In Irkutsk, on June 29, the annual mini soccer tournament for teen amateur teams begins and will run until August 25. Any team of 8 players in one age group can take part, and applications should be submitted in advance, since most arrive on the last day. Ahead are four district stages, finals at School No. 35 stadium, and a chance for coaches to spot promising young players.

Any football team can play, regardless of its experience in competitions. There is only one rule: a team of 8 people in the same age category must submit an application on time. Dmitry Abramovich said that the organizers currently have about 30 applications to participate in the tournament, but the bulk of the applications are submitted on the last day, so potential tournament participants are better off filling out the applications in advance. You can get advice by calling 89501307491 from the deputy director of the City Sports and Methodological Center, Andrey Spirin.
The annual football tournament among teenage amateur teams starts on June 29 and will last until August 25. During this time, 4 district stages of games will be held at 11 sports courts in the city: 5 in the Oktyabrsky district, 3 in the Sverdlovsky district, 2 in the Pravoberezhny district, and 1 in the Leninsky district. The final games will be held at the stadium of School No. 35 (Pervomaisky microdistrict). Each administrative district of Irkutsk will send 6 teams to the Cup final, with 2 winners in each of three age categories: born in 1997-1998, born in 1999-2000, and younger than 2001. Games in the youngest age group will begin this weekend. This is due to the fact that the schoolchildren’s period of staying in day camps at schools is ending, and now they will be able to train fully. Applications for participation in the 1999-2000 age group can be submitted until July 15, and in the 1997-1998 group until August 5.
The task of the City Sports and Methodological Center is to create a year-round schedule of various tournaments for teenage amateur teams that train at the sports courts of the CSMC. Currently, there are three such tournaments in Irkutsk: the Mayor’s Cup in bandy is held in winter, the Mayor’s Cup in mini-football in summer, and the Duma Cup in streetball in autumn. This makes it possible to draw teenagers into a continuous sports process. In addition to cups, diplomas, and medals, the prize fund of the tournaments includes sports equipment and clothing. All teams that once held leading positions in the rankings of amateur tournaments have a uniform and sports gear thanks to the prize fund of the Irkutsk city administration.
Every year, the format of the mini-football tournament among neighborhood teams for the Mayor’s Cup is improved—for example, since last year another one has been added to the two teenage groups, a children’s group (born after 2001). And starting next year, women’s teams may appear in the competition schedule. Despite the strict name—the Mayor’s mini-football tournament—the rules of these competitions are quite democratic.
The chief referee of the third tournament, Andrey Gorbunov, says that unlike professional games, there are no sanctions here for minor rule violations. “For amateur football, the main thing is motivation and development. Every year the professional level of the teams grows,” Andrey Spirin noted. “If before the fate of matches was decided by penalties, now the guys are showing quality play.”
Recently, the sports community of Irkutsk witnessed a precedent when an amateur neighborhood team beat the young footballers of the professional Zenit team. In addition, according to Dmitry Abramovich, most of the city’s football coaches attend the tournament’s final games. During the games, they identify potential “little stars” whom they can invite for professional training.
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk city administration