Reshaping Youth Soccer (3v3)

• Practice: No difference-10 players per team with 1 coach and helpers

• Games: Still 10 players but split in to two 5 player teams

• One “team” split into 2 groups (A and B) of 5 players

• “A1” plays against “B1” from another team and teams switch opponent at half time

• 3 players on field maximum. No goalkeepers.

• Can use corner flags for goals, or may buy additional goals if needed

• Can use colored flat cones for boundaries, if necessary

• No extra practice fields needed

• Coach works with same number of kids at practice.

• Use coaches/parents as field moderators.

• Excellent Training for Youth Referees

• It will be easier to recruit parents to help “referee” as it will less scary to monitor 6 kids than 14. Helps parents learn the sport also.

• Small sided games rarely need more than one referee to cover the field. Under 6’s playing 3v3 rarely have need for the referee to solve a dispute more serious than who’s throw-in or goal-kick it is.

• At  practices, there is no difference than before: one coach with helpers

• At games, the main coach would need helper/assistant coach to watch one of the teams.  This should not be a problem as the main focus of the coach at this age group is to make sure the kids don't get hurt and have fun. No high level coaching is neccessary.

• It will be EASIER to recruit assistant or co-coaches as 3v3 would be less threatening as a parent only has to worry about only 5 players not 10.

• Would help learning curve for new coaches as they don’t have to worry about positions, midfield and larger numbers of players on the field

• Dominant player will be dominant at 3v3 OR 7v7. Surprisingly, studies have shown having less players on the field actually means that the dominant players will NOT always have the chance to dominate like they do in 7 v 7 and above. 

• Although it appears a player would be more dominating at 3v3, the fewer numbers and smaller field cause more responsibility to defend and a dominant player is “ganged up” on more often causing a loss of ball.

• Speed of a player becomes less important on a smaller field.

• A dominating team due to “excellent passing” is more likely to be a problem, but this is not a worry at u6.

• Instead of throw-ins, by allowing adult "sideline helpers" to throw/roll the ball back into a central open area, more less-dominant players will be able to get to the ball.
  
• In the split-field system, coaches are required to split up their stronger players onto seperate team to balance the teams out.
  
• If their are still dominant plays, coaches should adjust subs between the 2 teams, so more aggressive players play against each other, so less aggressive players can step up.

• First of all, coaches should never tell any player, especially a U-5/6, not to score.

• Coaches should understand that the goal is not to win, but to help ALL the kids of all abilities have fun and learn the sport. The coaches will be trained how to balance their teams.

• In the split-field system, coaches are required to split up their stronger players onto seperate team to balance the teams out.
  
• Coaches should switch more aggressive players between the two teams at quarter break if needed to balanced teams.
  
• If known beforehand, coaches should try to play aggressive players against each other.

How do we teach defense with only 3 players?

• The focus for U-6 player should be offensive skills. Saying that, U-6 players need to learn how to defend 1 against 1 before moving on to any defensive system

• With 3v3, players naturally start to learn defensive roles as they are forced to learn how to defend against a player and also and how to position themselves to defend a goal.

• With 3v3, teammates are forced to help each other defend more instead of relying on the dominant player.

• In contrast, with 8v8, coaches tend to place 2-3 players back on the penalty box line and are told to kick the ball away. The players do as they are told, stand there all game long and rarely move. They are particpate in the game when the ball comes to them, if they are even paying attention. And then, they just kick it away.

• They are NOT learning about the principles of defending, besides just kicking the ball away. This actually stifles the players ability to learn more about defending, as it is not age-appropriate.

• The focus should be on soccer foot skill development. As amusing as it is to watch a 5 year old try to pick up a ball with feet kicking at his head or hands, the skills a child needs to play soccer are from field play, not goalkeeping.

• Goalkeeper development comes at a older age.

• At larger numbers, the goalkeeper usually stands for the entire quarter doing very little and this does not help his/her development as a player.

• Believe it or not, but allowing goals at this age may hurt a child self-confidence.

• Without goalkeepers, the U6 age player will not hold back as much by seeing a goalkeeper and will try to score more often instead of stopping. In turn, this will force all the players to learn to defend more.

• If all 10 players show up, 2 players will play 3 quarters and 3 will play 2 quarters.

• Every week, the players in 3 quarters should change.Coaches should adjust accordingly if less numbers show up, which occasionally happens.

• No players should play 4 quarters until all have played 3 quarters

• Teams can play with a minimum of 2 players, but both coaches should try to keep the numbers even if possible.

• This is an adult-oriented argument that 3v3 is not "real" soccer.

• 3v3 is appropriate for this age group to understand the basic principles of soccer.

• A jump to higher numbers only complicates learning process for U6 players.

• If more players, less touches by players and more places to hide.

• Logistically, 3v3 is easier to switch to:

  - Don’t have to have to find or add practice or game fields

- Don’t have to change roster size

- Don’t need more coaches or referees

• Coaches don't have to worry about unnecessary field positions and can instead focus on the fundamentals

• Any notion that players will be less prepared to play 11v11 is not justified.

• In the past, young players were forced to play 11v11 before their bodies were physically and mentally prepared to play the adult version of the game. In effect, they were weaker players because of this.

• Progressing from 3v3, to 4v4, to 7v7 before 11v11 is a sound educational method and teaches all the main principles of soccer at a level that U6 players can understand.

• Many leagues around the world have agreed with this progressive development of building blocks and have moved to small-sided games for their younger players.

• With the shift to 3v3 for Under 6, Region 88 now has a completely progressive format for youth soccer developent.

• Change is sometimes difficult. If coaches leave because of this, they are coaching for the wrong reasons.

• It will actually be easier to find new coaches as they won’t have to worry about complexities of positions, midfield play and tactics.

• Most coaches in U-6 are novices and in U-6 for 1-2 years.  Regionn 88 is making decisions based on what is best for the kids, not because some coaches don’t like it for some reason.

• This is strongly recommended by AYSO National, US Soccer, and most of the world. How can we NOT do it?

• As for losing parents or players, that is a parents choice. After much research and discussion, we feel that this is an appropriate format for this age group. Parents are free to take their children to another region.

• Arguments for and against 3v3 could be argued forever by soccer novices and long-time soccer experts

• The fact is AYSO National, US Soccer and much of the world has agreed after long debate that starting at 3v3 is the best course of progressive development for U6 youth players.

• Who are we to argue their experience, research and studies, as well as what we have experienced in our own region?

• AYSO National gives regions flexibility to NOT implement a program for logistical reasons such as lack of fields, lack of goals, not enough volunteers, or players, etc.

• As shown in this report, soccer leagues can easily overcome any of these problems.