9 - 12 YEARS OLD PLAYER PATHWAY

LEARNING TO PLAY

AGE RANGE: 9 - 12 YEARS
FORMAT: 7 V 7

In 7 v 7 a size 4 ball is used on a pitch that is 36 to 45 metres wide and 55 to65 metres long with appropriate goals (1.8m x 3.6m). In 7 v 7 teams consist of a goalkeeper and six outfield players. Games played at this stage should be for the below durations.

Age 9 and 10 – Two halves of 20 minutes or three periods of 15 minutes (both with 5-minute intervals).

Age 11 and 12 – Two halves of 25 minutes with a 5-minute interval.

THE DRIVING PHILOSOPHY OF THIS STAGE

• Learning to love the game
• Learning the skills of the game

OBJECTIVES

• The major objective at this stage is skill acquisition. These are the skill hungry years where children are geared to learn skills and it is an ideal opportunity for focusing on building the skills of the game.
• Use a game-based approach to motivate and develop your young players. Anything from 1 v 1 to 7 v 7 is appropriate
• Speed and agility are key physical qualities that can be developed at this stage

REASONS FOR 7 v 7

• Natural progression from 5 v 5
• More touches than 11-a-side
• Additional rules to help challenge & develop players
• More attacking & defending situations than 4-a-side
• Opportunities to play in all positions
• More simplistic game than 11-a-side
• Improved confidence
• Freedom of expression

7-A-SIDE FOOTBALL MATCH GUIDELINES

The field of play

• The field of play shall be 36m to 45m wide and 55m to 65m long.
• Goalposts should be no more than 4.9m by 1.8m (16ft by 6ft).

The penalty area

The penalty area is defined at each end of the field as follows:

Two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal lines 20 metres apart from each other. These lines extend into the field of play for a distance of 10 metres and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line

Within each penalty area a penalty mark is made nine metres from the midpoint between the goalposts and equidistant to them. There should be a centre mark at the midpoint of the halfway line.

Alternative

• Field and goalposts as supplied by the local authority may be used.
• Coaches should adapt the recommendations according to the venue specifications.