Question Number: 19488

League Specific 6/23/2008

RE: rec Under 6

Coby Drake of Enterprise , utah united states asks...

We would like to get soccer started in our town and would like to know the sizes of the goal, depending on the field size and player, 3 vs 3, 5 vs 5, 8 vs 8 etc...

Thank you for your time

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Coby,
good for you all try this site
http://soccer.org/Programs/ShortSidedGames

I also suggest get your organization together on codes of conduct and conflict resolution to work through any difficulties with all participants coaches players parents referees officials. Bylaws and good management with adequate fields and preparation can make football a great experience Keeping it Fun and Fair are certainly key components but one can become real good at doing bad things if they are repeatedly repeated. I again suggest teaching them correctly to instill correct habits and good muscle memory. Yes it is fun to kick the ball around but when the ball does what you want it too it increases that fun exponentially

QUOTE Excerpt
The American Youth Soccer Organization

WHY SHORT-SIDED SOCCER?

Short-sided soccer is about what is best for young soccer players. It's for AYSO coaches, referees, administrators, spectators, and anyone else concerned with the development of 5 to 12 year old soccer players

Young soccer players need special consideration.

They are children playing a child?s game.
They must be regarded as young children, not mini adults.
They are essentially self-oriented and relate naturally to one or two others, not to large groups.
Fun and activity factors must be a central part of a child-centered program.
Educators agree early learning experiences are the most important and produce the most retention.

Most children cannot sustain prolonged activity.
They function best in suitable starts and stops (rest periods).
Concentration span is limited, so frequent changes of pace and activity are essential.
Children love to learn.

They learn a great deal more when the ratio of teacher (coach) to student (player) is reduced.
With small numbers and the simple nature of the game, the best teacher is the game itself.
With fewer players on the field, each player gets more touches of the ball and has greater opportunity to change location in a fast-flowing, fluid game.
Playing short-sided allows players to make simpler decisions and develop an earlier, better understanding of organization of play.
Smaller fields mean more players are directly involved in play, creating increased levels of both concentration and interest.
The reduced field size encourages more shots on goal by all players, therefore more goals scored.
Residual benefits.

Parents are introduced to the game in smaller, more understandable doses.
Short-sided soccer is a great place to train new referees.
The rest of the world is playing short-sided, and we are part of the soccer world.


Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

US Youth Soccer's recommendations can be found here:

http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/coaches/RulesSmallGames.asp

Although the page says "Official Rules", they are really recommendations to the States and local leagues for what they think the rules should be, and are not binding.

You should also search for the Utah State Youth website to see if they have recommendations or mandates for local leagues.

You certainly want to have an official affiliation with the State and National bodies. This gets you access to referees, insurance and training programs.