The U8 Coach s Survival Guide. Congratulations!

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1 Dan Palini, Ranccas Valley Sccer Club/Eastamptn Yuth Sccer Assciatin Last updated July 28, 2009 Cngratulatins! Yu either vlunteered r were drafted t cach a U8 (under eight years f age) sccer team. Nw what? This guide is an attempt t prvide yu with a safety net. If yu are a new cach, there are suggestins t make yur seasn mre enjyable. There are explanatins that yu might find ut the hard way, if at all. If yu are an experienced cach starting ver again with a yunger child, this is prbably ld news. Still there might be smething yu can use in here. There is a hierarchy t sccer that determines the rules under which games (matches) are played frm yuth level all the way thrugh senir adult. Many f the rules will appear cryptic r illgical t yu at first, but there are generally gd reasns fr them. Sccer has been played under frmal rules fr mre than 150 years. The hierarchy f rganizatins is: FIFA the internatinal gverning bdy United States Sccer Federatin (USSF) United States Yuth Sccer (USYS) New Jersey Yuth Sccer (NJYS) Yur league (Eastamptn Yuth Sccer r Suth Jersey bys & girls sccer leagues) Sccer is played under seventeen Laws f the Game (LOTG). These laws are mdified fr yuth sccer. The LOTG are nt the same as high schl sccer rules in the United States. The LOTG ccasinally change/evlve, and binding interpretatins and advice t referees are issued each year. At a minimum, yu shuld read thrugh the LOTG and seek ut infrmatin abut hw the laws are mdified fr yur league. Bth the RVSC and EYSA have a cpy f Dan s Laws f the Game fr Yuth Sccer n their web sites, and it attempts t clarify the applicatin f the laws and explain sme f their mre misunderstd aspects with regard t yuth sccer. What shuld be yur pririties fr caching at this level? They are pretty simple: Player Safety Always First! Fun At this age, the activity must be fun. Physical Activity Fr sme children, this is the nly physical activity they get! Player Develpment Players shuld be better sccer players at the end f the seasn. Best Pssible Effrt Maybe yu will end up with a team f gd players, maybe yu will help them becme gd players; maybe they will just becme better players than they were; but yu shuld help them give their best effrt always. Where is winning? Winning cmes after the abve gals are achieved. Mre imprtantly, it ceases t be imprtant as sn as the match ends. USYS and NJYS bth specifically prhibit scre psting, standings, playffs, and results-based trphies fr players under the age f ten. If yur league des nt fllw this prhibitin, it des nt mean that winning shuld becme yur pririty. Mst imprtantly, yur players shuld nt get the impressin that winning is a pririty.

2 Cach, Player and Parent Cnduct The cnduct expected f caches, players, and parents is very simple. Caches Players Parents They are t remain in their caching areas. They may nt enter the field unless requested by the referee (true emergency injuries are an exceptin requiring immediate respnse). They may prvide limited technical instructins during the match. In yuth sccer there is a belief that the players dn t knw what t d and need t be cnstantly yelled instructins. Yu will find that yur players will learn t be better sccer players the less their caches yell instructins t them. The cach may never thrugh wrd r gesture indicate dissent with the decisin f the referee. A ne-time cmment that I saw it differently may be respectfully directed at the referee, but a cnstant barrage f bjectins is unsprting behavir. While the league may permit a cach t be cautined with a yellw card, it is in the referee s purview t dismiss (eject) the cach fr cntinued dissent, r fr any ffensive, abusive, r insulting cmments r actins. Referee abuse by caches cntinues t be a prblem in yuth sccer. At this age, yu will ften have a yung, relatively inexperienced referee. The nly way they will get experience is t wrk matches. They will make mistakes. Experienced referees smetimes make mistakes. Thse mistakes are a match cnditin like lng grass r high wind. Since the result f the match des nt matter, there is never any reasn t lse yur cl abut a referee call r nn-call. There is certainly n reasn fr an adult cach t ever berate a teen-aged referee, n matter hw bad the call. At this age, players tend t fllw the behavir f their caches and