NSWERS TO COMMONLY SKE QUESTIONS Should we onentrate on passing or dribbling at Uw6? The game at the U-6 level is haraterized by awkward, rudimentary attempts at dribbling mixed with enthusiasti kiking of the ball in the general diretion of the opponent's goal. o not onfuse kiking with passing. Passing implies an intention by a player to diret the ball aurately towards a team mate, it implies deision making. Kiking means using the feet to propel the ball in any old diretion. You will not see too muh, if any, passing in an U-6 game. Passing is simply beyond the ability of U-6 players. In terms of level of diffiulty, kiking is the easiest to learn, dribbling is next and passing is the hardest to master for young players. You might argue that passing should be easier than dribbling and besides, sine passing is the essene of team play, it should be taught first. ut what is dribbling? ribbling is essentially passing the ball to oneself. If a player annot pass the ball aurately to himself/herself, how is he/she expeted to pass the ball to teammates? Remember not to onfuse kiking with passing. How do we handle a timid player who doesn't go after the ball? One again, you need to allow for differenes in maturity among your players. Not every hild is naturally aggressive and assertive. In the pratial setion of this ourse we suggest having eah parent work with his/her hild in a one-on-one interation under the supervision of the oah. This is espeially useful at the beginning of the season when players are being exposed to the game for the first time and are still getting to know the oah. One-versus-one games where the oah is areful to math players of equal ability should help players overome their hesitation to hallenge for the ball. Every time a player goes after the ball he/she needs to reeive praise for the attempt regardless of the eventual outome. How do we handle a player who dominates the game? Many teams have one or two players who are physially or tehnially more advaned than the others. These players usually sore most of the goals. s a oah, you don't want to urb the player's progress or 'punish' him/her for being talented by giving him/her less playing time or shouting at him/her to sore less goals and pass to teammates. However, you an ultivate leadership qualities in your best player by asking him/her to help the weaker players. Players enjoy soring goals and reeiving the aompanying adulation. Try to make your best player understand that if he/she an pass the ball to teammates, they ould sore too and enjoy the game as muh. Your pratie sessions should be hallenging enough for your best players. For example, use ativities whih inorporate a ombination of tehniques suh as dribbling and passing or dribbling and shooting, or using the weaker foot. uring games, you ould oordinate your player shifts with the opponent's oah to ensure that eah team's best players are on the field at the same time. 1
3v3 Is not real soer. I want my hild to play regular soer. In the words of Tony Waiters, we need to see the game through the hildren's eyes. Five year olds do not have the tehnial, physial or mental maturity to play the adult version of the game. The beauty and essene of soer does not depend on the field dimensions or the number of partiipants. Soer is about the hallenge of ontrolling and manipulating a ball wider pressure, beating an opponent, passing to teammates and soring a goal. These elements are present in 3v3 soer just as they are in the ll vs ll game. s a rule of thumb, if a player annot pass aurately from one side of the field to the other, or, worse still, annot even reah the other side, then the field is too wide. If a player spends all his/her energy hasing the ball and have little energy left to play with the ball, then the field is too big. fter all, we are not trying to develop marathon runners but skillful ball players. The size of the field is detennined by the tehnial and physial range of the players. s they grow, players an graduate to progressively bigger fields with more partiipants. I want my players to learn how to play positions. efore a player an learn to play speifi positions he/she needs to aquire the basi tehnial skills of dribbling, passing, ontrolling and shooting. Trying to teah positions to very young players is akin to teahing trigonometry to a grade I lass. Let's be realisti. It's a great aomplishment just to get your 4 or 5 year old to hase the ball and kik-dribble it towards the opponent's goal. The 3v3 game allows the players many opportunities to do just that. Five year olds should be allowed and even enouraged to swarm around the ball. The swarm will disappear by itself when players learn to ontrol and pass aurately under pressure. You annot eliminate the swarm before its time. The 3v3 game does not eliminate the swarm. It just redues it to a more manageable size. Where are we going to find more oahes to aommodate all the teams. Leagues whih have adopted 3v3 soer have found that it is easier to enlist parents into the oahing ranks sine managing smaller squads is less intimidating to a beginner oah. The absene of any tatial or positional aspets in 3v3 soer makes the task of oahing less daunting to a rookie oah In fat, the larger base of parent/oahes at the U-6 level reates a reservoir of oahes for the future. 2
