The Football Association has voted in favour of making small-sided formats for certain age-groups mandatory.Proposals including smaller sided games on smaller pitches and smaller goals were voted in by an 87% majority. In England, some children as young as 10 currently play on full-size pitches.While some youngsters already play small-sided games the new pathway now includes a mandatory 5v5 format of football for under-7s and under-8s and a 9v9 format for under-11 and under-12s to be phased in by season 2014-15.The changes are designed to emulate the emphasis on technique and skill in countries such as Spain where children are only allowed to play on adult pitches from under-14 level. About time IMO we should have done this much earlier. Way behind most european counties in terms of technique.
Good. Hopefully now the youth game will be based on more skill, than the current "biggest kids win" style game.
Great to hear we are finally focusing on technique, as we're currently light years behind the likes of Spain and Germany.
Great news, what took so long? I've been refereeing Grassroots football for a while now, and refereed regularly for a side who were U10's and playing 7 a side football. They're not an 11 a side team, and U11's, I refereed their first 11 a side game any it was pretty dire. Other team had one big lad at centre-half, a fast striker, and punted it over the top to the fast lad, who just lifted it over the keeper every time. So whilst yes, the opposition did win, it's not really helping anyone. For far too long Grassroots has been about the big lads and the fast lads, too much focus on the physical attributes and not enough on the technical ability. We should be placing a greater emphasis on technical development and ability and then focus our attention on improving strength and physical abilities when the time comes. However, this is the start of a long road as Youth Football is dominated by demanding parents who just want to see their boy/girl with a winners medal every year, and is also infested with the Allardyce's and Pulis' of this world who in my opinion should be nowhere near any potential young talent for the future.
the extension of the small sided games to Under 11s and 12s is only part of the solution. the emphasis on winning and league structures at a young age is also detrimental to development. as long as there is silverware to chase many coaches will concentrate on winning at any cost. U8s have been in leagues where no results are kept or published, and no leage tables are constructed, and this encourages people to play each game as a separate thing. this enables coaches to concentrate on the kids development rather than scoring goals and winning the league. When this structure is extended to the older age groups it will enable coaches to concentrate on development rather than just winning.
This is long overdue, however the biggest problem is still trying to overcome coaches and parents with the English Disease. I've been coaching mini soccer with small sided games for four years and it is still packed with win at all cost coaches who just teach boys to hoof the ball foward quickly. Parents at my team still don't really like the fact I encourage our keeper to pass the ball out and defenders to pass to the goalie. Maybe those parents who moan about the goalie passing it have season tickets in the Northam!!!
Hi Fatletiss, I sympathise. I have been coaching kids since 1994, and i am now chairman of a large local youth football club. the biggest problem in youth football is not kids its the parents. from those who move their kid from club to club pot hunting, to the parents who critiscise their 8 year old for missing a goal, or misplacing a pass to those parents who seem to be spoiling for a fight at every game. We need to ensure that kids play their football in a calm environment where they can be creative, try things out without fear of moaning from the touchlines, and not be only interested in winning but becoming a better player.
Doesn't help when the senior side, who are supposed to set an example, do it too and in a friendly match! It's understandable in a high pressure knockout game, but there really is no excuse when the pressure is off. Do you give parents the speech when they berate you for not playing their kid in his favourite position or park him on the bench? It can'd be easy.
