Bermuda Football Association have adopted a stern approach to youth football.

As of next season, all clubs failing to comply to a new mandate will not be permitted to play in BFA sanctioned leagues. This, according to a letter from local football?s governing body forwarded to

The directive clearly outlines a new team and player registration procedure and transfer deadlines that all clubs must adhere to, or face being booted out of all pre-season, knockout and league play.

The BFA Youth Committee, headed by chairman Gregory Grimes, have taken a tougher stance aimed at raising the overall standards at the youth level.

It is also now mandatory for all youth clubs to acquire a qualified coach and referee while official team and player registration forms must be completed and handed in to the Association prior to the final deadline on September 30, 2004.

Also, all players must be registered in their respective age groups and not in a division higher than their age, while no players will be permitted to transfer following the September 30 deadline.

Earlier this season two of the BFA youth leagues failed to get underway as originally scheduled when several clubs did not meet the new requirements, forcing a delayed start to the season. BFA officials later offered a compromise and allowed the season to begin, despite the fact several clubs hadn?t made any attempt to comply to the ruling.

According to Grimes, the new mandate is ?cut and dry?.

?If clubs fail to hand the information in by September 30, then that?s it . . . . they won?t be able to participate,? he declared. ?We have been moving towards this since last year. But now they have 10 months to get it right.?

Grimes disclosed the Association would be holding workshops come season?s end in which all those connected with youth football on the Island would be invited to partake in post-season discussions.

?At the end of the season we intend to have a workshop where we want to get feedback from some of the coaches and pass on vital information to all of the clubs,? he said.

With the 2003-04 season still in progress, Grimes, though pleased, said there were still a few areas which needed improvement.

?Actually things are not so bad. Obviously we were a bit disappointed that we didn?t get the number of referees we would have liked to have had. But I am presently working with five students from Saltus (Grammar School) who have shown an interest in refereeing. And I have only one or two more sessions to do with them and then they will be ready to go out there and referee as well,? said the veteran match official.