For Fall 2015

 U12 Choices for the Upcoming Fall Season:  Full-sided (11v11)  Small-sided (8v8)  Both (teams chose and 11v11 and 8v8 brackets are set up)

Survey Results

 102 Coaches participated in survey. Evaluating the switch to small-sided for U11:  95% thought the ref crews were good to excellent  92% thought playing time was good to excellent  91% thought that the increased number of touches was good to excellent  94% noticed a good to excellent improvement in player development  98% experienced a good to excellent coaching experience

 ~60% of U11 coaches did not favor playing small-sided at U12  Common concerns:  Field size (too many club fields are too small)  Roster size (may lose players in smaller clubs)  May need additional fields  May need additional equipment

 Reminder – 1 field needed for every 6 teams  If we had switched to small-sided for U12 for the Fall 2014-Spring 2015 seasonal year:  9 Clubs may have needed an additional field (Cape Express, Haddon Hts, Hammonton, Marlton, Monroe, Pal-Riv, RV, West Deptford, Westmont)  If we switch to small-sided for U12 for the Fall 2015-Spring 2015 seasonal year:  Same list (RV would not need one but Barrington might)

Comments, comments, and more comments

 Some common “negative” comments on switching to small-sided for U12:  “Not enough space on the field”  “Not enough talented coaches to take advantage of small-sided training”  “Small-sided games are controlled by one dominant player”  “It would hurt middle school teams that are playing 11v11”

 Comments cont’d:  “We need to have larger rosters to keep players”  “8v8 favors larger slower players”  “At U12, players are physically, technically and tactically ready for a full sided field”  “Small-sided at U12 will have negative impact on high school teams”  “The game in real life is played 11v11”  “Long term this will make the transition to college play more difficult”

 Comments cont’d:  “You will lose teams to MAPS and EDP”  “As a coach for over 25 years, 8v8 is not how soccer is played”  “We need to be teaching tactics at U12 and you can’t do that in small-sided”  “Only the bottom tier of teams would benefit from this”

 Some common “positive” comments on switching to small-sided for U12:  “We need our young soccer players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it!”  “We want our players to make more, less - complicated decisions during the game for better tactical development”

 Comments cont’d:  “Our players need to learn to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in”  “We really need more individual teaching time with the coach! Fewer players on the field and fewer players on the team will guarantee this! (Need to feel worthy and need to feel important)”  “Small-sided helps provide them with more playing time to learn how to solve problems during the game”

 Comments cont’d:  “Small-sided allows you to give them more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball”  “Our players need more goal scoring opportunities – without small-sided play we take away creativity”  “Small-sided provides more socialization and more importantly more FUN”  “A larger field translates to more ‘kicking’ and less passing”

Pros and Cons

 All top international academies and teams favor small-sided (some up to U14)  European Club Association Report  214 clubs from 53 associations including: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Sporting Club, Standard Liege, FC Basel, Panathinaikos FC, Shakhtar Donetsk

U5 to U9U10 to U11U12 to U13U14 and up 4v4 - 45%5v5 - 4%6v6 - 1%9v9 - 2% 5v5 - 40%6v6 - 5%7v7 - 14%11v % 6v6 - 5%7v7 - 55%8v8 - 7% 7v7 - 10%8v8 - 23%9v9 - 25% 9v9 - 12%10v10 - 1% 11v11 - 1%11v % (primarily U13)

 Annual General Membership Meeting:  National Mandate of Small-sided Games for Players U12 and Younger (tabled)  Recommendation: ▪ U8 – 5v5 ▪ U10 – 7v7 ▪ U12 – 9v9

 U6 - 3 against 3 no goal keepers  U8 - 4 against 4 no goal keepers  U against 6 with goal keepers  U against 8 with goal keepers  U against 11 with goal keepers

 “It all starts with the proper numbers of players at training and games for the specific age group at practice.  For example, 7-9 year olds should play in a 3v3 environment, year olds in a 5v5 environment and U12 players should play in a 7v7 environment.  The youth academies in Spain such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid play games with player numbers no larger than 7v7 up to12 years old.  The size of the field is smaller and the ball is smaller so that the players can function according to their physical abilities.  They have understood that the players are not yet adults.” Stan Baker, author and coach