Jessen informed me on Thursday (25 Mar 2021) that some of the lights at Pitch 3 are not working, leaving part of the pitch fairly dark. According to the manager, the delay in repairing the lights is due to the contractor having difficulty getting workers. No other pitch is available.

In the meantime, I will reduce the price per player for the games on Pitch 3 from $10 per player to $9 per player, backdated to the challenge match on 24 Mar 2021. The reduced price was applied for the regular game on Thursday (25 Mar 2021).

From the thread for the challenge match at Khalsa tonight:

Apr 3, 2021 12:34:40 GMT 8 Jessen said:

....

Side notes :
-Pitch 3 lights are are still not repaired. Seems like another 1 or 2 lights blown based on last Wed’s observations.

....

Apr 7, 2021 19:42:38 GMT 8 Rajiv said:

The management has informed me that the lights were fixed over the weekend, but I've asked the management to continue the reduced price for this week. Price per player goes back to the usual next week.

....

With the rules relating to Covid-19 changing from time to time, we need to adapt each time.

4-a-side has not been available since 8 May 2021 under the current rules, under which we are limited to 5 on the pitch, so the Saturday regulars have tried 2 v 2 with 1 keeper (changed every 10 minutes). I understand they've been doing this on Wednesdays for a while, and are continuing with it on Saturdays on their own. I'll make 2 v 2 with 1 keeper more widely available if there is sufficient interest.

A short while ago, Raj sent me the video below which he took at Grandstand recently:



2-a-side sepak takraw anyone?

I've re-named this thread from "4-a-side" to "Coping with Covid-19 restrictions".

Quite fun with a modification we made - used small goalposts and played 3 v 2 and everytime a team scored the scorer would go over to the other team unless of course if the team that scored was the 2 man team then no switch.

Amazed how unfit we have become after a few months of no football. Good way to get "match fit" in preparation for more relaxed measures, hopefully soon.

PS. Water and short rest breaks every 20mins helps too!