Ottawa Beach Soccer Blast Tournament

About the Ottawa Beach Soccer Blast Tournament

WHEN:	August 25 & 26
WHERE:	Petrie Island Beach, Ottawa, Canada
FEES:	$250 per team
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, Aug 10, 2007
PAY TO:	Beach Soccer Ottawa; Ottawa South United S.A; Box 362, Manotick, Ontario, K4M 1A4

For the last 4 years this new twist to the worlds greatest sport has developed with amazing acceptance worldwide.

We have met and discussed with other Beach soccer tournament organizers and exchanged ideas on how to bring this new and exhiting game to Ottawa.

FIFA in the last two years has made Beach Soccer an official sport under their umbrella. We feel that this sport will contribute and sustain greater passion for Soccer worldwide. Did you know Canada has a National Beach Soccer Team?

With our research, we believe that we are in position to now offer this new and exhiting form of the worlds most popular sport in the Nations Capital, Ottawa, Canada.

We are very pleased to have Ottawa South United Soccer Association sponsor of this great event.

This years tournament we'll host both Adult and Youth Divisions.

Adult Divisions: May 26th & 27th
.Men’s Open ( most Competitive)
.Men's Recreational
.Women’s Open ( most Competitive)
.Women's Recreational
.Adult Coed

Youth Divisions: August 25th & 26th
Boys & Girls, U10-U18

What is Beach Soccer?

Beach Soccer focuses on some of the most spectacular aspects of modern football: skill, agility and, above all, goals. All the action happens within a beach lifestyle atmosphere and the irregular nature of the soft-sand playing surface lends itself to an entertaining style of play, with the ball spending most of the time in the air and the players forced to improvise with moments of spectacular individual flair.

A compact pitch measuring 30x40 yard gives players license to shoot from virtually anywhere and, with an average of sixty attempts at goal in a single game (one every thirty seconds!), goalkeepers are tested to the absolute limit. However, even they can’t prevent an average scoring rate of one goal every 3-4 minutes - eleven goals in total per game!

Teamwork is also key, with each side consisting of five players (four plus the goalkeeper) and unlimited substitutions to get them through the three 12-minute periods. Throw-ins and kick-ins mean the pace and flow of the game is unrelenting and in Beach Soccer there is always a winner, with the contest going down to three minutes of overtime followed by penalty kicks if the score is tied.

The unique party atmosphere is enjoyed by the Beach Soccer crowd with music, and dancing keeping the entertainment flowing.

Beach Soccer in Summary
A faster, hotter version of the world's most popular sport. A soft sand surface allows players to try diving headers, bicycle kicks and spectacular tricks more freely. Beach soccer tends to be played more in the air than regular soccer, with quick flicks, juggling and volleying all becoming increasingly important in order to stay away from an unpredictable surface. The rules of the game are generally the same as grass soccer except the following:
- An average of 10 goals scored per game and a shot taken every 20 seconds
- 5 on 5 ( 4 players + a keeper)
- Substitutions on the fly
- No off sides
- No shoes, cleats or shin pads (but socks can be worn to protect feet)
- Two 12-minute halves
- Kick-ins rather than throw-ins
- 30 X 40 yard fields
- 6' X 12' nets
- Special Regulation soccer ball