Dutch Ref

[Dutchref]

Scenarios for completing the amateur leagues
The most positive scenario is a restart of the competition in the weekend of January 16 and 17, 2021. In that case, some competitions can still be played completely this season. The cup competitions will be canceled and play will continue throughout June 2021. The transfer period will then shift with the end of competitions, from June 15th to June 30th. The post-competition will be canceled for standard football, among other things, which means that the promotion / relegation regulation has to be adjusted for a number of competitions. The complete overview of all categories can be found in the full "Plan B" (at the bottom of this article).

It will be decided in mid-December whether this scenario is feasible. If this turns out not to be the case, the competitions will resume at a later date in a partially or completely modified format.

So , if we are lucky we will start in januari 21

[andy]

Blimey that's a long wait. Hopefully we we will resume at the start of December, but who knows what might be happening by then. Fire?, Flood? I predict locusts.

[welshyeltz]

Fire been in Australia, flood in most parts of the country and locusts in France. Plague worldwide. Anything else ?

[Westyeltz]

Fire been in Australia, flood in most parts of the country and locusts in France. Plague worldwide. Anything else ?

Four dodgy looking blokes riding 'osses' down Stourbr*dge Road?

[andy]

Saw this bloke knocking around earlier...

The_grim_reaper_by_Funerium.jpg

[Dutchref]

Fortunately, we are now allowed to train with 4 people in a small group on our training field, but no more than 30 people and keep a distance of 1.5 meters from each other.
In any case, it's better than nothing. My fitness has never been better ..

[Dutchref]

Every weekend there are normally 30,000 matches played on the amateur pitches in the Netherlands. Despite a number of corona cases and even more players who had to be quarantined as a precaution, about 80% of the scheduled matches have been played in the past weekends.

With 1.2 million KNVB members, a number of infections are unfortunately inevitable, after all, we are at the heart of society. But amateur football has clearly not turned out to be a source of concern as most infections take place at home, at work and with friends and family. With the exception of indoor football, all matches are played outdoors.

Research has shown that people on the field are never within 1.5 meters of each other for a long time and that sports have a demonstrably good influence on the resistance and health of people. In addition, it offers a healthy outlet for young people in particular, who have few options at this time.

Corona figures
Now that corona numbers are rising in society, we have no choice but to do what we are allowed to do as well as possible, get people to train safely within the possibilities. With this, we hope that relaxation of the measures will be introduced as soon as possible via the government's roadmap. A break of two weeks can be bridged for the competitions, but if this takes much longer, the negative consequences for the sports and social network that amateur football is called may well become structural:

With the competitions, the fun of playing for the footballers is also stopped again. How often can they keep recharging to make sport an important part of their free time? Will this soon cost the clubs members?
The associations are run by 400,000 volunteers. They are once again being called upon to change everything at their club. How long will they continue to enjoy doing this?
Amateur associations are not a fat pot. Now they have to do without a large part of their income even longer, because the canteens had to close three weeks ago. How long can they bear these financial blows?
This is of great concern to us. We too see the sharp increase in corona figures and understand the need for measures. But we should not lose sight of the benefits of sports and amateur football. Not during the corona period and not afterwards either.

[andy]

Sounds very familiar.

[Dutchref]

The KNVB, Royal Dutch football association has presented a plan to make amateur football possible in corona time. The football association hopes, in the best scenario, to restart the competitions in the weekend of 16 and 17 January.

'Plan B: Keep playing football in times of corona' was drawn up after consultation with other sports associations and has now been shared with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

'We have to keep moving'
"Of course we want to play football games safely again as soon as possible, that's why you join a football association. But the current situation calls for different scenarios for the leagues and varied football forms when matches are not allowed. Because we have to keep moving, for our health and to keep the associations alive ", says Jan Dirk van der Zee, director of amateur football.

"The cabinet can help with this by, for example, adjusting the group size for team sports when scaling down measures. It is not possible to practice a team sport in groups of two or four. We train safely in the open air and in the hall at a distance of 1.5 meters. That is fine with 30 men on a large football field. "

The Royal Dutch Football Association has drawn up phases that run synchronously with the government's roadmap and which can be built up or down, depending on the indicated risk level; from only training (for seniors with disabilities) via (practice) matches within their own region to ultimately playing competitions with a limited audience.

In the scenario of a restart in mid-January, the cup competitions will be canceled and play will continue in June 2021. The transfer period will then shift with the end of competitions, from June 15th to June 30th. The post-competition will be canceled for standard football (higher classes in amateur football and youth football), which means that the promotion / relegation regulation will have to be adjusted for a number of competitions.


Keep my fingers crossed !!

[Dutchref]

The current competitions in the Second and Third Division and the Dutch big league are no longer played. The amateur football board has decided this after making an inventory among all participating associations and in consultation with the interest groups CVTD and the COH.

The reason for this is the situation in which amateur football has been in for quite some time as a result of the corona pandemic. As soon as amateur football starts again, new adapted competitions will be organized for the Second and Third Division and the Dutch big league.

Three scenarios
In recent weeks, the KNVB, the CVTD (Cooperative Association Second and Third Divisions) and the COH (Central Organ Main Classes) have held frequent consultations about the continuation of the competitions that started this year, which have been suspended since October due to government measures. During these consultations, an inventory was made of the enthusiasm for three scenarios at all clubs from the Second and Third Division and the Dutch big league:

Completing the regular competition
Playing a half competition (second half of the season)
Play in half groups, entire competitions with limited after-competition
Seventy percent of the associations had a preference for stopping the current competitions. In addition, scenario 3 was most often designated as the first preferred scenario. The amateur football board has discussed the results of the inventory with the CVTD and the COH and has come to the decision not to resume regular competitions and to work out scenario 3.

"Broadly supported decision"
This change of course requires flexibility from everyone, but at least we have the prospect that, as soon as football can be played again, entire competitions can be played.
Jan Dirk van der Zee, KNVB amateur football director: “We find it very annoying for all the clubs that performed well earlier this season. Given the busy schedule in these top competitions, playing it out is hardly realistic anymore. But we also wanted to know how the participating associations view this and which scenario they prefer. Thanks to this inventory and the frequent consultation with their advocates, we have been able to make a widely supported decision. This change of course requires flexibility from everyone, but we at least have the prospect that, as soon as football can be played again, entire competitions can be played. ”



It is assumed that football can be played again in mid-January or shortly afterwards.
The competitions run until the weekend of June 20 (followed by any follow-up competitions).
The Second Division and Third Divisions are divided into two groups of nine teams.
The big league is divided per big league into two groups of eight teams.
Teams play a home and away game against each other.
The group division is based on geographic division.
The adjusted competition format is followed by a limited follow-up competition.
Further details, such as the playing days calendar, the promotion / relegation scheme and the way in which the placement of amateur associations for the tournament for the TOTO KNVB Cup season 2021 / '22 will be implemented will be worked out by the KNVB in consultation with the CVTD the COH and announced no later than 1 January 2021.

The modified format will start as soon as the competitions in amateur football can be resumed. If the competitions cannot start until later than the first weekend of March 2021, it will be examined whether an adjusted set-up is necessary.

Other amateur football
The board decision for the Second and Third Division and the big league has no significance for the other classes of amateur football (A and B category). This will be decided as soon as the new cabinet measures have been announced.