Positions for U8 Players
US Youth Soccer (Best Practices)
http://images.ussoccer.com/Documents/cms/ussf/Best_Practices.pdf For the 7- and 8- year-old groups, these games should only be seen as another fun activity that happens to include a soccer ball. They are not ready for specific soccer type information and there should be no emphasis on team concepts or positions. They will have plenty of opportunities to play in "real soccer games," as they get older. "
Kentucky Youth Soccer (p.27)
http://www.kysoccer.org/coaches/handbook/coaches.handbook.pdf For all players under the age of eight, positional coaching of any kind is irrelevant and detrimental to their fun, enjoyment and progress. Rather than be told what position to play, young players should be encouraged to " find" new supporting positions away from teammates so that passes can be exchanged.
Iowa Soccer (U6/U8 coaches manual)
http://www.iowasoccer.org/coaches/Iowa_Soccer_Association_U06_08_Rec_Coach_Manual_Feb07.pdf "... Everyone attacks together and defends together and coaches can introduce what players must do when not in possession of the ball e.g. get back behind the ball, defend goal side. Team shape can be addressed but under no circumstances should players be put in positions or made to stay in a certain area. In the U8 age group players can be set up in a diamond shape to start the game and at other natural breaks (kick off, goal kicks etc.)..."
Palo Alto - AYSO
http://www.ayso26.org/coach/systemsofplay.html The risk of assigning a fixed position, especially for players who are not naturally mobile, is that they will simply stand still in the assigned area, which is neither fun nor good for player development. Please don't designate a player to just be a defender (or goalkeeper helper). This is not good for player development and, in our
opinion
, it spoils the game.
Positions for U10 Players
US Youth Soccer – Best Practices
http://images.ussoccer.com/Documents/cms/ussf/Best_Practices.pdf " A team of 9 year olds who hold their positions and maintain a steady group of defenders who rarely, if ever venture into the attack, looks like a well disciplined and well organized team. However, U.S. Soccer does not recommend this as a proper approach to developing players at this age. It does not develop good soccer players. This approach hinders the player’s ability to experience and enjoy the natural spontaneity of the game. It does not allow the players to have an equal opportunity to go and "find" the game based on what they see from the game or to handle the ball and develop instincts for the game"
Jan Smisek – US Soccer
http://www.worldofsoccer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=220&Itemid=128
" Because there are more players on the field at this age, inexperienced coaches feel an overwhelming need to manufacture structure at the expense of continuing to build a solid base of individual techniques and a clear comprehension of individual and small group tactics. Many coaches fall back on their familiarity with other American team sports, where positional play and structure are a natural and fundamental part of playing the game. As a result, these coaches create practices filled with an array of contrived, unrealistic drills designed to get players to spread out in an attempt to resemble the adult game. Providing the structure of being a defender, midfielder or forward starts to become the guiding force in their approach.
This is not to say that as we begin to add more players on the field-- 4 v 4 to 9 v 9-- we ignore that team roles start to occur and that players should be allowed to experience these various roles. It should not, however, assume high priority in coaching 9 -11 year olds. "
Palo Alto - AYSO
http://www.ayso26.org/coach/systemsofplay.html "Let's stress again that many players initially will find the intellectual demands of positional play very difficult. Players should certainly be given positional assignments for each game and should line up at the start of each half in those positions. What happens in between may well appear to be "all over the place", but if your team is actively involved in the game it really doesn't matter whether the players stick to their assigned positions."
Kentucky Youth Soccer
http://www.kysoccer.net/coaches/handbook/handbook.html "...Now it is possible to teach them positional play with the expectation they will get it some of the time. However, it is absolutely necessary that you do not allow players to specialize in any one position. They need to learn basic principles of the game, first. Having them play all of the positions is best for their individual development. Remember, our first responsibility is to develop players and let them have fun..."
Iowa Soccer
http://www.iowasoccer.org/coaches/Iowa_Soccer_Association_U10_12_Rec_Coach_Manual_Mar07.pdf " Players can now be asked to play in a position and should be exposed to different playing
positions throughout the season. However, coaches must remember that positions are fluid not fixed and that developmentally, many children will still have a difficult time playing a position. ISA recommends a 3 -2 formation with 3 defenders and 2 attackers but there are a number of other formations that can be considered. Tactics and formations should not be a major part of your practice session "
Goalkeeper Specialization
Rick Meana
http://www.njyouthsoccer.com/CoachingTechniques/goalkeep.htm "".. realistically to ensure adequate development, players should not specialize in goalkeeping until they are 14 to 15 years old. Recently, a professional coach was quoted to say that a goalkeeper doesn’t reach their peak in development until the age of 27. Now that’s one to think about… "
Sam Snow US Youth Soccer
http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/blog.asp?post_id=615 For teams in the U10 and older age groups goalkeepers should become a regular feature of play. However, young players in the U10 and U12 age groups should not begin to specialize in any position at this time in their development
Kentucky Youth Soccer Handbook (p.80)
http://www.kysoccer.org/coaches/handbook/coaches.handbook.pdf Every player should be encouraged to try goalkeeping, but no player should be forced to play this position. If you have difficulty getting volunteers, try to spread the task among a few players who can be rewarded by playing forward for the rest of their playing time. Giving each player some goalkeeping experience during practice scrimmages will increase their confidence to try it during a game.