13 year old banned from football game for being a girl.

Melody Pond

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sc...6908-23120132/

Quote:

THE captain of a Scottish youth football team has been banned from a UK-wide competition - because she's a girl.
Shattered Alyshia Walker won't be allowed to play in the home nations showpiece at Birmingham City's stadium because English FA rules prohibit mixed teams.
The 13-year-old Bathgate Academy pupil made history as the first female in a Scottish Youth Football Association Challenge Cup-winning side.

Not only is she the West Lothian under-13 side Fauldhouse Foxes' star striker but - despite being the only girl in the team - she's also skipper.

Alyshia has banged in more than 50 goals in just 21 games so far this season and has won caps for Scotland at under-15 level.
She was voted the best player in a 3-0 win to qualify for the four nations Tesco Cup play-offs in Birmingham.
Now she's been banned - but has been told she can take part in the warm-up and the coin toss.

Last night, Alyshia said: "It's so disappointing. I'm very upset.
"We've got a great team but this is a big blow. They should really change the rules. But if I don't get to play I'll definitely go down to the finals and support the team."
Mum Christine said: "She's really gutted. And I'm angry. Alyshia lives for her football. I don't think it's fair."

Scotland allows girls to play mixed football until age 15. England are considering a rule change - but too late for Alyshia.
Furious Fauldhouse Foxes club secretary Ina Meek said: "It's a kids' game of football, not a professional tournament.

This girl was on The One Show today and I just think this is ridiculous.

What do you think? Show girls be able to play football with boys? Up to the age of 15 as Scottish rules or at any age?

Stardaze

I think girls can play. There was a few on my high school football team.

Mythic

I don't see why she shouldn't be allowed to play. She wants to, she's already on the team, and by the sounds of it, she's a damn good player. Or maybe certain other people are just too afraid of being shown up by a thirteen year old girl....

dr2005

I can understand arguments to keep it separate at a professional level when they're adults owing to more developed differences in physiology (although that isn't necessarily convincing on its own to be fair), but at this age it just strikes me as ridiculous to force separation if someone is willing and more importantly able to play at the required level. Having seen her in action via the film The One Show played, Alysha is quite clearly more than capable and I think it's a pretty appalling attitude being shown by the FA in enforcing this rule to the letter and not exercising latitude. The warm up/coin toss offer meanwhile is pretty demeaning and perhaps symptomatic of that attitude. I share the sentiments of the Scottish FA representative who said that if this rule remains in place they should not send a team down again.

Harmony♥

She should definitely be allowed to play. She was already on the team, and if there were rules to suggest otherwise, she should have never been allowed to join in the first place. This can really shatter someone. At my high school, we had females play on both our football team and wrestling team. Due to her commitment and strategy towards the games, we won more games than we had in years.

Sythan

I see a lot more Girl soccer players that are better than guys. This is just retarded, so what if she's a girl? She can still play just as good or better than the guys.

Neutrois

Someone doesn't want their arse kicked by a girl.

Ceilidh

as long as she can play football I don't see why she shouldn't be able to play :/

FlyingTrue

I foresee a discrimination suit...

TigerTank77

Ohhh, soccer? Sure. Not they do anything besides jog around, drive, and cry to kill time before the buzzer makes it a 0-0 tie.

I thought they meant like American Football. Now THATS dangerous.

Harmony♥

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigerTank77

Ohhh, soccer? Sure. Not they do anything besides jog around, drive, and cry to kill time before the buzzer makes it a 0-0 tie.

I thought they meant like American Football. Now THATS dangerous.

If we're talking the American version of soccer, there are both woman and men's teams, so of course, I'd expect there would be some woman who are better than men (This is in regards to Nick's post).

American football is dangerous, yes. But, like I said, my high school allowed females (not that very many tried out or actually made the team) to play (along with other 'male oriented' sports such as wrestling). Although, high school football I can view as completely different as pro NFL or college football.

Pelios

In other words "We don't want to get beat by a 13 year old girl"

OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!

Rules are rules but why was she not told from the start that she cannot play? It's unfair to ignore this rule, a very obvious one, for not 1 or 2 games, but for 21 games. It suggests the other 21 teams didn't care she's a girl as she's quite skilled, better than many of the males. I think instead of banning her now, it should be questioned why this rule was not enforced earlier. If she wasn't banned before, then she should be allowed to play some more.

Despite this, it does indicate the opposing team (assuming they brought the issue up) are scared of her, a male team scared by 1 girl.

Kumagoro

She's 13. She's female. So what? Clearly she can play well, no reason why she shouldn't play alongside the boys.

Aversion

You guys are missing the point here, completely. I agree, she should be allowed to - she's obviously talented, and there's no reason why she should be banned. However - the rules are the rules and they clearly state no mixed teams - even if she didn't know, the rules are still there - you can't just bend them whenever you feel like it.

dr2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterCosmonaut

You guys are missing the point here, completely. I agree, she should be allowed to - she's obviously talented, and there's no reason why she should be banned. However - the rules are the rules and they clearly state no mixed teams - even if she didn't know, the rules are still there - you can't just bend them whenever you feel like it.

