Open Invitation to teamsInternational Women’s Football Tournament

DIS COVER FOOTBALL 4 ‒ 11 July 2010 in Berlin

Football is contact. Football brings people together. Football is culture. In the run-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011, Berlin will be the international centre for

women’s football in 2010. Women’s football teams from all over the world are invited to compete for a place on the seven-a-side fi eld. A jury will select seven teams from

among all the entries received, with the hosts BSV Al-Dersimspor e.V. squad rounding up the tournament teams. The tournament will be complemented by a cultural pro-gramme from the participating countries. Intercultural exchange will thus be made

easy and tangible.

Fußball und Begegnung e.V.Nostitzstraße 3810961 Berlin Germany

info@discoverfootball.de (for general information)application@discoverfootball.de(for application only)www.discoverfootball.de

Event host and organizer:

Our partners:

www.bmi.bund.de www.dfb.de www.berliner-fussball.dewww.aa.bund.de

ABOUT US:

We are a group of men and women from the multicultural BSV AL-Dersim-spor e.V. football club in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district who just love the game! In 2006 we organized a friendly match against the Iranian women’s national team. It was the first public women’s football match played in an Iranian stadium since the 1979 revolution. The enthusiasm of the players and spec-tators alike, as well as the intensity of the event, left a lasting impression on us. It was documented in the award-winning film “Football Under Cover” made by players from our team.

Having experienced at first hand the power of football to bring people to-gether, we decided to become involved in further events that transcend national, political and cultural borders. In 2009 the Berlin Football Associa-tion awarded us the Integration Prize for our commitment.www.discoverfootball.de GOAL OF THIS EVENT:

This event is about more than offering women’s football teams the chance to play in an inter national sporting context against teams from many differ-ent countries and continents. Encounters among women football players from all over the world also contribute directly to understanding among people of different countries and cultures. International tournaments stim-ulate network building among people whose interest in football transcends cultural and national boundaries. Football is what all these players have in common while the cultural events held during the tournament reflect their diversity. This will enable every participant to benefit from new experiences on and off the field which they will then take home with them.

The criteria used for selecting the eight participating teams reflect these goals. EVENT: Each team in the tournament will have six players on the field and one goal-keeper plus sub stitutes. The matches will take place on a seven-a-side pitch, with each half being 30 minutes long.

The participants will also have a chance to see and experience Berlin. In addition, we will be offering an extensive cultural programme around the tournament venue, which will enable players to get to know one another. The matches at the men’s World Cup in South Africa will be shown on a big screen and can be watched with guests and other players. ORGANIZATIONAL DETAILS Visiting teams are limited to a maximum of 15 persons – consisting of a minimum of ten players, one coach and a maximum of four assistants. All members of the entourage must be at least 18 years of age.

All participants are responsible for their own travel costs to and from Ger-many. The event organizers will provide accommodation, meals and trans-portation during the tournament.

Financial assistance to help cover travel costs – either partially or complete-ly – is available through the event committee. Teams must apply for this individually, stating which type of reimbursement they require as well as the reasons.(see application form)

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

The invitation is addressed first and foremost at women’s teams who receive little support in their home countries, teams with a social com-mitment and those who want to experience the integrative power of football. From all international entrants, a jury consisting of five per-sons representing sport, culture and politics will select seven teams. The jury will decide by a simple majority and take the following criteria into consideration:

- fulfilment of the formal criteria- social commitment of the team- intercultural commitment of the team- political, social or other opposition facing the team- regional balance- cultural diversity

What should the application contain?The application must fulfil the following formal criteria:

1. A form containing general information on the team and, if requi-red, an application for financial assistance to cover travel costs. 2. A letter in the applicants’ own words describing their motivation to participate in this tour nament. This letter should be no longer than 600 words.

The letter must provide answers to the following questions:- Who are you?- How do you get together to play football and how is your team organized?- What does playing football mean to you?- Why should you be invited to take part in this tournament? We welcome the inclusion of other materials (such as photos, video clips, or other presen tation material) which would help introduce your team to us. However, this is not compul sory.

Unfortunately, the application and any enclosed material cannot be returned.

What happens after you have applied?All teams whose applications are received before 22 February 2010 will be sent confirmation per email, provided an email address has been stated. The jury will meet in March 2010. All applicants will sub-sequently be informed of the jury’s decision by email, although a let-ter can be sent by post in exceptional cases. Applications cannot be returned.

Completed applications must arrive no later than 22 February 2010 at the following address:application@discoverfootball.deor atDiscover FootballNostitzstrasse 3810961 BerlinGermany

Application is no guarantee of participation. All decisions are final and not open to legal recourse.

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APPLICATION FORM

Name of organization and/or team:

Contact person and contact address for your team:

First name:

Family name:

Function:

□ Player □ Coach □ Assistant □ other, please specify:

Street:

City:

Postal code:

Country:

Email:

Telephone:

Fax

Preferred language for communications?

□ English

□ French

□ Spanish

□ Other:

Would you like to apply for travel cost assistance?

□ No

□ Yes, for partial financing, we (the team making the application) are able to pay euro per person.

□ Yes we require full financial assistance.

State reasons for requesting full or partial financial assistance:

□ I/we have read and agree to the terms and conditions