OT - Copa America / Soccer

[Clock_Tower]

On 6/24/2016 at 4:45 PM, slufanskip said:

Up to probably 10 years old,  I would advocate that we play far less games. However, I don't think we can take them away as the kids want them. For soccer you could have more 5 vs 5 on a smaller field. More 3 vs 3 in basketball. I remember a few years ago hearing that the elite level soccer players were playing in excess of 50-60 games a year.  There are a lot of things you can do to promote them being competitive that still give them skill work. If you're playing the game, I'd say keep score. However, put your emphasis after the game on how the kids performed based upon their abilities rather than the score

Rule changes as well. Youth Club soccer is mostly 8 v. 8 through age 11 but the goalie is allowed to kick or punt (like an NFL punter) the ball the length of the reduced/smaller field.  One goalie can literally kick the ball to the other goalie. Why? Frankly, I would eliminate a goalie's ability to punt the ball at all ages/level -- including professional/FIFA.  Yes, goalies and defensemen can kick a fullback kick half the length of the field but usually not until older ages.  IMO, promoting the need to build-up with possession controlled play from the defense/goalie to the midfielders to the forwards would be an improvement.

[SLUBALLS]

Recent rule changes for club soccer which will be in effect this year in St. Louis are going to impact skill development for the better and be less about being athletic, fast and strong to be successful at an earlier age.  To give you a rough idea (age groups may be off a year)

 

• Kids under U10 or U11 will now play 4v4 with no offside and for the youngest I believe there may not even be goalies.  Purpose is to allow more touches for more kids overall and obviously, scoring is just fun.
• At around U11, they move to 7v7 and will be implementing a line of confrontation outside each penalty box.  When a goalie gets the ball, the opposing team has to move everyone back behind the line.  This is meant to allow teams to work on bringing the ball out of the back without immediate pressure.  This also gets us from playing the booming-punt option time and time again.  Every kid will tell you that having ball skipping over to you from the goalie with a kid barrelling down on you right outside the box is no fun.  Letting them get their head up to actually see the game in front of them and make a successful transition of the ball forward will be beneficial.
• Random note:  no head balls for U11 and under.  Indirect kick if player intentionally heads a ball at that age.  Likely a response to the concussion concerns.

[Clock_Tower]

10 hours ago, SLUBALLS said:

Recent rule changes for club soccer which will be in effect this year in St. Louis are going to impact skill development for the better and be less about being athletic, fast and strong to be successful at an earlier age.  To give you a rough idea (age groups may be off a year)

 

• Kids under U10 or U11 will now play 4v4 with no offside and for the youngest I believe there may not even be goalies.  Purpose is to allow more touches for more kids overall and obviously, scoring is just fun.
• At around U11, they move to 7v7 and will be implementing a line of confrontation outside each penalty box.  When a goalie gets the ball, the opposing team has to move everyone back behind the line.  This is meant to allow teams to work on bringing the ball out of the back without immediate pressure.  This also gets us from playing the booming-punt option time and time again.  Every kid will tell you that having ball skipping over to you from the goalie with a kid barrelling down on you right outside the box is no fun.  Letting them get their head up to actually see the game in front of them and make a successful transition of the ball forward will be beneficial.
• Random note:  no head balls for U11 and under.  Indirect kick if player intentionally heads a ball at that age.  Likely a response to the concussion concerns.

Thanks for the update.  If 7 v. 7 for U11, will they increase to 8 v. 8 (the current staple)?  At what age will the kids increase to the full 11 v. 11 and play on the full field?

Guess last night's ref (Lopes - Chile v. Argentina) gave us look of 10 v. 10 on a full size field.!!