Why Play Small-sided Soccer?
By Graham Ramasy
What makes for skillful soccer play? What type of game encourages players to try clever tricks? The answer, obviously, is small-sided games. Yet, the vast majority of junior leagues in the country only play the adult game of 11-a-side, where chance and force generally crush skill. There should be a national crusade to advocate small-sided leagues. Then, skill would stand a better opportunity to flourish.
Small-sided games provide better prospects for enjoyable and educational participation for all concerned -- children, coaches, and parents -- than full-sided 11-v-11 games. If you wish your child or team to improve and express their creative abilities more fully, then consider small-sided soccer is the vehicle that offers these opportunities. It makes no difference whether you play 3-v3, 4-v-4, 5-v-5, 6-v-6, or 7-a-side)
Consider these reasons as well:
Simplify the game. For both players and coaches who are newcomers to this great sport, the best way to learn the game is by means of the simplified version, with fewer players on the field. In order to learn to play soccer well, youngsters need games that encourage the personal or fundamental skill development. Small-sided games are ideal for this purpose. The combination of the opportunity for each player to touch the ball often and make game-situation decisions on a scale a youngster can deal with successfully. Having fewer players makes it easier for younger players to see and understand their mental “pictures” of the game. This is the beginning of good-decision-making and the basis of skillful soccer.
More touches and more time. On the average, in 11-v-11 soccer, each player should touch or make contact with the ball around 30 or 40 timer per game. However, on each team, there tends to be a more physically developed child with a propensity to dominate the play, getting more than the average number of contacts. As a result, each team also tends to have more frail youngsters who will get fewer contacts. For these children, many of the touches will be poor or unsuccessful. Is this conducive for improving those children’s soccer skills? I think not! Less players on the field means more space per player, and more space means more time. For a player who is developing skills, time is an especially vital factor. More time will allow the child to make more composed decisions, thus, improve the skill level of that player.
Flexibility of positions. Another benefit of having fewer players on the field is that the coach is not trapped into thinking about systems of play. Instead, he can concentrate on basic techniques, skills, and very simple tactics. Coaches should not regiment children to certain positions or restrict them to playing in only one part of the field. By all means, the coach should give a position as a base of operations, but allow the players the freedom to go forward when attacking. This especially applies to back players, as I have seen three fullbacks standing like soldiers on guard watching the play from afar in their own penalty area while their forwards are trying to score at the other end.
Developmental versus professional model. The habit of thinking in adult terms often means children lose out. We tend to over-organize or blindly imitate the professional model. Because adults play 11-v11, then we think our children must play the same game. This is comparable to giving a child a quadratic equation as an introduction to math in elementary school. Absurd, yet we do it! Like any form of learning, the task must be reachable for children to obtain success and learn. This is why small-sided games are important to enjoyment and learning the sport.
Children are egocentric. Large-sided games are of little use to children. Their world, for the most part, is an individualistic one. Cries of “mine” or “that’s my ball, ” are common, especially for player younger than nine years old. These players crave instant feedback for their efforts as though they were playing the game alone. It is for this reason that youngsters naturally choose to play in groups of two or three, experimenting on their own terms. Adult concepts of team play, systems, and squads of 14-16 players have very little chance of success.
Furthermore, it is unrealistic – and unfair – for these children to play in competitive leagues where they cannot successfully compete because they lack fundamental skills. This is the time to learn by discovery and refine personal skills.
Take a look at how many of the world’s greatest soccer players began. The majority, like Pele, did not play on organized teams until they were 10 or older. These players gained their graceful skills from many hours of practicing by themselves with an old ball, or in small groups playing two-on-two. They played and practiced without worrying about the results. They experimented without being criticized. They gained confidence and, by their early teens, possessed a high degree of ability.
Consider this, as youngsters; very few exceptional players received direct coaching. Their parents may have encouraged them, but the young athletes were left to organize themselves. On their own, or with minimal adult supervision, the young athletes used their imaginations – a gift that children have in abundance – without being stifled by overbearing adults.
Often an enthusiastic parent and a small group of players provide a good example for a positive learning situation. The adult should assume a supervisory role, providing basic organization that will help the players learn by themselves. If the coach adds encouragement, then a soccer field will become a magical place.