Small Sided Games...Changes?

These rules affect all. Crap teams or not. I'm not sure how anyone can validate the new offside rule. It confuses all the players and coaches. So then we have to retrain and teach them in a year or two. Stupid!
Yeah. Real rocket science for legit players.

Honestly, everyone (you too, espola) stop bitching about rules and teach kids to play properly. And if you don't know how to do that, then learn.
 
Yeah. Real rocket science for legit players.

Honestly, everyone (you too, espola) stop bitching about rules and teach kids to play properly. And if you don't know how to do that, then learn.

Some coaches were having pretty good success teaching players to "play properly" before this year. This nonsense is like punishing a whole school class for the misbehavior of a few.

A suggestion - teams who can show a panel of experts that they already "play properly" would be allowed to play under the old rules.
 
Some coaches were having pretty good success teaching players to "play properly" before this year. This nonsense is like punishing a whole school class for the misbehavior of a few.

A suggestion - teams who can show a panel of experts that they already "play properly" would be allowed to play under the old rules.
The new rules should have zero consequence for people who know what they're doing. Zero.
 
According to this PDF the build-out line should only be in effect for 7v7 games, correct? My daughter played in a 9v9 U11 game today and it was a complete clusterf***. They played on the same field as the 7v7 games (that's fine) but then the referee had it in his head that he had to enforce the build-out line with no keeper punts. Then there was confusion as to when the defending team could rush in and pressure the ball. This went on OVER AND OVER AND OVER throughout the game.

Even worse, they went to the field marshall at halftime to get clarification, and it was more of the same crap. SCDSL by the way.

This was my biggest concern for this fall, 06s playing on a field for 7v7 games. My DD is a 06, played 8v8 last year, now playing 9v9, and playing on a field size for 7v7 would be horrible. Early on CSL noted that it has been difficult for clubs to come up with a third field size for the 06s at 9v9, so they decided to accept the smaller size field. Later they came back and agreed to accept a 45x80 field for the 06, 07, and 08s (no build out line in CSL). Our club went out and purchased new goals and painted a new field to the 45x80 dimensions. I guess its "wait and see" when we go visit other teams during league on what size field we will play on. Glad we don't have to worry about build out lines!

For reference here is the Cal South - Player Development Initiatives chart on the field sizes.
 
Take a step back and think about why the build out line was put into place for 7-9 year olds.
A team has one player that can boot the heck out of the ball. So he/she takes every goal kick. Boots it up near or beyond midfield and it's race to get to the 50/50 ball. Effective, but not good soccer.
Or you have a team that doesn't have a single kid with a thunderfoot. All players from both teams camp out on the top of the 18 and wait for a flubbed kick to land at their feet and have a crack at goal. So teams leave their goalkeeper in the goal, have 1 kid line up to kick it. And leave 1 or 2 more kids inside the 18 to provide support for the flubbed kick. Now a goal kick gives the opposing team a better chance to score than if they had a corner kick. Moving the opposing team back another 15 yards means that the kicking team has a few more open options.
A goal kick is supposed to provide an advantage for the kicking team to get the ball back into play somewhat safely. In the adult game, you don't see many goals happening because of a shanked / weak goal kick. I think that in many games where you see 7+ goals scored in the younger age groups, a few of them happen because of a bad goal kick.
The purpose of the build out line is to give teams a chance to restart play and maintain possession of the ball without panicking.
Under the new rules, if a team taking a goal kick tries to boot it up the field, the build out line won't have much of an impact on either team.
I "think" the intent of the build out line is to encourage teams to play a wide/short ball to a teammate and try to "build out" from the back. Now it's up to coaches to actually use the extra space to teach their defenders to control the ball. And to teach off the ball movement from teammates to get open for a pass on the ground.
People argue that these new rules make the game "not soccer." I would argue that this makes it a bit more "like soccer" because it's making a goal kick a restart that doesn't punish a team that can't hoof it upfield. And it let's a coach move that kid with the big foot out of the back to work on other skills than kicking it as hard as they can for every goal kick.
 