We do not have enough field spae The 3v3 game atually alleviates the field spae problem. 3v3 field an be as small as 15 by 20 yards. Most fields urrently used for U-6 play an be split into 3 or 4 fields for 3v3. Many areas previously deemed too small to aommodate a soer field an now be utilized. Pratie sessions at the U-6 level should revolve mainly around dribbling ativities interspersed with the oasional passing ativity. nd during games, ENCOURGE your players to dribble, REMIN them to sometimes try to pass, O NOT GET UPSET at them if they don't pass (they simply annot), and EXPECT to see a whole lot of kiking. How do we handle a player who refuses to partiipate? There is no magi formula or one definitive method to get a player to join in an ativity. Many four and five year olds are soially, mentally and physially not mature enough for a omplex team sport suh as soer, and yet, are thrust into organized soer by their well meaning parents. Some players who are shy or timid might be overwhelmed by the new, unfamiliar environment of a soer team pratie. They will need time and your patiene to adjust and enjoy the new experiene. The onus is on you, the oah, to try and "break the ie" between yourself and the relutant player. Think bak to what you, as a parent, had to do to oax your own hild when he/she resisted suh things as feeding, bathing, going to bed, et. You made funny faes and ated like a lown. You gained their trust with soothing, non-threatening reassuranes, and when that didn't work, you promised them ie ream The same approah might be needed here. ut remember, if your praties are boring, ompliated and intimidating, you will have problems onvining some players to partiipate. However, if your praties are fun and goofy, the players will want to partiipate. Even the most shy five year old's resistane will eventually break if she sees her teammates merrily engaged in a fun ativity full of laughter and playfulness. To summarize, E PTIENT with relutant players RESSURE your player and give him/her PERSONL attention LLOW players to sit out and join at their own time and pae MKE SURE your praties are FUN TLK to the player's parents about the situation and ENLIST their help. They know their hild better than you do and you are not a hild psyhologist PRISE the player for joining the ativity 3
PRCTICL. CTIVITIES USING PRENT-CHIL INTERCTION The trend in North meria is to plae ever younger players in organized sports. Generally speaking, pre-shoolers do not fully understand and aept the onept of ooperation, struture and team work. Pre-shoolers are also at the very early stage of physial oordination and motor skills development. Mother nature would probably ringe at the sight of 4 year olds being plunged into organized soer. Obviously, putting 4 and 5 year olds, who lak ooperative and motor skills, into a team sport suh as soer whih requires high level physial oordination presents quite a hallenge. In fat, even the simplest version of the small-sided soer programs in existene today, the 3 v 3 game, is too ompliated for your average 4 year old. However, sine we grudgingly aept that U-6 soer is here to stay, we need to at least gear the program to the very speial needs of the 4 and 5 year olds. Our reommendation is to plae them in a "fun program" that doesn't neessarily fous exlusively on soer. The program should inlude fun games, simple relays and "simon says" type of ativities whih work on total body oordination and are not just soer speifi. On pratie days, only part of the time should be devoted to real soer suh as 3 v 3. Furthermore, these ativities should emphasize individual attention via one-on-one interation between a player and an older person, be it a parent, an older sibling, or a oah Coahes are always reminded that the ideal player-to-ball ratio is 1 to 1. In the ase of 4 year olds, 1 to I is also the ideal player-to-oah ratio. We feel that this "interative soer" approah should be integrated into the 3 v 3 program for U-6. The following page