Coaching Resources & Info

Soccer skills kids need to learn within each age group

Remember to play lots of games at practice that encourage the skills they need to learn.

Practice should be fun!

We play a hybrid version of real soccer here in Falls City. With many of our coaches not having played soccer growing up, it's difficult to play with the normal rules. Most of the rules have been adjusted to suit our age/skill groups.

Coaches decide before kick-off how many players they are playing with. Normally we play with 11 players, but sometimes we don't done have everyone with us.

Preschool/Kindergarten don't have many rules. Coaches are one the field trying to keep the ball from going out of bounds. When the ball goes out, have the kids take turns throwing the ball back into play over their head.

1st - 2nd Grade we start to use the out of bounds and again have the players put the ball back in play over their heads (2 feet on the ground and the ball over their head)

3rd - 5th Grades We start introducing positions ( Described Below in detail). We also introduce corner kicks but we have them throw them in over their head to make it a little easier.

Preschool & Kindergarten

· Learn to dribble (Moving with the ball under control) and to score goals.

· Try to get them to spread out if you can. (They probably won’t)

1^st & 2^nd Grade

· Continue dribbling skills.

· Introduce passing to teammates (They usually won’t pass at this age because they are so excited to get the ball they don’t want to give it up, but it’s good to practice it anyway).

· Introduce throwing in a ball from the sideline (2 feet on the ground and the ball over their head).

3^rd & 4^th & 5^th

· Continue dribbling and passing skills

· Continue ball throw in skills making sure they keep both feet on the ground with the ball over their head and actually passing it to a teammate

· Introduce player positions

o Teams usually have 4 lines of positions

o Goalkeeper ( Goalie )

o Defenders

§ Defenders are the last line of defense trying to protect the goalie and should take the ball away and pass it up to the midfielders

o Midfielders

§ Midfielders have to do it all. They are the quarterbacks/point guards of the offense & the middle linebackers of the defense. They are usually your best athletes good at defense and passing

o Forwards

§ Forwards are usually fast and solid kickers. They are closest to the opponent’s goal and take the passes from the midfielders and hopefully score.

Middle School

· Continue dribbling and passing skills

· Introduce corner kicks

o If a defensive player is the last one to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds on the same sideline as the defensive goal without going into the goal, the offensive team gets a corner kick

o A corner kick is an opportunity to score

o An offensive player kicks the ball from the corner toward their teammates at the front of the goal hoping a teammate will deflect the ball into the goal

· Introduce penalty (direct) kicks

o If a player commits a penalty, then a player from the other teams gets to attempt to kick the ball from the spot of the foul into the goal or pass it to a teammate in an attempt to score. Defensive players can attempt to get in the way of the ball ( form a wall of 2 to 5 players ) using their bodies but not their hands.

o If the penalty is committed inside the penalty box ( box outlined with cones in front of the goal ) then a player from the other team gets a penalty kick ( a 1 on 1 scoring opportunity against the goalie with no defenders).