parents. They are nt permitted t argue with the referee, nr insult the referee. Yuth sccer shuld be much mre like a pl match than a Little League baseball game. Parents shall remain n the designated side f the field, and shuld nt be behind the gal line r clser t the gal than the uter line f the penalty area (the eighteen ). They are nt permitted t argue with the referee, insult the referee, r address the referee in any manner. This includes shuts f Cme n, ref!, Call it bth ways!, She pushed him! and the like. Parents shuld cheer the actins f their child, his r her teammates, and the ppnents. Parents shall nt jeer the ppsing players. Parents shall nt cach frm the sidelines. While ccasinal utbursts f Sht! are understandable, parents shuld nt be yelling explicit instructins t their child. There are several reasns: because it is nt permitted by the Laws f the Game; players get distracted; if they are listening t anyne it shuld be yu (and yu knw nt t yell); and mst imprtantly, yuth sprts are suppsed t be fun and being yelled at is nt fun And remember: We will nt have any referees if the s-called adults chase away ur yung referees with their (mis)behavir! July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 2 f 10

3 General Practice Guidelines N Lines! One ball per player*. Avid lw-paced activities in which the entire team is in ne line fr any perid f time. Where necessary use tw-line activities that mve quickly. Players shuld nt spend mre time in line than they d perfrming the activity. Break yur team up int three r fur grups and have each grup perfrm the same activities. Any drill that gets players running fr half f the activity time will help cnditining as well as make the practice fly by. Have a theme fr each practice. In general, these are the themes that wrk best with U8 players, in rder f imprtance: Dribbling these players need as many tuches as pssible t develp ball skills Passing nw we invlve teammates and intrduce cncept f space Defending nw we learn hw t defend against a dribbling, passing team Shting the least imprtant skill t sccer player develpment, but imprtant New caches d nt find these tpics sexy. They want t fcus n tactics. These are the tpics that make yung players better sccer players. If yu are nt cmfrtable demnstrating any f these skills, brrw an lder, experienced player (U12-U14 r high schl player) t give yu a hand. The yunger players appreciate wrking with an lder player wh knws sccer. N Lines! Time - Practice, ther than warm-ups, shuld be abut the same length as game (48 minutes). This means that a practice frm warm-up t cl-dwn shuld be an hur t seventy-five minutes in length. N Lines! Organizatin - Fr U8 players, practice shuld be brken int fur fifteen-t-eighteen minute segments including warm up: N Lines! Warm Up Segment 1 Technical skill t be cvered (dribbling, passing, defending, etc.). Segment 2 Tactical game designed t demnstrate skills under cmpetitive pressure (with caching); give a fun cnsequence (such as five jumping jacks r three yabba dabba d s ) fr lsing squads t encurage cmpetitiveness. Segment 3 Sccer game f sme kind with n caching Let Em Play! Hydrate! - Make sure players bring water t every practice and every game. Have them drink befre, and after each segment (abut every fifteen minutes). And did I mentin N Lines! * If yur league (EYSA) uses a Size 3 sccer ball fr matches, tell yur parents t buy a Size 4 fr their child. Using the larger ball in practice is fine, and it will serve them lnger. July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 3 f 10

4 Warm-ups All practices and games shuld begin with a ritual-like warm-up sessin. By ritual-like, I mean that yu will d it the same each time. Players will knw what t expect, and everyne will start t get their minds fcused n sccer. General Frmat When players first arrive, while waiting t begin, have them lightly pass the ball in grups f tw r three players. D NOT let them begin shting r passing lng balls. We call this waking up yur feet. Once players are gathered, have them d a light jg t get bld flwing. They shuld d this with a ball at their feet. They can pass the ball back and frth as they jg if yu d nt have enugh balls, but the mre tuches the better. This is nt a race, and players shuld be encuraged t stay tgether. Dynamic Stretching while U8 players d nt need much stretching, they shuld get used t the idea. Fr