… Rule changes regarding carded offences

THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is onboard with the sixth edition of the Milo Schools U-18 football competition which starts this weekend.
The Ministry, according to Public Relations Officer Terrence Esseboom, sees the need to promote the deterrence of gender-based violence.

During a press briefing yesterday at the National Library, the PRO explained that the ministry has been involved with the tournament for six years.
“Not every time you agree with the referee. Sometimes the referee makes a mistake but you can’t beat the referee because he or she makes a mistake. The same way you have to control your anger in sport, you’ve got to learn to do the same socially,” he said.

He added, the Ministry of Public Health would want you to use the discipline and trainings from sport and bring them into the social work.”

This year’s tournament will be played under the theme “There is no excuse for violence“, according to Dr Dennis Bassier, Men’s Health Coordinator at the Ministry.
He stated that gender violence extends to men being the victim, and discouraged both, saying that the ministry stands firm in trying to stamp out that behaviour.

“It is important for our young men who are inevitably the men of tomorrow and leaders of tomorrow to realise that we are not supposed to go down that road.”

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR EVERY SCHOOL
Meanwhile following up on their promise to provide expertise ahead of the tournament, the Guyana Football Federation through Technical Director Ian Greenwood contended that each participating school will have an officer assigned to it.

“Every single school has been contacted and assigned a GFF coach – each school that’s involved in the tournament. These are coaches that work in our academy training centres and coaches that have recently completed their D licence class.”

He added, “All of the schools will be subject to a technical visit as well. Mr Linden France or Mr Bryan Joseph and the rest of our technical team will be making site visits to ensure that everything is how it should be.”

RULE CHANGES
There will also be rule changes for the 2018 edition where the accumulation of yellow cards in consecutive matches would normally cause a player to miss the next match has been squashed.

Additionally, once a player receives a yellow card during a match then he must sit out 10% of the remaining time. This means that should a player be shown a yellow card in the 80th minute of a 90-minute match, he would have to sit out 10% of the remaining 10 minutes which equates to one minute. His team must play one player short for that period.
Meanwhile the 24 teams in this year’s competition collected their requisite balls ahead of tomorrow’s first game.

The teams are Bishops’ High School, Business School, Cummings Lodge Secondary, Carmel Secondary School, Chase Academy, Dolphin Secondary, Vergenoegen Secondary, Lodge Secondary School, Annandale Secondary, Masters Academy, Morgan Learning Centre, Pure Masters Academy, Queen’s College, Queenstown Secondary, School of the Nations, Sir Leon Lessons, South Ruimveldt Secondary, St Rose’s High School, Charlestown Secondary, Buxton Youth Development, Friendship East Bank Secondary, Uitvlugt Secondary, Vryman’s Erven Secondary and Christianburg Secondary