Defending a rule of dubious merit simply for the sake of it being a rule - leaving aside the dubious merits of applying domestic rules to what is in fact an international competition under FIFA rules - does not seem to me a particularly logical argument. Whether a rule should be applied or not should stand or fall on whether its inclusion is appropriate, and that requires objective analysis which "rules are rules" would preclude. It is also incorrect to claim that a waiver for the competition would be "bending" the rules - for an individual tournament the governing body has the discretion to apply whatever rules it deems appropriate provided, again, that it stands up to logical scrutiny. It happens quite often in other sports.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigerTank77

I thought they meant like American Football. Now THATS dangerous.

You think American Football is dangerous? Try watching a Rugby Union game.

Aversion

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr2005

Defending a rule of dubious merit simply for the sake of it being a rule - leaving aside the dubious merits of applying domestic rules to what is in fact an international competition under FIFA rules - does not seem to me a particularly logical argument. Whether a rule should be applied or not should stand or fall on whether its inclusion is appropriate, and that requires objective analysis which "rules are rules" would preclude. It is also incorrect to claim that a waiver for the competition would be "bending" the rules - for an individual tournament the governing body has the discretion to apply whatever rules it deems appropriate provided, again, that it stands up to logical scrutiny. It happens quite often in other sports.

I'm not saying it's a good rule, nor am I defending it - I'm just pointing out that it IS a rule and we cannot go around bending them - and I don't believe it is incorrect to say it is bending them, the rules state no mixed groups, this is a mixed group, you are bending the rule to make this group acceptable - end of discussion.

ShimmeringFaerie

I'm quite confused. The rules prohibit mixed teams. But this is a mixed team, regardless of whether Alyshia plays or not. She is still a member of the team, and they seem to be acknowledging that if they are allowing her to be in the warm-up and the coin toss. So how can they justify allowing the rest of the team to play?

Honestly, if I was their coach, I would pull the entire team out of the competition rather than kicking off one of my players.

Casey.

I think girls should be allowed to play on teams for as long as they want to. Mixed teams is not a bad thing, it adds more diversity. And let's face it, sometimes girls are much better players. I feel sorry for the girl though, she must be so disappointed.

Melody Pond

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShimmeringFaerie

I'm quite confused. The rules prohibit mixed teams. But this is a mixed team, regardless of whether Alyshia plays or not. She is still a member of the team, and they seem to be acknowledging that if they are allowing her to be in the warm-up and the coin toss. So how can they justify allowing the rest of the team to play?

Honestly, if I was their coach, I would pull the entire team out of the competition rather than kicking off one of my players.

Just to clear any confusion.
The rule against mixed teams is set by the English FA.
This girl is Scottish and the rule doesn't apply there and they allow mixed teams up to age 15 which is why she is allowed on the team.
They want to play a match in England against and English team but the English FA won't let her play because of their English rule.

ShimmeringFaerie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leikela

Just to clear any confusion.
The rule against mixed teams is set by the English FA.
This girl is Scottish and the rule doesn't apply there and they allow mixed teams up to age 15 which is why she is allowed on the team.
They want to play a match in England against and English team but the English FA won't let her play because of their English rule.

No, I understand that. I don't understand why the rest of the team is allowed to play as long as it is without Alyshia. She is still considered a member of the team even if she isn't playing, so they are still a mixed team. If the rule prohibits mixed teams altogether, then they shouldn't be allowed to play at all.

MegaMadness

If she wants to play, I don;t see why she shouldn't.

Kayla200

Quote:

Originally Posted by Immy

Someone doesn't want their arse kicked by a girl.

Couldnt hv said it better myself

dr2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterCosmonaut

I don't believe it is incorrect to say it is bending them, the rules state no mixed groups, this is a mixed group, you are bending the rule to make this group acceptable - end of discussion.

First off, I am in no position to do anything to the rule so claiming I am personally "bending the rule to make this group acceptable" is incorrect. Second, were we talking about a domestic competition I would agree with you even if I continue to disagree with the rule itself; however, this is not a domestic tournament. Matches between teams from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are still classed as international matches under FIFA rules, and on that basis if the FA wanted to waive this rule for this contest there would be no problem with that, particularly as according to the terms of the 2010-11 Laws of the FA, it is a permissive rule (i.e. allowing it up to 11) rather than a prohibitive rule (i.e. banning it beyond 11). It's a subtle difference in language but the first would allow an exception while the other would not. As such, on those grounds I do not agree with your assessment.

Illuminate

Wait.. so girls can have mixed teams? But boys can't?
Wow. Never heard of anything so stupid in my entire life.

My four year old cousin plays in team with kids to the age of 10. There are 4 girls in his team who can play better than him. Honestly, I don't see the problem.

Fabrication

thats screwed up.