Take a step back and think about why the build out line was put into place for 7-9 year olds.
A team has one player that can boot the heck out of the ball. So he/she takes every goal kick. Boots it up near or beyond midfield and it's race to get to the 50/50 ball. Effective, but not good soccer.
Or you have a team that doesn't have a single kid with a thunderfoot. All players from both teams camp out on the top of the 18 and wait for a flubbed kick to land at their feet and have a crack at goal. So teams leave their goalkeeper in the goal, have 1 kid line up to kick it. And leave 1 or 2 more kids inside the 18 to provide support for the flubbed kick. Now a goal kick gives the opposing team a better chance to score than if they had a corner kick. Moving the opposing team back another 15 yards means that the kicking team has a few more open options.
A goal kick is supposed to provide an advantage for the kicking team to get the ball back into play somewhat safely. In the adult game, you don't see many goals happening because of a shanked / weak goal kick. I think that in many games where you see 7+ goals scored in the younger age groups, a few of them happen because of a bad goal kick.
The purpose of the build out line is to give teams a chance to restart play and maintain possession of the ball without panicking.
Under the new rules, if a team taking a goal kick tries to boot it up the field, the build out line won't have much of an impact on either team.
I "think" the intent of the build out line is to encourage teams to play a wide/short ball to a teammate and try to "build out" from the back. Now it's up to coaches to actually use the extra space to teach their defenders to control the ball. And to teach off the ball movement from teammates to get open for a pass on the ground.
People argue that these new rules make the game "not soccer." I would argue that this makes it a bit more "like soccer" because it's making a goal kick a restart that doesn't punish a team that can't hoof it upfield. And it let's a coach move that kid with the big foot out of the back to work on other skills than kicking it as hard as they can for every goal kick.

Not soccer.
 
Actually, pretty sure the build out line rule is supplementing the no-header rule for the younger age groups. There are already plenty of coaches/teams properly teaching how to play out of the back on the ground.

Speaking of the no-header rule - it was implemented terribly (2006 boys) this weekend. I totally understand the intent to limit concussions and encourage build-out from the back.

BUT:
We now have 9 year olds completely turning around when there's an aerial ball. Limit GK punts, that's fine. Make goal kicks be played on the ground, that's fine. That should limit balls in the air. But no headers from corners too? That's not futbol! The ball will always be in the air because a defender clears or a long through ball is sent. Defensive mid players and defenders now are forced to let the ball go through or somehow time the ability to receive it with their chest the way the rule is being enforced. Terrible and this is what happens when you have people that shouldn't be writing rules, writing rules.
 
Not soccer.

Totally soccer. In case you haven't watched a Pep team play, the short goal kick unlocks all kinds of tactical advantage. Give up position, gain advantage. The build out line allows teams to focus on this wonderful aspect of the game. I use build-out lines in our short sided scrimmages for U13. It'll teach your strikers to defend from the front rather than just wait for service.
 
Keep in mind that this is a new rule across all of US soccer. Kids in Iowa, So Cal, Michigan and Texas will now need to learn to play the ball out of the back. An "A" licensed coach or a dad who doesn't know a soccer ball from a Coors Light can will now be teaching kids to play out of the back. Rec players, club players, good players, players that can barely walk and chew gum will now be playing the ball out of the back.
US Soccer is trying to get all of the youth soccer players in the US playing the game the "right" way. They've tried in the past with recommendations, coaching classes and strong suggestions. But more coaches did things their own way. So now US Soccer is drawing a line in the sand to try and reduce the kickball from our soccer fields.
I remember when I played in u6 back in 1980. We played 11v11 on a full sized field, but the field had "zones" drawn on it. You had to stay in your "zone" or the ref would blow the whistle. I guess someone thought that teaching positions to 6 year olds was more important than getting lots of touches on the ball. It kept the "beehive" from happening, but it also caused 8 out of 11 players on the field to stand around with a finger in their nose waiting for the ball to come into their zone.
Maybe we'll look back in 20 years and talk about how silly we were in 2015 when we had 7 year old goalies punting the ball into a scrum of other 7 year olds.
 
Totally soccer. In case you haven't watched a Pep team play, the short goal kick unlocks all kinds of tactical advantage. Give up position, gain advantage. The build out line allows teams to focus on this wonderful aspect of the game. I use build-out lines in our short sided scrimmages for U13. It'll teach your strikers to defend from the front rather than just wait for service.

So they will be ready for real soccer.
 
I think SCDSL trying to adopt the initiatives and SDDA, Presidio and CSL not adopting them is crazy as well. Would be fun for referees too, going from one to the other......
 
