Experiences Shifting from 9v9 to 11v11 - Flight 1

Looking around the corner for my DD, I was hoping some of you with 2006 girls could related the experiences of the change from 9v9 to 11v11 for a Flight 1 team including:

1. Team expansions/contractions. How difficult was it to find quality players? Any teams unable to field 11 and fold? Is the shift a better opportunity to upgrade teams than when the team size was static?

2. Any individual players have a hard time shifting to larger field play?

3. Did adding 2 more players on the field lead to more playing time for last year's cusp players or did your coaches mainly recruit from outside to fill starting roles?

4. Did the larger field lead to more use of subs or just more conditioning?

5. What are the best things for an individual player to work on to prepare for the shift?

I like this post very pertinent and methodical series of questions.

1. A lot of what you ask hinges on many intangibles. Which I won’t go into. But in most cases clubs have more than one team and will combine them. Though if a team has a good reputation and quality coaching will help attracting players. And by “ static” I do believe adding players can change the dynamics and in my experience for the better.
2. Watching both my girls go to the big field was a contrast of experiences. My eldests 05 team certainly struggled but that was before the calendar year changes and mandates. And if they stayed one more year on the small field they would have been fine. My youngest 06 had two extra years on the small field (which was one year to long) but it was an easier transition. Though I partly attribute that to being given opportunities to play up on the big field.
3. Not for my 06 we had a solid starting 11. Some players were brought up from the club and others outside but came out of interest.
4. Subbing is a game to game decision and it’s hard to say but our coaches try to give players adequate time. Just playing on the big field certainly improves conditioning even for those players getting less playing. It takes more out of a player to perform on a larger field.
5. Thinking ahead and being proactive on the field. By this I mean anticipating and being constantly active and thinking. Often players wait and just watch then react.

*Late addition-I do think moving to big field was a blessing. I enjoy the game more. You can see what clubs/coaches actually developed players.

Thanks for the response. I too am looking forward to the larger field. It seems like futsal when I watch 9v9 right now. It seems like it favors certain teams and players.

On the bigger field you will see many teams shift pole position. In 9v9 There's a lot of teams winning a lot of games playing a style or method that does Not translate to the larger field. Kickball reins supreme on a tiny field, not so much in 11v11 at least not at the 06'-05' ages. As they get older and bigger again kickball will make a comeback. Adding players to fill the roster depends on a lot of factors. There's clubs that will combine teams while others recruit.
Conditioning is a really big factor going into 11v11. The first couple games my girls played on the big field they were absolutely gased. Luckily we started playing 11v11 scrimmages and played up in a few tournaments the year before and was able to see that early so we jumped on it right away so when spring hit and we made the change we were ahead a little in that department. If your coach is smart he/she will start to play 11v11 scrimmages this season to start figuring out what's needed, both roster wise and technical/tactical wise.

Big adjustment with corner kicks. In 9v9 kids are driving the ball to the far post.
The first year of 11v11, with a bigger field and a size 5 ball, they’ll barely get it inside the PA.

Very interesting insights. What is the typical range in roster size for 11 v 11?

15 is the perfect number. If one is missing or hurt, it won’t hurt too much. And if everyone is there, there is plenty of playing time to go around.

Have your Dd start juggling and kicking a size 5 ball with both feet ASAP!

I think it depends on what type of game the team played at 9v9. Older dd's team was a ground game team that hardly ever punted and learned to play out of the back from the start. They lost many, many games during 9v9. This was a few years ago before the build out line rule was imposed. Their transition to 11v11 was seamless. The teams that had played long ball that had beat them before the transition, now found themselves on the other side struggling with the transition. Conditioning was an issue, but our coach also had the philosophy of "let the ball do the work" and having the keeper come out and sweep, so in a way the girls were able to build their fitness more gradually. Best of luck!

The shift to 11v11 is joyful and they're more than ready for it. The increased space really helps the smaller, more technical teams that possess the ball versus the bootball teams. My 06 loves it! Pretty much all upside so enjoy the ride OP.

futboldad1 said:

The shift to 11v11 is joyful and they're more than ready for it. The increased space really helps the smaller, more technical teams that possess the ball versus the bootball teams. My 06 loves it! Pretty much all upside so enjoy the ride OP.

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That's very true regarding technical teams, but bootball can still be successful granted the bootball team has the athletes and a big enough roster to give the starters a rest once they get tired.

To answer O.P's questions...

1. "Team expansions/contractions." Towards the top of the food chain I saw the rich get richer. I don't think the hardcore recruiting period has started yet, but "successful" teams attract players/families that are looking for a challenge. Most teams I see have 5-6 subs on the bench and there's a big dropoff in talent between the starters and the subs. Most teams will start subbing around the 15 minute mark depending on the situation. Most players I've seen will play at least half the game.

2. "Any individual players have a hard time shifting to larger field play?" Yes, outfield players that have poor stamina. Short goalkeepers, or keepers with poor reflexes or technique because the goal is humongous compared to the small-sided goal. Outfield players with poor leg strength. I haven't seen very many girls that can shoot the ball in the air with any sort of power from 20 yards out; lots of 1 and 2 hoppers or big, high-arcing shots that are easy for the keeper to handle. Defenders that can't properly clear a ball, because now there's more room behind and to the side the defender and the ball is more likely to stay in bounds on the big field.

3. "Did adding 2 more players on the field lead to more playing time for last year's cusp players or did your coaches mainly recruit from outside to fill starting roles?" Every coach is going to be different. With our coach, the most productive players get the lion's share of the playing time. We have new girls that play major minutes, and returning players that sit a lot.

4. "Did the larger field lead to more use of subs or just more conditioning?" More conditioning.

5. "What are the best things for an individual player to work on to prepare for the shift?" Stamina, leg strength, proper shooting technique, first touch, passing accuracy.

myself said:

That's very true regarding technical teams, but bootball can still be successful granted the bootball team has the athletes and a big enough roster to give the starters a rest once they get tired.

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I'm not sure about the middle or lower level teams, but I don't think anything has really changed at the top of the food chain from last year to this year as 2006 moved to the big field. The top 5-6 teams are SD Surf, Legends, Blues, LA Galaxy SB, Albion and Slammers, which is basically the same as last year. While Slammers benefited from combining the best from multiple slammers locations, all others seem to have most of their players from last year with a few good adds, and play close to the same style as last year. Too bad they aren't all in the same league this year!

The one other thing that I will add related to individual players is that players with top level speed have found playing time on teams when they might not have found it on the small field. Players that can make up for a mistake on defense with their speed, or one that can run down a through ball on the attack are much more valuable this year, even if they aren't the best from a skill perspective.

Woodwork said:

Looking around the corner for my DD, I was hoping some of you with 2006 girls could related the experiences of the change from 9v9 to 11v11 for a Flight 1 team including:

1. Team expansions/contractions. How difficult was it to find quality players? Any teams unable to field 11 and fold? Is the shift a better opportunity to upgrade teams than when the team size was static?

2. Any individual players have a hard time shifting to larger field play?

3. Did adding 2 more players on the field lead to more playing time for last year's cusp players or did your coaches mainly recruit from outside to fill starting roles?

4. Did the larger field lead to more use of subs or just more conditioning?

5. What are the best things for an individual player to work on to prepare for the shift?

Click to expand...

I know the San Juan 06 team got even better. Amazing team speed, a bigger field to run led to more opportunities.