WFAI planning on banning girls Under 18 from playing Senior football?

[Shankly]

I have heard rumours that the WFAI are planning on bringing in a new rule at their next AGM banning girls who are Under 18 from playing Senior football.

Has anybody else heard this?

Apparently they're doing it to stop the National League teams from taking young players away from their clubs and then leaving them sitting on the bench.

I'm all in favour of stopping the National League teams from taking young players away from their clubs but this can't be the best way to do it.

If they bring in this rule then many senior teams will struggle to field 11 players.

What will happen in clubs were there is no Under 18 team? There aren't that many Under 18 teams out there. In the Metro Girls League there are 24 Under 14 teams, 23 Under 16 teams but only 12 Under 18 teams. Any girl who is too old for Under 16 and their club doesn't have an Under 18 team will either have to leave her club or they'll end up not playing football at all. Hardly a good way to progress women's football?

Surely it would just be better to bring in a specific rule targeted at the National League that you have to be over 18 to play in the National League rather than a blanket ban that would make every club in the country suffer?

[outspoken]

Theres positives and negatives to this.....Positive: Burnout should be reduced in young players as I know plenty of girls this age playing for their clubs as well as playing other sports and then playing senior and the majority of them end up with injuries which are never rested properly and constantly re-occur. At least taking senior football away would be one less strain.

Negative: In some cases their maybe no underage teams as you have pointed out and senior football might be their only option.....Perhaps exceptions could be made depending on the areas where underage football is lacking?

[nigel-harps1954]

18 is too much. Should be 16, like mens teams.