CSA National Game Structure for Under 06

1.         Number of players on the Field - 4v4 – NO GOALIES

2.        Maximum team Size - 8 – 10 Players

3.        Mixed gender

4.        Game Duration - 2 halves of 20 or 25 minutes [or less] with substitutions happening during stoppages

5.        Ball Size - 3

6.        Field Size - 18m x 28 m [20 x 30 yards – marked off by coaches' steps]

7.           Goal Size - 8 ft x 4ft [Goal area marked off in a semi-circle] - Can’t score inside goal area

8.        Off-sides - No

9.        Throw-ins - No

10.       Corner kicks - No

11.        No refs - all rules applied by coaches – restarts done by coaches

12.       Encourage kids not to use their hands

Emphasis should be on movement and activity, not the functioning of a real soccer game, as we know it.

The most important concern at this age is introduction to body awareness, introduction to a soccer education environment, and most certainly enjoyment through activities/games related to soccer and physical education.

U 06 Characteristics

-          Differences between boys and girls are non-existent at this stage

-          Progress in motor development starts with head, moves downward to the feet, and then from the center of the body outward

Emphasis is on fundamental movement skills 

-          Walking, running, leaping, jumping, hopping

-          Bending, stretching, twisting, pulling, pushing

-          Basic Manipulative – throwing, catching, striking

-          Need to explore qualities of rolling and bouncing ball

Player development

-          Tend to only take one task at a time

-          Simple rules

-          Need generous praise

-          Play without pressure

-          Running activities

-          Games that develop co-ordination, agility and balance.

U 06 Technical

-          The ball is the number one obstacle - players must start to learn ball mastery

-          Individual Technical Work – Everybody with a ball as much as possible

-          Basic comfort ability with ball in relation to the body and movement

-          Dribbling – feet and hands - rolling the ball, pushing it, stopping it, introduction of surfaces, running with the ball

-          Receiving – feet and hands – catching, receiving ball with feet

-          No throw-ins; ball is played back in by the coaches or parents

-          There is no urgency in learning the rules of the game.

For specific diagrams of drills, please consult the CSA recourse “First Steps, first Kicks.”

Training Sessions [coaches can make up their own drills based on the following suggestions]

Duration                         1 hr

Breakdown: 

Warm-up                        5-10 mins

Possible activities:         could use one or a combination of these

                                      • set up a course with cones [ square, circle, rectangle, zig zag, et cetera] – no ball/ball

                                       - forward, backward, side step, hopping – 1 or 2 feet, et cetera

                                      • tag games – with or without ball

                                      • red light/green light – with or without ball – similar games

                                      • relay races

Drills                              10-15 mins

                                     
Possible activities – check the first steps first kicks book

Individual skills [ choose the appropriate skill for the level you are coaching and spend the appropriate time depending on their age]
Example: U-6 - start and stop, 5 min.

• Coerver moves – step over, drag back, scissor move, starting/stopping

- demonstrate a skill [drag back], have the players dribble in a defined space [10 x 10 grid] and when the coach signals, they practice the move

• King of the court [once players know this drill it can be a warm-up] – each player has a ball in a defined space  [10x10 grid] and they try to keep their ball while kicking someone else’s out of the grid.  If your ball gets kicked out go get it, run around the grid, then get back in

• practice juggling – head, thigh, feet; stationary – player with ball in hands, drop ball to thigh, “pop” it up and catch it, repeat; as they improve go from one thigh to the other [or twice on one] before catching; eventually it can be continuous

• dribble ball around cones – use straight lines, arcs, circle [race track], et cetera

• Relay races – teams of two or three [could have them dribble down and back or towards a cone then finish with a shot]

 
Partner/Group Skills

• passing lines - stationary - with partner – back and forth                                              

- groups of four, two at each side – pass, follow the pass and go to the end of that line

Games:                           20-30 mins

                                      Format - Depending on the age category: 3v3, 4v4 no GK, 4v4 plus GK, 7v7 including GK

                                      Follow the guidelines for the appropriate age category – refs, no refs, rules, et cetera