sccer, dynamic (mving) stretches are preferable t statinary stretches, as they reduce muscle stiffness. These include such stretches as: High Kicks, Side-Stepping, Caricas, Squats, Butt Kicks, Knee Laterals, and Sprints. Perfrm the stretches in ne lng parallel line (tgether) r tw clumns serially (tw at a time), with each set ging abut ten yards. Perfrm abut ten sets and get ready t practice/play! Practice Themes Fr U8 players, there are fur specific skill categries that shuld be yur fcus: Dribbling (ball cntrl with bth feet) Passing (primarily t teammate feet, pssibly t space) Defending (recvering psitin and winning the ball back) Shting (accuracy with prper frm) Equipment Yu Can Use Sccer balls fr all players. Ask players t bring a ball t practice. If they need t buy ne, make sure it is a size 4. Sme cnes r training disks. Yu dn t need many, but at least eight. This will allw yu t create three 10x10 training grids, tw 10x20 n-gal mini-fields, ne 20x30 smallsided field with gals, r fur passing gates. If yu dn t have cnes r disks, use ld twels r shirts. Yuth-sized training vests. This will allw yu t frm teams fr small-sided games. Chances are, yu dn t have any what t d? Ask yur players t wear a dark t-shirt t practice and bring a white t-shirt with them. Small first aid kit. Band-aids, antibacterial cream, and a cuple cld packs just in case. Whistle. D nt veruse during practice, but useful fr stp/start drills and fr teaching players hw t react t referee calls during small-sided games. Watch. Make sure players are ready t g hme when yu tld parents they wuld be. Caching License. The NJ Yuth Sccer F License curse will give yu dzens f training ideas and the basics fr effective caching f yuth sccer. July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 4 f 10

5 Dribbling Theme Teaching Pints: Five ft surfaces (inside, utside, laces, sle, and heel NOT the te!) Use bth feet Cntrl the ball with the inside surface Keep the ball within playing distance Stp ball n cmmand with sle f ft Reverse directin n cmmand Speed dribble with the laces but be able t stp and cntrl with sle f ft Keep head up and lk fr space Example Technical Sessins (mix and match) Within a ten-yard grid (ten yards n a side using cnes, rags, etc. t mark crners) 1. Team n ne side each with a ball, cntrl dribble t the ther side and stp. 2. Team n ne side, cntrl dribble t the ther side, turn and return. 3. Half team n each side, cntrl dribble t the ther side and return (crisscrss). 4. Entire team inside grid cntrl dribbling, stpping, reversing n cmmand. 5. Entire team inside grid cntrl dribbling (als with cmmands) lking at number f fingers being held by cach and shuting ut the number (keep head up). 6. Entire team inside grid cntrl dribbling (als with cmmands) trying t high five caches as they walk arund the inside f the grid (keep head up). 7. Add Speed Dribble t skills and perfrm drills 1, 2, and 3 at speed. 8. Add Speed cmmand and perfrm drills 4, 5, and 6 with additinal cmmand. In practice area, set ut fur t six dribbling gates (gates frm cnes, shirts, etc.) 1. Have players dribble arund the area mving thrugh gates randmly. 2. Cntinue with randm gates, but add Turn, Stp, Speed cmmands frm abve. Example Tactical Sessins (mix and match) With a ten-yard grid (ten yards n a side using cnes, rags, etc. t mark crners) 1. Half team n each side, dribble t the ther side and return (crisscrss) t see which half-team can finish first. Slwer grup gets cnsequence. 2. Half team split between tw diagnal crners, ther half team split between ther tw crners, perfrm relay race arund utside f grid in ppsite directins, lsing squad gets cnsequence. In practice area, set ut fur t six dribbling gates (gates frm cnes, shirts, etc.) 1. In a timed sessin have players cunt hw many gates they can dribble thrugh. Divide team int tw r three teams fr linear dribble relay race (with cnsequence). Example Match Cnditin (sccer game) Using cnes, rags, etc. set up tw tw-yard wide gals twenty yards apart. 1. Split team int tw squads 2. Scre by dribbling thrugh the gal (player must have pssessin n bth sides). July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 5 f 10

