Youth Soccer Kickoffs!

[@carljensen5730]

I just realized from the real game video that your center backs are much further up the field than I thought. Yes, very good strategy. Get them all in on the plays.

[@RickGladwin]

Your U12s respond really well to pressure. Well done.

[@coachbjorn]

Love your videos. On this one, I'd strongly urge the fullbacks/CBs NOT to start wide. I've seen many players have a tendancy to stay wide, ball-watching a bit, leaving the middle of the pitch open for an attack down Route One. I tell my defenders I want them in the middle of the pitch, because that's where the goal is. Younger teams, especially Rec teams, will have those players go to their spots and... stay there. "Pinch in" and "Push up" the two most common instructions I hear myself giving.

[@carljensen5730]

I agree with you! I think sometimes it is better to move wide than to start wide. When you start less wide, you have better opportunities to cut away from defenders wide. This is why we DO practice set plays, even though those plays have multiple outcomes, they are not completely rigid, but players know the different options and they know that a given player is going to cut wide for the pass.

[@UHollis]

took a while to get my U9 travel boys from playing forward directly after KO and trusting the process, everyone is buying in now. On Saturday morning match they strung together a kickoff to goal via S>CM>LCB>LFB>LCB>RCB>RFB>goal!! When they came in at water break I asked them about it and they were stoked, talking about how they created space!! When they get these little wins after buying into the process you can start to see it on their faces.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Heck yeah!! For sure once they buy in it makes a huge difference. Way to go coach!

[@watchinvideos22]

This is great stuff for a competitive team or what not but some of these things would never work during a recreation league game. If your lucky 2/3 out of the 7 field players are actually able to kick the ball correctly to play a pass which makes it very very difficult to play the ball back, create space and not lose it and give up a goal at this age group.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yes this is geared for competitive teams. But don’t underestimate rec players. I have done some of this (watered down) with rec players before.

[@RealActorsLab]

I've been scared to try this with my U10 girls, we have a very inexperienced team and I'm afraid it will backfire! @@CoachRorySoccer

[@carljensen5730]

I heard you say that if you play back then they have to defend the whole field and if you go forward, then they only have to defend half the field. However, when your team then brings the ball BACK to midfield how much of the field does the defense have to defend? Half the field. AND, by that time, the players are more bunched up. I coach 11 v 11, so there are some differences. We do a bit of tiki taka at kickoff which gives our two strikers time to get into position and it become sort of like a corner kick opportunity from the middle of the field instead of the corner. It perhaps sounds more difficult than it is. Given we practice rondos frequently, tiki taka is second nature to them. It has resulted in many goals within the first 15 seconds of a game. That sort of start can really have a mental effect on the other team. If a team adjusts for that on the next kickoff, then our strategy has different options.

[@jamesallen8917]

So we coach under 7s and we concede 80% of our goals from the kick off because we pass back to the defender and he passes wide in front of our goal. Instead now we have decided to pass back and instantly the wingers will run their line....and the defender will punt it to the corner flag, either way then we run onto the ball or we are pressing them straight away. This will cut out all risk for us and put the risk on them. You can still use variations of what ball you play through

[@michaelredlupino6528]

This changes my perspective a lot and I think will take some work with my kids. But seems like the right moves.

[@FCdribbler]

Thanks for the idea, I'll give this ago. I find all kids at most ages want to do is go forward and get the ball in the goal. They seem afraid to go backward and keep the ball, everything seems so rushed.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Once they get this down they’ll do it every time and get comfortable with it.

[@ChereeMunoz]

Just curious, I have a U10 comp team (first year). We dont have a strong defense who would be coordinated enough to receive the ball backwards. Would giving it to the mid field be a better option?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Sure. The idea is to open the field up make it bigger etc

[@kelley71]

So the 9 kicks back the the 4 on offense, the defense (2,3,9) runs like quarterhorses in a full on press at full speed. The have swarmed the backfield in a matter of 3-4 seconds. What is the strategy? This happened to us and the coach refused to change plan and the opposite team kept possession most of the game.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Same as would be on any build out. Where is space to build open? Are they covering your wing? Can you switch?

