Statement on preliminary youth cup draws

Scottish Women’s Football is aware of a number of issues arising from the first year of youth affiliation using the COMET system, which contributed to disruption around the preliminary draw for the Youth Challenge Cup.

After the first draft of the draw was sent to clubs it became clear that some teams were not included because of issues with their affiliation options, or were folding because they did not have a squad big enough to compete.

SWF apologises for errors made as a result of these issues. Staff members have worked hard to rectify this, but it was clear that to ensure correct numbers for subsequent rounds the preliminary round would need to be redrawn for several regions.

We thank clubs for their patience during this time and remind clubs that any decision to withdraw or fold a team should be communicated with SWF at the earliest possible opportunity via your league administrator. This includes making an accurate assessment by clubs before deciding which teams to affiliate.

The rapid growth in the game means our competitions have more teams competing than ever before, with more opportunities for girls to play. It’s important that clubs work together early to maximise these opportunities and avoid unnecessary instances of teams folding or withdrawing from competitions at a late stage.