6 Passing Theme Teaching Pints: Shrt passes with inside surface Lck ankle, keep te pinted up Swing thrugh the ball Pass t teammate s feet s ball can be played Lng passes with laces (n te balls!) just like speed dribble Lck ankle, pint te dwn Pass t the space in frnt f teammate Example Technical Sessins (mix and match) Triangles: Players in grups f three with a ball 1. Players perfrm tw-tuch passes in ne directin until tld t Reverse! 2. As abve, but players perfrm ne-tuch passes as much as pssible. Passing Circles: All players in circle with ball (if ten r mre, tw circles) 1. Players call name f player and pass t that player (nt t an adjacent player) 2. As abve, but players run t take the place f the player t whm they pass Within several ten-yard grids (ten yards n a side) 1. Pairs f players with ball n ppsite sides f grid, pass t each ther, bth feet. 2. Half team inside grid with ball, half n perimeter with caches, inside players call name f a player (r cach) and send wall pass as they mve arund in circle. In practice area, set ut fur t six passing gates (gates frm cnes, shirts, etc.) 1. Have players dribble arund the area mving thrugh gates randmly. 2. Cntinue with randm gates, but use Turn, Stp, Speed cmmands frm abve. Example Tactical Sessins (mix and match) With a ten-yard grid (ten yards n a side using cnes, rags, etc. t mark crners) 1. Pairs f players with ball n ppsite sides f grid, pass t each ther, bth feet. Players cunt hw many passes in ne minute. Winning pair gets t direct the ther players in their cnsequence, rtate the partners n ne side and repeat. 2. Half team split between tw adjacent crners, ther half team split between ther tw crners, perfrm relay passing race between crners by passing ball and then running t the back f the ppsite line, lsing squad gets cnsequence. In practice area, set ut fur t six passing gates (gates frm cnes, shirts, etc.) 1. Split int tw teams, in a timed sessin have players cunt hw many gates they can pass thrugh, player may nt pass t the same player that passed t them r thrugh the same gate cnsecutively, lsing squad gets cnsequence.. Example Match Cnditin (sccer game) Using cnes, rags, etc. set up a twenty by thirty yard field. 1. Split team int tw squads 2. Team gets ne pint fr making five cnsecutive passes (three if t hard). 3. Defenders win ball and becme attackers, keep running scre. July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 6 f 10

7 Defending Theme Teaching Pints: Prper bdy balance, knees bent, feet wide Take a psitin t angle player frm gal First defender is pressure, Secnd defender is cver, Third defender is balance Only g fr ball when yu have cver Fair shulder charge Step-acrss ball Example Technical Sessins (mix and match) Pairs f players with a ball 1. Shwdwn: Mark ff tw lines ten yards apart, tw rws f players n lines, ne side with ball, player with ball attempts t dribble t ppsite side against defender then players exchange rles. 2. Keep Away/Take Away: One player attempts t shield ball in place (n dribbling) while secnd player attempts t win it. Three players with a ball 1. Channeling: Mark ff tw lines twenty yards apart, player with ball n ne side, secnd player half way, third player n ppsite line, player with ball dribbles twards middle player wh channels and waits fr secnd defender t prvide cver befre pressuring ball, rtate rles and repeat. Fur players with a ball 1. Fur Crners: Mark ff tw r three ten-yard grids, place three players n crners, ne with ball, furth player is defender, attackers withut ball must always mve t the adjacent crners f player with ball t receive pass (n diagnal passes), defender attempts t win ball, rtate and repeat. Example Tactical Sessins (mix and match) Pairs f players with a ball 1. Knckut: Mark ten-yard grid, tw teams f players, ne side with ball, players with ball dribble in grid fr ne minute while defenders attempt t knck ball ut f grid, cach keeps running ttal, after ne minute, switch rles and repeat, lwer team scre gets cnsequence. 2. Ladder Drill: In a series f five-yard grids (ne per pair) players face ff, if dd number cach shuld participate, ne end is penthuse, ther end is uthuse, players play Keep Away/Take Away fr ne minute and switch, player with mst take-aways mves up ne grid, lser mves dwn, uthuse lser mves t penthuse, penthuse winner mves t uthuse (ties g rck-paper-scissrs). Example Match Cnditin (sccer game) Using cnes, rags, etc. set up a twenty by thirty yard field. 1. Split team int tw squads 2. Team gets ne pint fr making three cnsecutive passes, can repeat. 3. Defenders win ball and becme attackers, keep running scre. July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 7 f 10