[@kelley71]

@@CoachRorySoccer Coach, I am just a parent that doesnt know much about soccer. However, I know American Football. I watched our boys get devoured the whole game by the same 3 defensive players and as a team, the boys did not adjust. It was an episode of Groundhog Day. Over and Over again. I appreciate the answer. I am trying to learn more about the game to show my 2 boys at home for supplemental learning.

[@Eli821000]

I have two kids in my U10 team who play a couple of quick wall passes and score. Obviously that does not always happen but often enough. Like this approach here though! Thanks Rory!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks! Understand what your saying.

[@carljensen5730]

I don't understand why you would have your defenders back so far. I completely see why you would want them involved in the play, I just don't see why they are back so far. I would have them up a bit, have the 9 pass directly to one of them, say the 5, as they are running forward and have your 6 stay where they are and your 9 pushes up just a bit. The 5 then takes the ball up and toward their 2 with two people to pass to, the 3 and the 6. I teach my players to time their passes or to dribble around a single defender. Not too hard, especially when they are running at you like a bullet, as most kids do. We practice this a lot so that in the game they are not intimidated by it.

[@keithyeah8348]

Looks like you are from the detroit area. What youth clubs do you recommend?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Born and raised in Detroit. Been in PA now 12 years. Check out my video on picking a club/team should help a little.

[@clintonlavine2879]

Are you allowed to have two or even three players in the kickoff circle if your team is kicking off?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yeah. No opposing players. For me this is unwise because you are closing space.

[@kyleking8635]

Doesn't the ball have to go forward before you kick it back? And the team on offense can be in the circle. It's the defending team who can't be inside the circle.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

No ball doesn’t have to go forward. Yes that’s correct the defenders cannot be in the circle.

[@missingbeagle]

The rule was changed in 2016. Before that, the ball did have to move forward.

[@christophermartinez4044]

Can you make a video on how to defend in the 231

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Sure! That’s good idea

[@jonathanpatkus7930]

Ambitious for 7v7 u8

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Can be done.

[@honestbrother4046]

please make more of 9 vs 9 tactics.. It's a request...

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Working on it!!!

[@NicoGandha]

how about shoot direct to oppponet's goal?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

I prefer to play in back and setup

[@dees3522]

what would matchday pregame warm up entail

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Got a video planned just on that!

[@dees3522]

@@CoachRorySoccer perfect! Really learning a lot from your videos

[@nofurtherwest3474]

I agree with you about playing it back on the kick off. But every now and then I want to see them go forward because I think it's a good problem solving exercise. We want kids to be good confident dribblers. But if they are always afraid to dribble at and through defenders then they will never learn. So, sometimes I say go for it. Of course not every time. Plus, with only 6 field players, they don't have much to contend with relatively speaking. If they can get past the opposing forwards then they just have to get past one or two other players which is quite doable at this age if you have competent forwards. Is that bad for development? Well yes I think it would be if that's all they did. But let's face it, even in the pros there are many times where forwards are on the attack and maybe they are 2v3 or 2v4 and they should drive and not stop and play it back every time.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yeah agreed. I just like to keep it as simple as possible at this age.

[@carljensen5730]

Sometimes you have that opportunity. We practice different kickoff strategies and one of them includes having three players in the circle and we do a little tiki taka to give the forwards a chance to get in place for what is sort of a corner kick type shot from midfield. I coach U14 11v11.

[@MikeBaas]

Go all the way back to CB, check the press and build out. Check!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

That’s what I do. I know it’s pretty simple and not for everybody but it works!

[@MikeBaas]

@@CoachRorySoccer Kickoffs "feel" like you are already in the second 3rd of the field, but really, you are in an abnormal situation where all the defensive players are back and protecting their half If you think it through in your right mind, you would never choose to attack that because they are winning the numbers game. What we tend to do is play the ball as quickly as we can to the 9.... who, on last analysis gets pummeled by the entire defensive side. We'll start the buildout and have our composure going forward after this video!

[@stephenadamf]

Playing it back and then switching fields at U8 is not going to end well if the opponent has any athleticism or skill.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

You’d be surprised what kids are capable of doing. Just have to be comfortable with them making mistakes.