Sat through 2 B08 games this weekend. Header rule really messed with our advantage on corners and we saw the same thing with boys avoiding balls that they normally would have just headed into play. Build out line treated differently in each game. Defenders were allowed to attack as soon as offense touched the ball in one game, and the other, as soon as the offense crossed the line. No punting or goal kick was a dagger for us as well since everyone had tons of time to set up for the rollout, and the opposing team could simply sit on the line and pounce when a touch or cross happened. Each rule is going to take some serious adjustment time. Hope it works out.
 
The build out line rule is a bit confusing and needs some serious clarification.
1. Is it just for Goal Kicks or also for any time a GK makes a saves and is ready to distribute. What if the GK wants to play quick and there is a defender inside of the build out? Is the no punt rule being enforced?
2. Does the ball need to cross the build out line for the opposing team to try and play it? Or on a Goal Kick, does the opposing team need to be behind the build out line but the ball is live as soon as it crosses the "18" (or whatever distance the penalty area is on small fields) or as soon as it is kicked?
3. What about time wasting by crossing the build out line? Team is up by 1 goal with 60 seconds left in the game. Other team has a goal kick. Keep jumping the build out line to restart with another goal kick. Or does the restart after a build out infraction take place from the point of where the opposing player played the ball?
 
timbuck.....here's some clarification in the Build Out Line.

If the GK makes a save, the restart is with the ball in his hand. The opposing team must retreat behind the line and cannot cross the Line until the ball is out of the GKs hand.

On a Goal Kick, the ball is restarted the same way, the only difference being that the ball must exit the 18 before the team with the ball may touch it.

If a GK chooses to "go early" before the defense gets behind the Line, that is fine, but the defense can then go directly for the ball.

The "No GK Punting" is being enforced.

Not too sure about the "time wasting" issue.
 
So does the defense on a goal kick enter only after ball has been touched outside the 18 or on first touch? I've seen first touch the few times I've seen it this summer. Thus, all the kids line up on the build out line and coaches have pretty much went to kicking it away. Maybe if they moved the build out line further back, it would give greater time to pass out of the back. Currently the lines I've seen are 2-3 yards off of the 18 which on the small fields really isn't very different.

On another initiative, I know there are issues with it, but what was the purpose of no offsides between mid-field and the buildout line? I like most of the new initiatives and wish they were using them here in the south, but that one I can't quite see the purpose in how that helps build soccer IQ.
 
Why not just follow the European example of how to implement the "Build Out Line." After all, most acknoweldge European soccer is the standard of development and style of play we aspire to attain. Surely they must have successfully incroporated this concept into their youth programs. US Soccer would not be so bold as to invent/create an entirely new rule with such a broad impact (and unintended consequences) without knowing it worked in the programs we wish to emulate.
 
Actually, pretty sure the build out line rule is supplementing the no-header rule for the younger age groups. There are already plenty of coaches/teams properly teaching how to play out of the back on the ground.

Speaking of the no-header rule - it was implemented terribly (2006 boys) this weekend. I totally understand the intent to limit concussions and encourage build-out from the back.

BUT:
We now have 9 year olds completely turning around when there's an aerial ball. Limit GK punts, that's fine. Make goal kicks be played on the ground, that's fine. That should limit balls in the air. But no headers from corners too? That's not futbol! The ball will always be in the air because a defender clears or a long through ball is sent. Defensive mid players and defenders now are forced to let the ball go through or somehow time the ability to receive it with their chest the way the rule is being enforced. Terrible and this is what happens when you have people that shouldn't be writing rules, writing rules.
Now that we are a month in, it has been amazing to watch the younger kids adapt. It is beautiful to see an 8 year old be able to both time and have the ability to receive and control the ball with their chest! That is player development!
 
There is other, dark side to no heading rule, that should be reviewed before next season.
I was watching this very competitive boys U10 game last weekend. Forward gets the ball and shoots from about 18 yards. Lofted ball is going over the goalkeepers hands into the goal. So here comes this defender diving behind the keeper and heading the ball out of bound for the corner kick. Beautiful save.....Not that fast. With new rules, referee stops the game, awards indirect free kick to attacking team just outside 18. Guess what happens when good 9 yo takes the shot from there? Goal. I don't think it's right.....Not allowing headers in the middle of the field - I have no problem with that, but scoring and defending in front of goal? that's too much.
 
Because of course the integrity of the game is more important than brain development. I do not agree with the way the heading ban was instituted, but I am glad that they have at least done something.
 
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