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The MFL has created a set of rules governing who is eligible to play at it's various levels. We offer four levels of tackle football as follows:
Tyke Level
Players must be aged 9 or 10 as of Dec 31 of the playing year
Atom Level
Players must be ages 11 or 12 as of Dec 31 of the playing year.
Peewee Level
Players must be ages 13 or 14 as of Dec 31 of the playing year.
Bantam Level
Players must be ages 15, 16, 17 as of Dec 31 of the playing year.
Note: There are no weight restrictions at any of these levels
On Age Groupings
Our new age groupings are designed to better fit the average developmental stages a child goes through in their march towards adulthood. These stages are in line with the best medical expertise we have been able to consult, with the advice of Football Canada and other football organizations in Canada many of whom have used these age groupings for a number of years. It is the belief of SWFA, who presented the proposal for change, that these new groups will enhance the football experience for all our players, provide a more equitable on field product, and provide an even safer environment for our players.
On Weight Restrictions
Football is one team sport that has something for every body build out there. This is rare as most sports favor one build over another. Big players typically face off against each other on the Offensive or Defensive line while, whereas the fast medium sized player will likely be linebackers and Running Backs. Leaner players will often play Receiver and Defensive Back positions. There are of course exceptions to this. One has only to look at players like Pinball Clemons to realize that it is over simplistic to look at body build as the sole indicator of success and safety. Pinball was told at every level that he was to small to play football, much les be a running back but these predictions turned out to be somewhat inaccurate. Everyone with the desire and some physical ability has a place in our sport, and this makes us special and unique.
Research involving many of the groups, organizations and individuals listed below and supported by the Mayo Clinic, the top medical organization in North America keeping statistics on safety in youth sport has shown that there is no relationship between the weight of a player and his/her ability to play safely as related to themselves, their teammates and the players they play against. To impose weight restrictions is therefore seen by SWFA, as discriminatory towards those children who happen to be heavier than the average at their age, perhaps keeping these children from playing the one team sport where a larger size is actually an advantage at many positions. This does not mean that aren't children whose developmental maturity and physical/mental/emotional development are not suited to this sport and parents are advised, as they would be in any activity, to give careful thought to the suitability of their child to play this sport safely. We just emphasize that basing this decision on weight alone would not produce an accurate assessment.
It seems logical that a heavier player would hit harder and therefore be a greater danger than a lighter player but this does not take into account the effect of maturity both physical and mental, speed and experience on the force of a hit. Nor does it take in account the position a player plays, training, equipment and skill on safety. In football larger players rarely make contact with smaller ones as they play positions that keep them separated. The saying" Big against Big, Small against Small" is the norm in our sport.
As a result SWFA recommended that weight restrictions be eliminated in determining the level a player be assigned and replaced with a system that emphasizes physical/mental development stages using the smallest age grouping deemed practical.
The Process
Substantial research over a number of years, involving consultation and advice from a variety of sources, including but not limited to the following, as well as substantail discussion within the MFL and its affiliated organizations led to the presentation and eventual acceptance of this new age structure.
Medical Sport and Youth Development Specialists ,
The Canadian Long Term Athlete Development Program,
Football Canada,
Other youth football programs in Canada including those in Ottawa, and Brampton,
Other youth sport including hockey, basketball and soccer,
The National Coaching Association of Canada,
Analysis of age and weight as related to on field equity in the MFL over the last two seasons,
Analysis of age and weight as regards safety on the atom and peewee panthers as well as consultations on this issue with other experienced head coaches in the MFL,
The Mayo Clinic,
Injury Data on youth sports as related to age and weight.