ontains a few ideas on "interative one-on-one" soer ativities. We are sure you ould onjure some ativities yourself as the only limit is your own Imagination. These ativities an also be used as the warm-up portion of your pratie. Please remember: - other fun, none soer related ativities an and should be inluded There is nothing wrong with playing tag or ring-around-the-roses or going to the playground swings during pratie time. - It's not a good idea to mix 4 year olds with 6 year olds. The 6 year olds will generally be a lot more mature. Eah needs a different program. - on't fore soer down their throat. e reeptive to their moods, preferenes, and short attention span. - OVE LL, ON'T COMPRE YOUR CHIL'S PROGRESS TO OTIIERS. ECH CHIL MTURES T HIS/HER OWN PCE. E PTIENT N ENJOY THEM S THEY RE. 4
PRCTICL. GROUP GMES The following games are appropriate for U-6 players. The emphasis is on thought provoking ativities as opposed to drills. Some of the ativities an be used as a warm-up and are denoted as -.-suh: The U-6 oah needs to pik one or two warm-up ativities plus two or three other ativities for eah pratie session. This approah will easily fill a 60 minute pratie while providing the players with fun and variety. Sample Pratie Plans: Plan 1: (when parents are available to help) Warm-up ribble-round-the one (see page 24) Kik ak (see page 24) Main ativities Parents vs Kids (see page 28) ribble Through Tunnel (see page 29) Four Goal Game (see page 33) Srimmage (3v3) uration 10 thin. 10 min. 10 min. 10 min. 10 min. lomin. Plan 2: (when parents are not available) Warm- Up House ribble (see page 26) King of the alls (see page 30) Main tivities Pirate (see page 31) Storm the Castle (see page 32) Srimmage (3v3) 10 min. 10 min. IOmin lomin. 10 min. The aompanying booklet titled "ssistant Coah Series U6 & US tivity ids for the Parent/Coah" ontains many other ativities for you to hoose and pik. Good luk and have fun! 5
Small-Sided Games: Less is More TEN: More touhes of the ball inreases skill development. H. ES() N S: More open spae, fewer numbers, less bunhing. Enhaned tatial awareness. The game is less ompliated and easier to understand. 'V!IY: More "fun" and personal enjoyment; due to small fields and simplified rules. Y()lJR: More playing time. Enourages maximum individual partiipation. <~ IilL : More individual involvement improves fitness. \VILL: More responsibility; every hild greater opportunities to sore, builds onfidene. EN.JOY: More freedom of expression; there are no positions, hildren will fmd their own position. hild an be a forward one minute, a defender the next. Children will migrate to areas of the field where they feel omfortable. We'll find out, slowly, what their best position is. SlVii\LL: More hildren will play. Five four-a-side fields an fit inside a full sized field. This allows for 40 youngsters to play at the same time instead of 22. SiEll: More hild-entered not oah ontrolled. (i J\lV~ES : More experiene in all phases of the game. Everyone has to do everything. The emphasis is on PLYER EVELOPMENT. 6
SC Rereational Youth Soer 3v3 U6 Program Offiial Rules and Poliies (FIF IUSYSIOS Laws and Poliies as amended by SC 3/20 14) ll rules herein are for SC Closed League mathes and supersede FIF, USYS and OS rules for rereational soer. Items not speifially addressed herein shall onform first to OS rules then USYS then FIF. For play outside of SC Closed League OS rules shall apply. Law I - Field of Play. Field dimensions: The field of play shall be retangular. Its length being no more than thirty (30) yards nor less than twenty (20) yards and its width not more than twenty (20) yards nor less than fifteen (15) yards. The length in all ases shall exeed the width. SC U6 fields are 30x20.. Field Markings 1. istintive lines not more than five (5) inhes wide. 2. halfway line shall be marked out aross the field. 3. enter irle with a three (3) yard radius. 4. Goal area: none 5. Penalty area: none C. Goals: The size ofhokey goals or approximately 4'x 6'. Law II- all Size three (3) Law III- Number of Players. Maximum number of players on the field per team at any one time is three (3). There are no goalkeepers. The minimum number of players to start the math is two (2).. Maximum number of players on the roster should not exeed six (6). C. Substitutions: 1. Injuries 2. See Law VII (substitutions at eah 4 min period end).. Playing time: Eah Player shall play a minimum of 50% of the total playing time. E. Teams and games may be oed. Page 1 of 7 SC U6 Rev 3/2014
