Or, if a player is more comfortable on the ball and showing greater awareness of their surroundings, using 7v7 games to give them more opportunities to link with teammates and work on their ranges of passing.Ĭonsidering what the individuals in our team need allows us to use different game formats to give them appropriate challenges and help them to develop. This might mean using small-sided games to help a player improve in 1v1 situations. “I also think there should also be a link between the individuals in the group and the format we put on, because if we’re always doing the same thing then we’ll always get similar returns.” “Variety is really key in these age groups,” adds Dan Wright. “They’re running things like futsal tournaments, street football tournaments, and giving all kinds of variety in order to expose players to different game formats.”Įlsewhere, the Belgian FA famously overhauled their youth soccer program to focus on small-sided games, introducing 1v1s and 2v2s in order to give young players lots of opportunities to master the ball. “The Elite Player Performance Plan, which is governed by the Premier League, has made some really progressive changes in recent years,” says PDP Co-Founder Dave Wright. No matter what the age of our players, we should strive to give them a range of different playing experiences. “The UK has done a good job of moving away from 11v11 football,” adds Wright, “and recognising that smaller formats are good for the players in terms of touches and repetition of actions.” Giving Kids Different Experiences Generally, kids now play 5v5 games between the ages of 7-8, 7v7 from 9-10, and 9v9 from 11-12. But the landscape in the UK has definitely become more age-appropriate for children.” “The pitch was far too big, the goals were far too big.
“I remember playing 11-a-side as a ten-year-old,” recalls Dan Wright, Technical Advisor at PDP.
While kids have traditionally been expected to make the step-up to 11v11 games before their teenage years, there’s now increasing recognition of the value of small-sided games. Progressing Through the Foundation Phase.
So what game formats should we use in order to give them the best opportunities to learn, enjoy the sport, and develop? Below, we look at the range of formats available to coaches and consider how we can incorporate them into our training and games programs to give kids a variety of positive experiences playing soccer. The Foundation Phase broadly covers the ages of 8-12 in youth soccer and is a crucial period of experimentation and skill acquisition for young players.
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