Small Side Soccer: Big Time Practice

If you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense to put kids on a field the same size as used by professional soccer players. That’s why we have smaller fields for younger age groups. The same argument can be made for other aspects of the game, notably the number of players on the field.

Small side soccer has been part of the US soccer experience for many years now, but is not fully embraced. Some critics say that the best way to learn the game is to adhere to the same parameters throughout a player’s life. There are plenty of strong arguments for tailoring the game to various age and ability levels, though.

Small side soccer is less prevalent in Europe and it’s easy to understand why; the soccer tradition runs deep. The sport has been played there for much longer and by a far larger portion of the population than in the US, and it’s one reason why small-side soccer is so important here. Because the sport is relatively new and still growing, we need to build the base support slowly and sturdily. Introducing our youngsters in this way will foster a strong understanding and love for the game.

Many youth soccer administrators understand this and scale their programs small to large. For example, a youth soccer program may pit 4 against 4 for the U-7 and U-8 levels, 5v5 for U-9’s, and 6v6 for U-11’s. As the players start entering puberty, they likewise start entering the game at the smaller of the two prominent adult levels, 7v7. This type of method is very advantageous for the players and the sport as a whole.

Using smaller sides at the younger levels means that each player has more opportunity to actually play the game. They will touch the ball more, enter decision-making moments more, and encounter more scoring and defending scenarios. Sizing the goals, such as our Grasshopper 4x6 or 2x3 soccer goals, and the field down to the player will make the game more comfortable to them as well. In this manner, the game grows along with the player. Another advantage of this method is the player-to-coach ratio. Just like in the classroom, having smaller soccer teams means that there is greater teaching exposure for each player from the coach. The strong basis of understanding and confidence will stay with the player as they enter the more competitive, upper echelons of the sport. This type of linear growth may also lessen the falloff as the players acquire more autonomy over how they spend their time and which sports to pursue; their skill and confidence will bolster their interest.

Small side soccer is a great practice tool for the professionals for the same reasons that it works for lower levels. It gives players a more concentrated experience that will result in a higher caliber performance on the full size field during competition.

Rukket Sports is proud to offer multiple goals for whatever the conditions call for.

We’re here to serve. We’re here to play!