Law IV- Player's Equipment. Footwear: Tennis shoes or soft-leated soer shoes.. Shin guards: MNTORY Law V- Referees. Rereational Referee or higher (Registered 09 reommended). In the event a referee is not available, oahes may offiiate (SC provides enter referees for all U6 mathes). C. ll law infrations shall be briefly explained to the offending players. Law VI- ssistant Referees Not required Law VII- uration of Game. The game shall be divided into eight (8) periods of four (4) minutes eah with a halftime between periods four and five.. There shall be a one (1) minute break between periods to allow for substitutions. C. There shall be a five (5) minute break between halves.. Clok runs during the game, stopping only for substitutions and the end of 1st half. Reommended that referees set their wath to run for sixteen (16) minutes and stop play and lok (at a natural stoppage) to allow for substitution approximately every four (4) minutes. Law VIII - Start of Play Conforms to FIF Laws of the Game, with the following exeptions:. Opponents must be three (3) yards from the enter mark while kik-offs are in progress (outside the enter irle).. goal may not be sored diretly from the kik-off. Law IX -all In and Out of Play. ball that goes over the touh line shall be thrown in by the team other than the last team to touh the ball before it exited the field of play.. ball that goes over the goal line (but not through the goal posts), last touhed by an attaker, shall be thrown in by the defending team at the omer losest to the exit point. Page 2 of 7 SC U6 Rev 3/ 2014
C. ball that goes over the goal line (but not through the goal posts), last touhed by a defender, shall be thrown in by the attaking team at the omer losest to the exit point. Law X- Method of Soring Conforms to FIF Laws of the Game Law XI - Offside There shall be no offside. Law XII - Fouls and Misondut. ll fouls and misondut will result in a throw in for the opposite team from the touh line at the point losest to the infration.. goal may not be sored diretly from the throw in. Law XIII- Free Kiks No free kiks shall be taken during these games. Law XIV- Penalty Kiks No penalty kiks shall be taken during these games. Law XV- Throw In. The player seleted to throw must keep both feet on the ground while the ball is being thrown. Further, a portion of both feet must be on or behind the line as the ball is being thrown. If there is a foul throw-in, the referee must explain the proper method to the player and allow are-throw. If the seond attempt also results in an infration, the opposing team shall be awarded the throw-in at the same spot on the field. Law XVI- Goal Kik No goal kik. throw in shall be taken in plae of a goal kik. Law XVII- Corner Kik No omer kiks. throw in shall be taken in plae of a omer kik. Page 3 of 7 SC U6 Rev 3/ 2014
SC UG North or East Side of Field Home Team.Spetators '------------J( Home Team Horne Team Spetators )'------------J r I Goal Line --~ Touh lines ~ Halfway Line Goal /Corner Center Cirle w<jy Team Spetators way [..._T.:..;: e~am"""--' '---wa_v_te-am_ s_pe-'t-at_o,_s -' South or West Side of Field Field Size: 30 yds x 20 yds dditional SC U6 Rules Roster Size: Teams are to be formed with a maximum of 6 players; the reommended roster size is 5 players. Uniforms: SC will provide new U6 players two (2) single-olored T-shirt jerseys (one white and one orange). Only one set will be issued for eah player the first time they register to partiipate in the U6 program. Teams are also permitted to purhase and use their own jerseys so long as they are in ompliane with lub rules. Jersey numbers are not required. No player names on jerseys. For games the Home team (as listed on the shedule) will wear white and the way team will wear orange. Page 4 of 7 SC U6 Rev 3/ 2014
Pennies or targets may be worn over jerseys in the event of a olor onflit; subjet to the approval of the Referee. Non-uniform lothing is allowed based on weather onditions, but uniforms must still distinguish teams. Undershirts exposed from beneath jerseys must be the same or similar olor of the jersey. ny sponsor's names, logos or other wording/graphis must be approved in advane by the SC oard. Soks must over shin guards and olor should be onsistent for the team. Praties: One pratie per week for up to 60 minutes. Weeks are onsidered Saturday through the following Friday. Non-soer related ativities suh as team parties, team fundraisers, volunteering, et. are not onsidered team ativities/praties in respet to this rule. Team/Spetator Seating: The Home team (as listed on the shedule) and their spetators shall be seated on the East or North side of the field. The way team (as listed on the shedule) and their spetators shall be seated on the West or South side of the field. Eah team and their respetive