Playing the ball back

Because at 7-8 they don't even have 11/side, on a real field with the real laws of the game (offside), tactical decision making for soccer would need to be unlearned later. So while some can, 7 year old girls teams normally can't.

At age 7 a pass to a teammate that is in open space means the opponent has a good chance to steal the ball.
At an older age a pass means the team keeps the ball.
7 year olds have a real hard time understanding space - esp open space, and if they are there it is normally random. The passes are softer and slower and the receiver's can't really trap anything with pace.

When they are older, have teammates with the skills to control a ball and teammates that move to open space they have to unlearn not passing. Seems there is always that tendency to want to hold the ball. I can't see the purpose at that age Ulittle for a team to learn tactics and certainly not strategy.

The few kids that are this talented should play up, or play on boys team at this age (and stop that G12-G14).

It all seems to pan out about G15/G16 and in 1-2 years elite teams get the game they didn't get at G14. In college they/some coaches will have styles they switch between based on opponent or weather. Generally in youth the style is what the coach taught, but our G16s would mix it up sometimes on conditions.
 
One of the best random coach shouts at the Ulittle level is "NOT IN THE MIDDLE!" and thus begins the not so great habit of the booming clearance or the straight up, kicking of the ball out of bounds when not even pressured. The teaching of back line shape, passing out of the back, and being strong on the ball in the back is overlooked by so many youth programs. It's obvious when you come across a team that has been taught this.
 
goldentoe said:
...The teaching of back line shape, passing out of the back, and being strong on the ball in the back is overlooked by so many youth programs. It's obvious when you come across a team that has been taught this.
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While I totally agree with your post can you point to a single SoCal G8-G9 team that can do this?
I believe there is mixing what the "right" way to play the game is and the fact that these are 7 and 8 year old girls - per the OP.
 
Zoro said:
While I totally agree with your post can you point to a single SoCal G8-G9 team that can do this?
I believe there is mixing what the "right" way to play the game is and the fact that these are 7 and 8 year old girls - per the OP.
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Nope, you got me on that. Agreed. That is very early. It seems long ago now. The 98 Redwood Alliance team (De Anza Force) from the Bay Area was the youngest team I watched move the ball swiftly around the back. They were a bit of an anomaly. They were about U10 or U11 first time I saw them. 6-7 years ago I thought South Bay Force tried to play the ball on the ground more than most teams. A couple of years later I watched other top youth teams work at it during games. Many times coaches were literally barking out the pass sequences to the back line during the game, not letting the players think for themselves. That seems to be the main difference between teams that learn it early, and teams that learn it later. The ones that learn it early do it with ease, it's second nature, even at the U13-14 age. The teams that work on this later are still playing the ball long and in the air most of the time from the back line at u13-14, even still at U15. It's tough when the players are young and make mistakes trying to keep possession in the back of the field. The parents can't take it when 10 year old Suzy turns around and plays a soft pass in the long grass to her keeper, and a streaking forward runs in to knock in the game winner. But 6-7 years later, maybe Suzy and her back line will help her team keep the ball instead of kicking it away, and maybe they'll play nearly turnover free soccer when it's the most important. Teaching the game at an early age from the back line forward is counter to how we do it.
 
I'm just sad we don't get to experience the old back-pass law where the keeper could pick the ball up from a pass from feet. Can you imagine the comedy on the sidelines as the coaches constantly feed their own goalkeeper to protect a lead and run the clock down! Let the keeper pick it up...Raise that sideline entertainment.
 
Sunil Illuminati said:
I'm just sad we don't get to experience the old back-pass law where the keeper could pick the ball up from a pass from feet. Can you imagine the comedy on the sidelines as the coaches constantly feed their own goalkeeper to protect a lead and run the clock down! Let the keeper pick it up...Raise that sideline entertainment.
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At U8 - that would generally not be called. At U8 passing the ball back to the keeper is very high risk.
This thread is U8/U9 - 7 and 8 year olds.
 
I agree-- 7 year olds cannot grasp these concepts-- don't think they have spatial brain wiring to conceptualize it
Some 8 year olds can begin to learn to pass, pass to space, etc. (without a coach joysticking their every move)
9 year olds definitely can learn these things
 
Doubt I need to say this, but I am a biased keeper dad. To this topic, the GK is one position that can do a lot individually, but for more than half the stuff they still need a team that gets it. Generally girls won't listen to the keeper until past G12. Then G15 seems most do. A girls directing keeper is often seen as bossy. DD playing with guys had less of an issue than playing with girls. Coaches can be worse and many coaches do not want to give up control to those best equip to handle it. Even in college many coaches prefer the keeper boots the ball than plays out of the back. Many college coaches want the keeper on the line rather than deciding when to push up the defense. And HS coaches will set the wall and tell defenders where to be. I posted DD got so tired of her HS coach telling the defenders where to be and her how to play - she quite (after the season).

I guess my point is if it bothers you now, get ready for 10 more years of it.
 
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I was thinking - did the coach tell your kid not to play it back because as a midfielder she needs to recognize when to attack a defender and when to shield and play back?

What got me thinking this is I have one with the size, speed and skills to go by most players, but not always the desire or confidence. I watched her do it in a tourney recently and she and I had a big laugh of the thoughts running through her brain.
 
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