THE three-day first Companions Football Club 8-A-Side Women’s Football Tournament unfurls today at the Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) Sports Center in Matina, Davao City.
Addu sports director Noli Ayo said the tournament is an initiative of Addu, San Pedro College and University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep). The fourth team will be a football club from Tagum City.
“We want to add to growing tournaments in women’s football for college and senior high,” Ayo told members of the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) during their weekly forum at The Annex of SM City Davao yesterday.
He said that they considered the small pitch at Addu when they decided on the 8-A-Side to include the offside rule since a Seven-A-Side would be too tiring and a 9-A-Side would consume too much space.
The 8-A-Side, he added, will be experimental. “Let’s see how it goes,” Ayo said.
In the next tournament, he is eyeing a partnership with the University of the Philippines Mindanao and University of the Immaculate Conception.