• Sports
• Pierrefonds

3-vs.-3 soccer tourney set to host 207 teams

John Meagher
The Gazette
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Some call it micro soccer, while purists might see it as an
organized form of backyard soccer.

But what is formally referred to as 3-versus-3 soccer takes centre
stage this weekend at the 13th annual Pierrefonds 3-vs.-3 Challenge.

Action-packed games will be held on mini fields at Square Dauville
Park and Château Pierrefonds in western Pierrefonds.

Tournament president Bernard Le Jour founded the tournament when
soccer was booming in the mid-1990s. Since its inception, the
tourney has grown from a modest 26-team event in 1996 to a whopping
207 teams last year.

In fact, the Pierrefonds tournament has become so popular, it is
now staged over two weekends in two locations. The boys' side is
being held this weekend, while the girls take centre stage July
19-20.

Teams are classified from the elite AAA level, to AA, A, B or
recreational level for ages 7 and up.

Another appealing feature of the tournament is that it accommodates
small teams of four to six players.

With families taking summer holidays, it allows coaches to register
a handful of available players - instead of an entire 11-a-side or
7-a-side team.

To ensure plenty of ball contact for participants, games are played
on mini-fields measuring 20 metres wide and 30 metres deep.

Games are short - only 16-minutes in length - but intense matchups
with lots of goals.

Each team is allowed three players on the field at one time, one of
whom is designated as a goalkeeper.

Players rotate positions after each four-minute period, giving all
players a chance to be the goalkeeper for at least one period per
game.

Tournament rules also facilitate fast-paced play. Throw-ins are
replaced by kick-ins, and instead of fouls, indirect free kicks are
awarded by the referee.

Because 3-vs.-3 games tend to be high-scoring affairs, players are
forced to react quickly and learn the transitional aspects of the
game.

Le Jour is a proponent of small-sided games as a method of
developing both collective and individual skills.

Teams are guaranteed a minimum of four round-robin games.

A share of the tournament proceeds will go to the intercity program
of the Pierrefonds Soccer Association, which is celebrating its 30
anniversary.

For more information, visit the PSA website at
www.soccerpierrefonds.ca