Guidelines For Developing U10 - U14 Players
Developing the U10 and U-12 Soccer Player
(Based on the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association) Coaching Program)
Development of individual skills - individual and small group tactics:
Focus on developing individul skills. Demonstration is very important and the players learn best "by doing." (U12) is the time to introduce and teach the basic tactical principles of play. It is important to establish discipline from the beginning.
A Coach in these age groups must be:
A teacher, be patient, enthusiastic, possess soccer awareness, ability to demonstrate, have knowledge of the key factors of basic skills, give encouragement.
Technique:
It is important to establish a good strong solid base. The coach must develop individual skills under the pressure of time, space and an opponent and increase technical speed:
- Dribbling: Encourage risk taking. Teach moves to beat an opponent and to keep possession.
- Shielding: Spin turns, change of speed, change of direction.
- Receiving: Ground and air balls - all surfaces from a partner and on the move.
- Shooting: Proper striking technique, partner serve from all angles, turns, cut backs, volleys.
- Passing: Emphasize the proper technique by using the laces; inside and outside of the foot and short and long crossing.
- Heading: Start with self serve, then add a partner to serve. Teach jumping to head, turning the ball and partner juggling.
- Tackling: Teach the proper technique with emphasis on balance and having no fear.
Tactics: The dawn of tactical awareness
- Individual: Start with 1 v. 1 situations in attack and defense. Play 1 v. 1 frequently.
- Small Group: Continue with 2 v. 1, 2 v. 2, 3 v. 1, 3 v. 2, 3 v. 3, 4 v. 2, 4 v. 3, 4 v. 4.
- Positions: Players must play a variety of positions. They must develop an awareness of the "total" game. Emphasize the complete player and the basic principles of play
- Attacking: Encourage keeping possession and risk taking. Have players take opponents on 1 v. 1 in proper areas of the field. Teach the concept of support, basic combination play (wall pass (give and go), takeover. Promote attacking soccer.
- Defending: Emphasize the proper pressure both in front and behind. Teach the concepts of channeling the player, immediate chase, cover and marking.
- Team: Team tactics do not take priority at age U10 and U11. Focus is placed on maintaining balance and playing skillful soccer. Players play a variety of positions and emphasis is placed on player development instead of getting results as a team.
- System: Put players out on the field for the love of the game, without spending much time coaching a system. Focus on teaching principles of play as opposed to systems. If playing 8 v. 8, then play a 2-3-2. If playing 9 v. 9, play a 3-3-2. Most importantly, players should enjoy the great game.
Note: a great deal of coaching/teaching takes place within 4 v. 4 games
Physical: All fitness work should be done with the ball, with partners, and using fun and engaging activities. Physical activities should include the following components:
- Flexibility
- Agility with and without the ball
- Speed
- Strength
- Endurance
- Balance
Psychological:
- Keep it fun and enjoyable to foster a desire to play (intrinsic motivation)
- Encourage decision-making by the players on the field
- Imagination/creativity
- Increase demands in training
- Emphasize discipline
- Encourage players/teams to watch professional and National Team games on television
The Game:
- 6 v 6 or 8 v 8
Developing the U14 Soccer Player
Development of individual skills - individual and small group tactics:
Adult standards and formal rules become applicable. The pace of development quickens at this time due to the acceleration of physical and mental maturation. The demands of skill training as well as training loads should increase, thus provoking improvement with mental toughness, concentration and diligence. Awareness of tactics within the game becomes an important facet of the learning process. Players tend to be self-critical and rebellious, but have a strong commitment to the team.
A Coach must be: A strong personality with soccer knowledge. The coach should be enthusiastic and patient but demanding.
Technique:
- Build on the skill base.
- Emphasize the development of individual skills under the pressure of time, space, and an opponent.
- Continue to increase technical speed.
- Dribbling: Encourage the players to take opponents on 1 v. 1. Teach feints/moves, how to keep possession, how to shield and spin turns.
- Receiving: Emphasize a quality first touch. Have players take balls out of the air and work on turning. Players should use all surfaces and learn to receive the ball on the run.
- Shooting: Work on shooting on the run, on the turn, from all angles, from crosses and from volleys.
- Passing: Work on short, long, bent, crossed, driven and chipped using all surfaces. All should be learned on the run.
- Heading: Work on going to goal (shoot/glance), to pass and to clear.
- Tackling: Emphasize the proper techniques.
Tactics:
- Increase tactical speed (decision making under pressure).
- Individual: Work on 1 v. 1, in attack and defense.
- In attack: Teach players to keep possession but encourage risk taking and taking players on in the proper areas of the field.
- In defense: Teach how to apply proper pressure (in front and behind), how to channel players, when to use immediate chase and how to use angles of pressure.
- Small Group: Continue with 2 v. 1, 2 v. 2, 3 v. 2, 3 v. 3, 4 v. 2 and 4 v. 4.
- In attack: Teach to keep possession, support, combination play (including the wall pass, takeover, overlap, the double pass). More focus on the concepts of width, depth and penetration. Begin work on crossing with proper runs in the box. Start to demonstrate simple set plays.
- In defense: Players should be introduced to angle and distance of cover, defensive balance, delay and pressing as a group.
- Team:
- In the attack: Teach players how to keep possession and how to play the ball away from pressure. They should know how to maintain balance in the chosen system. Introduce interchange of positions during the run of play. Encourage attackers to take defenders on in the final third. The keeper becomes an integral part of the attack (play balls back to the keeper). Players should still play a variety of positions.
- In defense: Players should learn to maintain good "shape." Zonal concepts should be introduced and should include knowing when to "delay" or "step." Clear decision on where the "line of confrontation" should be is important at this level. Coaches should teach how to maintain good pressure and cover in all three thirds of the field.
- System: The recommended system for player and team development is a 3-4-3.
Note: There should be a great deal of coaching/teaching in 4 v. 4 and 7 v. 7 games.
Physical:
- All fitness work should be done with the ball
- Flexibility - static stretching and dynamic flexibility
- Agility - Coordination with and without the ball
- Speed
- Strength - non-weight bearing, core strength and stability
- Endurance
- Balance
Psychological:
- The game should remain fun and enjoyable. Players should have a passion for the game
- Imagination/creativity
- Increase demands
- Establish training targets
- Maintain discipline
- Encourage players/teams to watch professional and National Team games on television
The Game:
- 11 v. 11