8 v 8 or 11 v 11 for U12

[Unregistered]

What is your opinion?

I'm leaning towards 8 v 8 for U12 to increase touches on the ball.

[Unregistered]

Seen to many ugly 11v11 games at U12 this year. 8V8.

[Unregistered]

Too much fixation with chronological age.

The real factors should be biological age and technical and physical abilities.

Until that becomes a real factor, the rest of the argument is arbitrary.

[Unregistered]

Too much fixation with chronological age.

The real factors should be biological age and technical and physical abilities.

Until that becomes a real factor, the rest of the argument is arbitrary.

There are 3-4 teams at the U12 age, who are ready for 11v11. Fundamentally, I agree that most teams should be playing 8v8, but there are some teams who have outgrown the 8v8 field and need further challenges.

[Unregistered]

8v8. My son plays 11v11. I wish this MAPLE change happened early enough to help him this season.

[Unregistered]

There are 3-4 teams at the U12 age, who are ready for 11v11. Fundamentally, I agree that most teams should be playing 8v8, but there are some teams who have outgrown the 8v8 field and need further challenges.

What do you mean by outgrown? curious...

[Unregistered]

What do you mean by outgrown? curious...

The players who can make the passes, spread the field, hold their positions. No one can deny the fact that there are some players (teams) who have "outgrown" 8 v 8. When goalies and the defense kick it from goal to goal, it's time to move on.

[Unregistered]

The players who can make the passes, spread the field, hold their positions. No one can deny the fact that there are some players (teams) who have "outgrown" 8 v 8. When goalies and the defense kick it from goal to goal, it's time to move on.

Goalies (a hockey term) and the defense shouldn't be kicking it from goal to goal. If they are, time for a new coach, not a new format.

[Unregistered]

The players who can make the passes, spread the field, hold their positions. No one can deny the fact that there are some players (teams) who have "outgrown" 8 v 8. When goalies and the defense kick it from goal to goal, it's time to move on.

If they are kicking it from goal to goal... isn't that poor coaching? Why aren't they building out of the back and possessing and switching the play with combinations. According to US Youth Soccer, Development over winning for U12.

[Unregistered]

If they are kicking it from goal to goal... isn't that poor coaching? Why aren't they building out of the back and possessing and switching the play with combinations. According to US Youth Soccer, Development over winning for U12.

Exacty. Once you have a keeper who can kick it from box to box then you have a keeper who is strong enough that he can dial it back and work on distributing the ball with accuracy all around the field.

What happens too much is that keepers can only kick it 100% power with 0 thought put towards location (possesion, defenders, building, counter attack, etc).

Moving the keeper that can boot it the length of the field to a bigger field only delays their development two or more years until they are strong enough to kick it most of the field on the big field. Keeps them on the small field and allow them to dial back power and trade it for tactics.

[Unregistered]

The players who can make the passes, spread the field, hold their positions. No one can deny the fact that there are some players (teams) who have "outgrown" 8 v 8. When goalies and the defense kick it from goal to goal, it's time to move on.

With regard to development, if you really believe that you have U12 players that have 'outgrown' 8 v 8 then the club should play them up to get a better challenge. Unfortunately, they won't in preference to winning at their own age group.

As for kicking the ball from 'goal to goal', the coach should discourage that and stress control of the ball. If I were to guess, you either has a wrong perception of how good your U12 team is (could be that they are bigger and fast and dominate the field) or are too good for U12. Either way, they can play up an age group.

[Unregistered]

11v11

The preoccupation with " more touches " in the game is nonsense. Touches on the ball are for practice sessions. I would agree to 8v8 once children under 12 have mastered the ability to settle the ball from anywhere and everywhere, strike with accuracy and power using both feet, and have a basic understanding of tactics.

Less games and scrimmages at the U9 amd U 10 ages is what is realy needed, and less emphasis on winning and ego gratification for the parents and coaches.

11v11 allows more players participating at once, more fitness per session and the foundation for movement to all areas of the playing area. Fields for 11V11 need to be no larger than say, 55 X 110.

[Unregistered]

What do you mean by outgrown? curious...

It means every team but his kid's team. There are perhaps a handful of U12's who are capable of either making or receiving a 70 yard cross. All teams should be playing 8 v 8 at this age. It is a no brainer.

[Unregistered]

11v11

The preoccupation with " more touches " in the game is nonsense. Touches on the ball are for practice sessions. I would agree to 8v8 once children under 12 have mastered the ability to settle the ball from anywhere and everywhere, strike with accuracy and power using both feet, and have a basic understanding of tactics.

Less games and scrimmages at the U9 amd U 10 ages is what is realy needed, and less emphasis on winning and ego gratification for the parents and coaches.

11v11 allows more players participating at once, more fitness per session and the foundation for movement to all areas of the playing area. Fields for 11V11 need to be no larger than say, 55 X 110.

It is not nonsense. Touches in practice do not compare to touches in a game situation. Things happen faster and the pressure a player faces is different. Games are where you apply what you learn in training and how a coach evaluates how his players are taking training experience and translating it into a game situation.

During my years I have seen players who are great at practice but choke during games and vice versa.

[Unregistered]

The players who can make the passes, spread the field, hold their positions. No one can deny the fact that there are some players (teams) who have "outgrown" 8 v 8. When goalies and the defense kick it from goal to goal, it's time to move on.

Watched a town game this weekend.... U10 girls, I would say the passing and ball movement was pleasure to watch. The coach is doing a great job with these kids!! Final score didn't even justify the control over the game they had, they were playing keep away for the whole second half. moving the ball all around the field and had control of the ball at one time for what appeared to have been at least 5 minutes by just moving the ball around.

Again these are U10 girls playing only 6v6, but it was real nice to watch.