With all senior club football starting this weekend, and as we have done in recent years, we felt it was timely to remind all our clubs and members about the need to play our game with respect and in the spirit of fair play.

Keep it Positive Campaign

The "Keep it Positive" campaign focuses on fostering a positive environment where fun, exercise, and camaraderie are at the forefront of our sporting experience. Winning is an important aspect of the game, but it should never come at the expense of poor behaviour towards the opposition or match officials. We urge all clubs and members to support this campaign and embody its principles throughout the season.

Volunteer Referee Packs

This year, Mainland Football is delighted to introduce a new program that provides a 'referee pack' to each team across all senior men's, masters, and senior women's teams. Each pack includes a whistle, yellow and red cards, and a green volunteer referee bib. This initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Active Refrigeration.

The referee packs are designed to emphasize the importance of the volunteer referees who will be officiating this weekend. These individuals are dedicating their time and effort to ensure our matches run smoothly and fairly.

We kindly ask all players, coaches, and supporters to treat these volunteer referees with the utmost respect and patience. Despite being volunteers, they hold the same authority as official referees and have the ability to issue yellow and red cards as per the rules and Laws of the Game. 

Your positive support and understanding will greatly contribute to a more enjoyable and respectful sporting environment for everyone involved.

To showcase this amazing initiative, we would like to request all teams to grab some awesome photos of your team using these packs this weekend which we will look to collate and share with our membership through our various social media channels.

Please email your photos to competitions@mff.nz. 

Support for Referees

To assist our Volunteer Referee - we have also provided a short one-page help guide to address some common issues that may arise during matches. This guide is a valuable resource for both referees and players to ensure a smooth and fair game.

You can find this here: https://www.mainlandfootball.co.nz/GET-INVOLVED/Referees-2/quick-tips-1?em=1

In the same vein, we would ask that coaches and team support staff are also reminded of the expectations around their behaviour and that they lead their players by example.

We look forward to your support in promoting respect and fair play in our sport. Best wishes for the season, and remember to Keep it Positive!

Josh McGirr
Operations Manager

Article added: Thursday 03 April 2025