The Manteca Futbol Club will host the 3rd annual Riley Simmons 6v6 Shootout on Jan. 31 at Woodward Park.

The rules for this tournament are simple: Six to a side with one common goal – to raise as much money possible for the less fortunate.

The Shootout will be open to boys and girls’ teams, under-8s through under-14s, from the area or outside.

Teams will be guaranteed three games, with the top teams advancing to a semifinal round. From there, the top two teams will play in a final. Teams could play as many as five games.

Each team can roster as many as 10 players and substitutions will be made on the fly, meaning players can run on and off the field without a stoppage in play.

Each match will consist of two 15-minutes halves and a one-minute halftime. There are no offsides and restarts must be taken within five seconds.

The overwhelming caveat, of course, is the charity; the cause.

The Shootout was created to assist one of the Manteca Futbol Club’s own, young Riley Simmons, then a member of the under-9 Benfica ‘03 girls team. Simmons was diagnosed with brain cancer and her ensuing battle – complete with lengthy hospital stays and rounds of treatment – put a financial burden on the family.

To help offset the mounting medical and living expenses, MFC put together the inaugural 6v6 Shootout, drawing teams from across the Central Valley. That weekend, MFC raised approximately $10,000 for the Simmons family.

In February, MFC board members Manuel Pires, Joe Pires, David Hastings and Kevin Crain presented two families with checks worth $4,517 following the second installment of the Riley Simmons 6v6 Shootout.

The benefactors were Destiny Herrera, a then-10-year-old battling osteosarcoma, and Ethan, a boy whose family asked that his last name not be published. Neither one had ties to the Manteca Futbol Club prior to the 6v6 Shootout.

A benefactor for January’s Shootout hasn’t been announced.

Team registration is $200 and the deadline is Jan. 20. To register, or for more information, contact 6v6@mantecafc.org. The rules and medical waivers can be downloaded at http://www.mantecafc.org.