How to Coach Young Soccer Players on Positions

Start small, and players will be able to comprehend positions when they move up to full-sided games.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start with 4-a-side teams, then 6- or 7-a-side, before going on to regulation 11-on-11. In the early stages, players can start to sort themselves out in small-sided games.

    • 2

      Ask your players how they can best defend and attack. What is width and why might it help the team? If you start in small-sided games, they'll be able to come up with the answers.

    • 3

      Keep positions flexible until kids play 11-a-side. One approach is to designate a central defender and a central attacker, with the rest of the positions fairly free. This way, players will come to understand basic positions over time.

    • 4

      Teach 11-a-side players positions through zones on the field: defensive, midfield and striking zones. An ideal formation is 4-3-3, which means positioning 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 strikers in the three distinct zones.

    • 5

      Allow the player who wants to be goalkeeper to play that position. If no one does, rotate so that everyone is a goalie at some point.

    • 6

      Use games to teach formations. Games that emphasize passing prepare a team for three-zone, full-field soccer.

    • 7

      Make the field as large as possible when learning to play in zones. This will give players more room to spread out, and force them to pass.

    • 8

      Widen or narrow the field according to ability, with younger players on narrower fields. This makes passing more manageable.