How to organise a street football tournament

A street football tournament can be put together with a few balls, some cones and a free Saturday. A good one, where everyone plays a lot, games run on time and nobody leaves angry, takes a bit more planning. This guide walks through the decisions in order, using formats that have worked at the streetfootballworld festival 06 and the Homeless World Cup.

1. Decide what the tournament is for

Write one sentence about the purpose before anything else. “A fun day for the estate’s kids”, “a fundraiser for the youth club” and “a qualifying event for a regional competition” need different rules, budgets and levels of formality. The purpose will settle most of the later arguments.

2. Pick a format

Small teams and short games keep everyone involved. Two proven reference points:

	Festival 06 (Berlin, 2006)	Homeless World Cup
Players per side	5	4 (3 outfield + goalkeeper)
Match length	12 minutes	14 minutes (2 × 7)
Pitch	Street pitch on a city square	22 m × 16 m
Draws	—	Sudden-death penalties; winner 2 points, loser 1

For a one-day event with eight teams, two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final gives every team at least four matches. Short matches mean you can run several rounds in a morning.

Decide in advance how draws are settled. Penalties are quick and dramatic; the final of Festival 06 itself, MYSA against KickAIDS, was decided 4–3 on penalties.

3. Find and prepare the venue

Street football can be played almost anywhere: a car park, a playground, a closed street. Check:

• Permission. Public spaces usually need the local council’s approval; closing a street almost always does.
• Surface. Hard surfaces are fine for street football, but sweep for glass and stones.
• Boundaries. Walls and fences can be part of the game, but make sure nothing sharp sticks out. Portable boards or a row of benches can mark a pitch.
• Space for people. Spectators, waiting teams, a first aid point, water and somewhere to keep bags.

4. Write the rules down, and keep them short

Five-a-side is usually played with flexible rules agreed before kick-off. For a tournament, agree them in advance and print them. A one-page sheet usually covers:

• team size, substitutes (rolling substitutions are simplest) and age limits;
• no slide tackles;
• whether the ball can go above head height;
• what happens at kick-ins and corners;
• how draws and ties in the group are decided.

Many community tournaments add a fair-play rule, such as teams shaking hands before and after matches, or points for behaviour as well as results. The Mathare Youth Sports Association goes further and gives league points for community clean-ups.

5. Referees, or not?

Street football is often played without officials, and players settle disputes themselves. For a tournament with something at stake, a referee per pitch avoids arguments. A compromise used by many youth events is self-refereeing with a “mediator” on the sideline who only steps in if teams cannot agree.

6. Build the schedule

Work backwards from the time the venue closes. Allow two to three minutes between matches for changeovers, add breaks for water, and leave thirty minutes of slack. Post the schedule on a board everyone can see.

7. Safety and safeguarding

If children are taking part, you need named adults responsible for them, parental contact details and clear rules about who can supervise. Have a first aid kit and someone who knows how to use it, plenty of drinking water, and a plan for bad weather.

8. On the day

Arrive early, mark the pitches, brief referees and helpers, and check teams in. Keep a results sheet at a central desk and update the table where everyone can see it. End with a short ceremony: medals or a trophy, and thanks to volunteers.

FAQ

How many players should each team have?

Four or five players on the pitch is ideal for street football, with a few rolling substitutes.

How long should matches be?

Between 10 and 15 minutes works well. Festival 06 used 12-minute matches and the Homeless World Cup uses 14 minutes.

Do I need a referee?

Not always. Self-refereeing works for friendly events; competitive tournaments usually need one official per pitch.

Conclusion

Keep teams small, matches short and rules simple, and write them down. Everything else, venue, schedule, safety, follows from the one-sentence purpose you started with. For a longer-term project, see our guide to running a five-a-side league.