8 Shting Theme Teaching Pints: Use laces (n te balls!) just like speed dribble and lng pass Lck ankle, pint te dwn Prper plant ft if ball is mving, plant ahead f ball Lift head befre shting and lk at target When clse t the gal, pass t gal with inside surface rather than sht with laces Example Technical Sessins (mix and match) Walk players thrugh sessin: f planting with te pinted at target, lking at ball fr strike pint, lking up fr target, and striking ball with laces, using bth feet. Make tw lines ten yards apart, with ne line cnsisting f tw ne-yard gals tw yards apart (the uter ends f yur regular twelve-ft gals). Cach stands between gals with all f the balls. 1. Fire and Ice: Players line up in single file n ppsite line (dn t wrry, this mves quickly), cach rles ne ball t player wh takes hard ne-time sht (Fire) and cntinues running twards a gal as the cach rlls secnd ball t player t cntrl and pass int gal (Ice), players run t get their shts, return them t the cach s feet, and run t the end f the line withut running thrugh shting lane, cach immediately starts the next player with Fire. 2. Bacn: Players in tw lines n ppsite line, cach sft tsses ball between them and first player frm each line attempts t win the ball, player that wins becmes attacker, ther player defends, and attacker has reasnable time t get ff sht, defender retrieves ball and players switch lines. Example Tactical Sessins (mix and match) Set up same as abve. 1. Fire and Ice: Divide players int tw teams that alternate, players get three pints fr a Fire sht that ges thrugh ne f the gals, tw pints fr a Fire sht that ges between the gals, ne pint fr an Ice sht that ges thrugh ne f the gals, and lses a pint if the Ice sht ges wide f the gals (nt between them), cach keeps running scre, lser gets a cnsequence, mix up teams and repeat. 2. Bacn: Divide players int tw teams, players get tw pints fr a ball thrugh a gal and ne pint between the gals, defender retrieves ball, cach keeps running scre, lser gets a cnsequence, mix up teams and repeat. 3. Wrld Cup: Like Bacn, nly players n each team are given a number, and cach calls Number Three and the tw Three s play the ball, cach can call mre than ne number fr added excitement. Example Match Cnditin (sccer game) Using cnes, rags, etc. set up a 20x30 yard field with tw tw-yard wide gals. Create tw-yard deep gal bxes in frnt f gals inside which n ne can sht. Split team int tw squads Scre by shting thrugh the gal (ball must nt be higher than three feet). July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 8 f 10

9 Small-Sided Games are the Best Teachers (material frm USYS and AYSO) Many new caches believe that their players will nly get value playing in true match-like cnditins (full field, full squad). While there is a need t see players in true match-like cnditins, there are several prblems with the belief that this shuld be yur fcus: Mst teams are nt big enugh t field tw cmplete squads. Scrimmaging against ther teams changes the dynamics f the caches and players and remves fcus frm the theme f the practice. Full-squad games mean that there are fewer tuches per player, when the gal shuld be as many tuches as pssible. Frtunately, there is a way fr teams t address each f thse prblems the use f small-sided (fewer than match cnditin, 2v2 thrugh 6v6) games. While 2v2 and 3v3 games have a place in technical training, the 4v4 game is the smallest mdel f sccer that still includes all f the tactical qualities fund in the bigger game. The shape f the team is a smaller versin f what is fund in the eleven-a-side game in that there is width, depth, and height t the team. The shape is dynamic in that the players are able t cmbine and wrk tgether as team mates in rder t be successful and there is the ptential fr a cnstant interchange f psitins and rles. A slid understanding f the principles f play, fund in the basic 4v4 frm allws fr cntinued advancement as the players adapt t the added demands placed n them when mre players are added t the tactical picture. Frm this number, we can begin t examine the qualities f the game that remain cnstant as we cntinue t add players up t 7v7. We can als examine the challenges that are intrduced as mre players are added int the mix. The Prgressin frm 4v4 t 6v6 4v4 Pure Sccer The basic attacking shape shuld