spetators shall remain on their designated side of the field throughout the math. There shall be no limbing of trees, fenes, goals, nets or other strutures not speifially designed for suh by any person. There shall be no oahes or spetators behind the goal lines. Sideline ehavior: Coahes and spetators should keep all omments positive and supportive of the players. Spetators should refrain from providing playing instrutions to the players whih should only be done by the oahing staff. No referee abuse will be tolerated. Coahes may be autioned or sent off by the referee for behavior in violation of the SC Code of Condut by the team's staff, players or their respetive spetator sidelines. Grounds Clean-Up: Eah team shall lean up their respetive areas before leaving. Math Offiials: ll mathes are to be offiiated by a enter referee. In the event a referee is not available, oahes may offiiate. Page 5 of7 SC U6 Rev 3/ 2014
Coahing: ll persons oahing SC players must be registered with the lub and have an approved bakground hek. Only registered/approved oahes, assistant oahes, trainers and managers may oah games or partiipate with players during pratie. Coahing On-Field: Coahes are permitted on the field to assist players during the first two weeks of the season only. fter this period oahes are to only enter the field with the referee's permission at a stoppage of play. Medial evies: ll medial devies (asts, supports, braes, et) are subjet to the approval of the referee with respet to player safety. Players with medial devies should have them padded in advane of the game and hek in with the referee or at the HQ building prior to the math for approval. No Sweeper-Keepers: Coahes are strongly enouraged to not allow a player to "amp out" in front of the goal to prevent soring as all players need to be enouraged to be involved in ative play. Referees may remind oahes of this poliy but no penalty or santion shall be enfored by the referee. Coahes who willfully do not follow the poliy will be subjet to disiplinary review. Slide Takles: Slide takles shall not be permitted. ny player engaging in slide takles should be ounseled to not repeat. No penalty or santion shall be enfored by the referee. Post-Game Sportsmanship: ll players and oahes should ongratulate eah other for a game well played with handshakes/high fives along the halfway line. Parents are enouraged to form tunnels and heer for players as they return to the side lines. Sores/Standings: ll sores are to be reorded on the game form by the referee and verified by eah oah at the onlusion of the math (if a result or sore is to be protested the oah should note suh on the game forms and must file a protest in writing to SC within 72 hours). The referee will give the ompleted forms to the winning team or home team, in ase of a tie, at the onlusion of the math. fter eah game, the oah in possession of the Game Forms is to phone in the sore to Got Soer using the phone#, Event I and Pin# at the top of the game form. Coahes must maintain the game forms, in their possession, until30 days after the season is over. Coahes must provide, to SC, any game form Page 6 of7 SC U6 Re v 3/ 2014
requested. Sores/standings are not published but are used to assist in seeding teams for the following season. Playing Time/Substitutions/Rotations: ll rereational players are required to play at least 50% of eah game for whih they are present and physially able to play. Games/oahes will be periodially reviewed for ompliane by the lub. Coahes found to not be in ompliane with this rule are subjet to disiplinary review. Substitutions shall be made at the end of eah period or for injuries. Organized rotations are very important and oahes should maintain doumentation of rotations for eah game. elow are reommended rotations for various roster sizes. Period 1 Period 2 Period 1 Period 2 E Period 1 Period 2 E F 4 Player Rotation ll players play 6 of 8 periods Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 5 Player Rotation Players, C and play 5 of 8 periods Player E plays 4 of 8 periods Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 E E 6 Player Rotation ll players play 4 of 8 periods Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 E F E F Period 7 Period 8 Period 7 Period 8 E Period 7 Period 8 F E Page 7 of 7 SC U6 Rev 3/2014
Team Name (H or V) vs ----.:::.::::.at!.:e:...!t.!!.im!.!:e:::..,!f~ie:::.:l.::.d Sore to ---- a_p t a1n. th' ts Qame- Period 1 2 3 4 Forward Midfielder efender Out Out Period 5 6 7 8 Forward Midfielder efender Out Out Period 1 2 3 4 Forward Midfielder efender Out Period 5 6 7 8 Forward Midfielder efender Out Next Pratie -------------------- Next Game