The following posts have been tagged with "soccer number of players"...
Soccer Small Sided
Most youth leagues play with less than 11 players per side until U-12 or U-14. This is called playing “Small Sided”. At U-6, there may be as few as 3 per side; at U-8 4 or 5 per side; at U-10 6 to 8 per side, etc. At young ages it is much better to play small sided; the players get many more “touches” on the ball & it is much easier to teach them the important concepts such as “support”, “First Defender”, to “shift & sag”, and to spread out & get open for passes. In small sided games with 5 or less players per side, you shouldn’t worry about “formations” or “positions” but should teach basic concepts, teamwork, passing, dribbling & basic tactics such as “shifting & sagging” & to mark up behind a man when the other team has a throw-in or is near our goal. To quote Bobby Howe, Director of Coaching Education for the U.S. Soccer Federation & author with Tony Waiters of 2 excellent books (see “Recommended References” in Chapter 3 for the titles):
Fewer players on the field
Reduces the size of the “swarm;”
Creates more touches;
Does not allow players to “hide” or be excluded from the activity;
Presents realistic but simple soccer challenges;
Requires players to make simple but realistic soccer decisions.
Realistic Experience + Fun = Improvement In Play.
Some coaches incorporate small sided play (e.g., 4 vs 4) into practices. However, this can be difficult to administer and is not a substitute for practicing specific skills.
(See “Number of Players“, “Formations“, “The Game Is The Best Teacher“, “Small Sided Games & Formations” which is No. 11 in the Section of Chapter 3 titled Basic Information & Tips for Beginning Coaches and the Comments at “Small Sided Scrimmage Without A Goalkeeper” in the Practice GamesTM).
Soccer Positions
See “Forwards” (F), “Fullbacks” (FB), “Midfielders” (MF), “Goalkeeper” (GK), and “Stopper” (S) & “Sweeper” (SW). LF is Left F, CF is Center F, RF is Right F, etc. In designating soccer positions, as you face the other team’s goal, Right (e.g., RMF) is to your right. (See “Formations“, “Small Sided“, “Number of Players” & “Zone Defense“).
Soccer Number of Players
The rules, which are called the “Laws of the Game,” call for 11 soccer players per side, although a soccer team can play with as few as 7. However, most youth soccer leagues play with fewer than 11 until age 12 or 14. Contact your soccer association to discuss their rules or go to “Laws of the Game” at www.fifa.com. (See “Formations“, “Positions” and “Small Sided“).