FUN FOOTBALL (GRADES 8 TO 9)

When

The season runs from early May until late August, and games are for 1 hour early Saturday mornings.

Where

Most weekends involve playing against other UHCF teams in an "in-house" competition, at our home ground, the Artificial football turf at Maidstone Park, Park Road (opposite Toa ITM).

There are also 6 festivals each year organised by Capital Football.   A festival is where 3 host clubs (us, Lower Hutt, and Petone), all simultaneously host all Hutt Valley teams in a large inter-club festival. 

Capital Football provides the draw for each of these festivals, and each team must travel to the allocated host ground to play their games for that day.  ie, Some Upper Hutt teams may travel to Petone, some to Lower Hutt (Fraser Park), and some may stay at our own grounds at Maidstone.  

What

We follow the New Zealand Football Junior Framework that encourages a variety of skill development and is all about building the foundation for future years. 
Teams play three 15-min games of 5v5 football, rotating fields to play different teams within the one hour session.  The focus is all about having fun, and getting involved.

Teams

Teams are formed usually with 7-8 in a team, and small-sided games are played with five players on each side. When registering you can tell us if there are other kids your player would like to have as team-mates and we will try our best to accommodate those requests.

Gear

We supply the playing shirts, which are to be returned at the end of the season. Players will need shin pads, boots, shorts and socks. While not compulsory, you can choose to purchase official UHCF socks and shorts via www.footballcentral.co.nz.  Alternatively, plain black shorts and socks can be worn.

Game rules

To ensure each player has as many touches of the ball as possible, and young players concentrate on skills that are best suited to their age, we play a simplified version.

  • No goalies, offsides, corners.

  • Kick/dribble in instead of throw-ins.

  • Attacking team returns to the halfway for a goal kick.

Parent coaches

We have many parents who volunteer each season to act as coaches to look after a team throughout the season – and we’re always keen to find some more. The role is far more about children than football. There’s a ready-made toolkit to work with, and we always love coaches who are keen to let the kids’ imagination go crazy. 

If you’re keen to help on the field or with helping to keep things running smoothly on a Saturday, please get in contact with the Junior Captain, juniors@upperhuttcityfootball.org.nz 

Cancellations

The turf allows us to play in all weather. The rule of thumb is we’ll always play on, and if it’s particularly bad, then we’ll call it off before 7:15 am. Cancellations will also be posted on our grade Facebook groups (see below).

Latest news

Join our grade Facebook group pages and stay up to date with the latest on our club Facebook page.

U8 Facebook Group (2026 season)

U9 Facebook Group (2026 season)

Like to know more?

If there’s anything else you’d like to know, please get in touch.