Booking and organisation:

• Our hourly sessions run weekly, at 8pm and 9pm on Mondays and 8pm on Thursdays at Hemel Hempstead Town FC, Vauxhall Road; this may include Bank Holidays depending on there being sufficient interest.
• The cost to participants of our Men session is £5; Women’s games are subsidised by community grant initiatives to encourage participation, £3. Payments can be made by PayPal or debit/credit card at the point of completing the online booking form. Participants can block book 12 sessions and secure a place each week, or book weekly on a first come first served basis. Online registration and payment is required to secure a place, with places released a week in advance of each session.
• We use either a one-third cross section of the main pitch or the 6-a-side pitches in the “cage” adjacent to the main pitch, depending on numbers of participants. When using the main pitch, we can move the small-sided goals accordingly depending on the size of pitch we need to accommodate the number of players that week.
• Cancellations: if you become unavailable for a session, please email info@communitykickabout.org – cancellations up to three days in advance of the session will be issued a full refund. If you cancel within 48 hours of the session, you will only receive a refund if we are able to fill the vacant place. If the session organiser and/or the venue (Hemel FC) cancel the session you will be notified by email and issued a full refund. For participants who have block bookings, if you give over 48 hours notice in advance of the session then you will be entitled to book a replacement session at the end of your block booking period.

The match:

• Teams are arranged randomly, if there’s an odd number of players then one team will have an advantage… depending on how the game progresses, if it becomes too one sided we’ll switch the advantage halfway through.
• Likewise, if one team is hammering the other because of an advantage of fitness/ability, we’ll just rearrange the teams and ensure the session is suitable and fun for everyone.
• Freshly laundered bibs will he handed out to the teams.
• We don’t tend to follow the traditional rules of association football… goal kicks for restarts after a goal, kick-ins instead of throw-ins, and regardless of the score (if anyone is actually keeping score) we always end on next goal wins!
• Please keep within the spirit of what we’re trying to achieve – our kickabouts are a great opportunity for fresh air, exercise, being social and having fun. You’re impressing no-one if you’re just twatting the ball goalwards at every opportunity, hard tackles aren’t welcome, no need to criticise anyone’s technique… play nicely! These aren’t “must win” games, everyone on both sides should be able to enjoy the game. Welcome everyone; if someone isn’t as experienced as you, make sure they are made to feel involved.
• It hopefully goes without saying (although we’ll say it anyway!) that taking our games too seriously and/or being aggressive or discriminatory towards other participants or the organisers will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to refuse the participation of anyone who threatens the enjoyment or effectiveness of our sessions.
• If you kick the ball out of the playing area, you go and get it! And be quick about it… we’ve extra balls to hand and play will carry on without you.
• You’ll most likely you’ll be grateful of an occasional rest anyway, but make sure you do your fair share of goalkeeping duties, be mindful about leaving the same player between the sticks for ages, we all want to get value for our participation fee.

Health and Safety:

• There is compulsory use of the correct footwear as directed by Hemel FC for their new artificial surface – Football Boots with moulded plastic studs are preferred. Please be aware that bladed boots of any description, metal studs, metal tipped studs and flat soled trainers are not permitted. Representatives of Hemel FC may be on hand for a boot check.
• In booking a place and participating in our football sessions, you are acknowledging that your personal health and safety remains your own responsibility – please consider your current physical condition before participating in this or any physical exercise and seek medical advice if you’re unsure about your suitability to join in this type of activity.
• By participating in our sessions you agree to the terms of this health and safety policy: you’re participating at entirely your own risk and you have sole responsibility for any injury, illness or death, as well as medical fees and/or loss of earnings, that may occur or later arise as a result of playing football with us.
• The rules of football permit physical contact between players undertaking tackles and there are also risks of accidental or reckless physical contact between players and/or between players and the ball/goals/pitch/perimeter fencing during the course of warming up and competing in our games – all of which carries a risk of injury which, as per the previous point, players have sole responsibility for when agreeing to participate.
• If you’re new to participating in physical exercise or returning to fitness after a lengthy absence, the NHS website offers some great advice about exercise, weight and eating well that may help your preparation: www.nhs.uk/live-well.
• We follow the FA’s guidance on concussion – anyone who suffers a head injury may be removed from play. The FA states: “At all levels in football, if a player is suspected of having a concussion, they must be immediately removed from the pitch. IF IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT”. If you’re removed from play or asked to leave the pitch, please do so pending further assessment/consideration by an organiser.
• Participants should self assess whether the wearing of any jewellery or accessories poses a health and safety risk to themselves or others.
• Participants should assess their own need to wear shin pads/shin guards; whilst the games are non-competative and in general played in friendly spirits with less emphasis on tackling, as previously stated there are risks of accidental or reckless physical contact between players.
• We encourage use of goalkeeper gloves when taking your turn in goal; players should assess their own need to bring/wear gloves. For those that don’t have their own, from 15/08/2022 there will be one pair of gloves per team located in the kit bag. Sharing gloves was discouraged during the COVID pandemic and there remains a risk of spreading infection – there is hand sanitiser should you want to use it, located in the medical kits at pitchside (speak to the organiser of your game if you’re unsure about use of gloves and/or location of sanitiser). The gloves will be disinfected by the session organiser after the game has finished.
• Restrictions relating to tackling the goalkeeper and shooting:
• No tackling the goalkeeper whilst he/she is in possession of the ball inside the marked goal area on the pitches in the cage;
• No shooting inside the marked goal area on the pitches in the cage;
• No tackling the goalkeeper whilst he/she is in possession of the ball in or nearby their goal on the pitches on the main pitch;
• As an additional measure to protect goalkeepers, please apply some common sense and consideration for your fellow participants by not blasting powerful shots goalwards, especially at close range.

Post Match:

• Hemel FC tend to turn the floodlights off at 10pm sharp, so tread carefully as you make your way off the pitch!
• Maintaining suitable social distancing, please place your bibs in our laundry bag.
• Feedback: Help us grow and improve with your feedback, that we can feature on our website! Please send your feedback to info@communitykickabout.org or tag @ckickabout on your Twitter/Instagram posts. If you use a fitness tracking app, please consider sharing the results of your Kickabout sessions with us.