CHILDREN in a primary school are being asked to sign contracts to allow them to play football in the playground. 

With 17 separate clauses set out in the documents, pupils at Forthill Primary School in Dundee are banned from hogging the ball, foul tackles, using chants or being a sore loser. Any breaches mean they face a ban for the rest of the term.

The school sent out the contracts to its primary five, six and seven pupils with the list of rules branded “ludicrous” by parents. 

Both pupils and their parents have been asked to sign the contracts, which also contains instructions like “I will not deliberately chase on the pitch or swipe the ball from anyone”.

Ryan Finnegan, whose son Jamie, 12, is in primary seven, described the contracts as”political correctness gone mad”.
Mr Finnegan, a Level 3 SFA coach, said: “We couldn’t believe what we were reading.”

“The staff have taken this totally out of proportion. Some children might be a bit over-boisterous but they’re just kids.
“It basically says that children can’t tackle each other. It also says ‘don’t hog the ball’. Could you imagine if Messi or Ronaldo had that in their contracts?”

Stewart Hunter, convener of children and families services, said he would be speaking to the education director about the matter, adding: “It’s not a council-wide policy. We give head teachers autonomy to make these types of decisions and to run our schools. There may have been a series of events leading up to this.”

A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “The letter has been issued following a number of issues that have occurred this school year during break and lunchtime football games.
“These then, at times, have been carried into the general playground or into teaching time.

“Children were directly involved with staff in suggesting the contents of the agreement.”