create enugh space t allw the players t find ptins in every directin, with the essential purpse f creating quality gal scring pprtunities. The mst basic shape that allws fr this space is the diamnd, with a deep player wh supprts the attack frm behind, tw wide players wh give the game width, and a high player wh stretches the game frward and ffers himself as a target fr balls t be played int. Attentin shuld be given t hw the 4 players adjust as the ball and players mve int the attack. Players must be prepared t mve t different spts n the field, based n the mvement f their teammates and the ball. Fr example, if the deep player steps frward with the ball, smene must replace him in the spt that he has just vacated, s that there cntinues t be supprt frm behind. The mst effective defending shape shuld slw the ppnent s mvement frward with sme frm f cllective defending. The need fr quality pressure n the ball remains an essential part f the team defensive effectiveness. Added t this pressure is the ability f the grup t supply gd cver fr the pressuring defender in case the quality f that pressure is nt sufficient t stp the frward prgress f the ball. Finally, the grup must keep its cmpact shape, nt allwing the team t becme t spread ut. This limits the time and space that the attacking team has at their dispsal and maximizes pprtunities fr the defending players t wrk cllectively. July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 9 f 10

10 At the same time, individual and grup defending can als discurage the first ball frward by drpping and filling space clser t their wn gal, rather than stepping and pressuring clser t the ball. These decisins by the players clsest t the ball as well as the cvering players need t be made based n the principles f defending, and what makes the mst sense n any given play. 5V5 (4 field players plus the keeper) As the team prgresses t 5v5, the added dimensin t the team s shape is that there nw emerges a central midfield rle fr the team. The galkeeper has the added respnsibility f being the last player in the attack, allwing the central back t step mre in t a midfield rle. This, in essence, allws fr anther ptin fr playing the ball frward ut f the back, a rle that serves as a link between players in the back and thse up frnt. This further cmplicates the game as it demands that a player serve in a rle that has pressure cming frm all arund him/her, rather than just basically frm ne directin. Nw the basic shape remains a diamnd but has a player serving in the middle f that diamnd. At the same time, as the central player becmes mre cmpetent, the attacking team nw has a player wh has the ptential t play the ball in many directins, thereby making the attack less predictable and therefre mre effective. 6V6: (5 field players plus the galkeeper) Again, the basic principles f play are still present in the 6v6 frm, but in a mre cmplex manner than with the smaller numbers. The added player affrds the pprtunity fr the team t add anther player in the back. This makes the play f the ppsing frward that much mre difficult as there nw are tw defenders that must be dealt with (the gal keeper and a field defender). A cmmn frm fr play at this stage is a GK plus This allws fr a cntinuatin f the relatinships that were present in the 5v5 mdel, especially the ptential fr cmbinatins between the players dwn the middle f the field. Fr example, the 5v5 mdel included balls frm the deep player t the high target, and back t the supprting central player. In the 6v6 mdel, there are nw tw sets f this cmbinatin (GK t central player and back t the defender, and defender t high target and back t central player). There will be a cnstant demand n the players t effectively read what their teammates are ding. Nw there is always mre than ne ptin in every directin t be able t play the ball t. Defensively, there shuld always be cver prvided, wherever the ball is. There is a mre cmplicated understanding required f defensive shape as a team as it invlves mre players. At the same time, essential gals in attacking and defending remain unchanged frm thse discussed in the 4v4 mdel. Prgressin f frms: 4v4 (N GK) diamnd/kite shape ( ); 40 x 30 yards; 2 yard cne gals 5v5 (GK + 4) central player ( r 1-3-1); 45 x 30 yards; 4 yard cne gals 6v6 (GK + 5) ( , 1-3-2, 1-2-3); 70 x 40 yards; 4 yard full gals July 28, 2009 Daniel J. Palini Page 10 f 10