![]() For example: a forward (#9) in a 4-3-1 might take a look at their Heat Map and realize they’re spending most of the game on the wings or in midfield. Features like Radar View and Heat Maps are powerful tools that help young players visualize team shape in action and make simple corrections to the way they play. Teams using Trace have a leg up on their competition when it comes to learning new tactical ideas and formations. What’s most important is that players are comfortable on the field and begin thinking about how to use the new, bigger (but more crowded) field to their advantage. There are too many variables: the strengths of your players, the opposing team’s setup, and the 7v7 formation your team has played in the past. There is of course no right answer to the single “best” formation for playing 9v9 soccer. I always tell my players to do the job that needs to be done, even if it isn’t “yours” to do. This should include some discussion of interchanging roles and fluidity all over the field. Defensively, it means understanding the role of the 1st defender (delay the attacker by pressuring the ball), 2nd defender (provide cover behind the ball) and 3rd defenders (provide balance and depth). On the attacking side, that means knowing how to create triangles and diamonds to support the attack and create passing options, width and depth. Individually, players should be learning their role in the team, in specific positions and more generally in the context of the team. That last word is a particularly important introduction in 9v9 soccer - generally, 7v7 fields are too narrow to really introduce width as a powerful concept for dragging defenses out of position. Another is the notion of creating overloads, often by overlapping the ball to provide extra width. One is keeping possession as a means of creating chances. Tactically, more space on a 9v9 field introduces some new ideas for players to consider. That means encouraging (not forcing) them to consider how major of a part they want soccer to play in their lives. With greater commitment comes greater responsibility, and players should feel free to make that choice for themselves. Some are developmental, while others are more tactical.ĭevelopmentally, the most important thing to consider is that 10-year-olds are beginning to gain agency and the ability to make their own decisions on and off the field. There are also some significant differences to keep in mind as your player makes the step up to 9v9 soccer. Key differences between 7v7 and 9v9 soccer They should also continue to play in a variety of positions, including goalkeeper - specializing at this age can have devastating long-term effects in tactical and technical development. Lastly, players at this age should be building an understanding of basic attacking combinations and defensive cooperation, with everyone on the field involved on both sides of the ball. At this age, coaches should continue to emphasize the “how” of technique, but also guide players towards finding answers to the questions of “when, where and with/against whom.” ![]() That means you should continue to expect end-to-end action and lots of goals. The field stays relatively small, to the point that individual players can dominate (though to a lesser extent). “Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel, father of modern education ![]() After all, U11 players are still children (and they will be for a while!), and at 10 years old they are still smack-dab in the middle of what the USSF calls the “golden age of learning.” As players start Select soccer, coaches’ focus should still be on individual skills (though now with the added constraints of time, space and pressure) and fostering a sense of fun and genuine love for the game in every player. ![]() Lots of things remain the same between 7v7 and 9v9 soccer.
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