CHILDREN will be banned from playing to win, keeping score and best and fairest awards under Australia-wide changes to junior football ­developed by the AFL.

Thousands of junior footballers in up to 150 leagues will be forced to play with no scoreboard, ladders or match results under the shake-up designed to promote participation rather than competition.

Footy-loving kids will this year also be barred from representative sides, play on smaller grounds, in smaller teams for less time under changes to be unveiled by the AFL in the next fortnight.

HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW

The scoring ban, previously restricted to under-8 and, in some cases, under-9 competition in Victoria, will this year be phased into many under-10 competitions.

Other leagues will phase in some changes this year and the remainder next year.

AFL national development manager Josh Vanderloo said the new rules had been drafted in consultation with leagues to give children “an enjoyment philosophy rather than a winning philosophy’’.

“Our research shows that kids play the game to have fun and not just to win,’’ he said.

“This game is for kids and these rules and regulations have been prescribed for kids so it will be better for them.’’

WENDY TUOHY: OF COURSE KIDS SHOULD PLAY TO WIN

In another shift, strict rules about contact have been relaxed so that “full tackling’’, usually confined to under 13s, will now be acceptable among under 11s.

An AFL guide for the conduct of players aged five to 12, titled “This is Our Game’’, spells out the match-day regulations for under-9 and under-10 players.

“No premiership points, no finals, no ladders, no match result (no score) and no names of players published,’’ it says.

Representative teams will not be allowed at under-11 level, under-9 and under-10 teams will be reduced from 18 to as few as 12 players.

And ground sizes will be restricted to 100m x 80m divided into three equal zones for under-9 and under-10 ­matches.

The Northern Football League will this season apply the no scoring, no ladder, no match result philosophy to its under-10 players.

League chief Peter McDougall admitted the changes would be contentious and said he had ordered 5000 flyers to help explain their ­implementation.

“You’re always going to get some coaches and parents who think their kids should be playing for sheep stations,” he said.

“Some parents will be shocked, no doubt, but our focus is on education and helping them understand the philosophy of the changes.’’

Laurimar Junior Football Club tried the changes on Sunday, putting under-10 player’s through their paces with revised rules.

Club vice president Andrew Jamieson said children were “not very happy”.

The AFL drafted the new guidelines in conjunction with Deakin University research.

peter.rolfe@news.com.au