11v11 @ U11...is this crazy?

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NEW!! SPRING 2014 LEAGUE INFORMATION

NYCSL Premier League (NYCSL PL)
NYCSL, under the sanctioning of US Club Soccer, will offer a highly competitive regional based league for U11-U18 teams in the Fall and Spring seasons. The League will be comprised of teams from Westchester, Hudson Valley, Connecticut, Long Island, 5 NYC Boroughs and New Jersey for each gender/age group. The league is structured to accommodate teams that are seeking the highest level of competition. The League is structured to provide participating teams/clubs with the appropriate level of competition, while maintaining a challenging environment for individual and team development.
All U11 and U12 age groups will play 9v9 small sided in order to better aide player development.
U10-U18 age groups will play a traditional 9 game Spring Season.
All Premier League (U11-U18) winners will qualify to play at the US Club Regionals in the Spring of 2014.
NYCSL Travel League

NYCSL, under the sanctioning of US Club Soccer, operates a traditional travel league for U9-U18 teams. The league will place teams based on ability and geographic location. Each season, teams will be promoted and/or relegated based on the results of the prior season. All teams will play a 9 game Spring Season The League is structured to provide participating teams/clubs with the appropriate level of competition, while maintaining a challenging environment for individual and team development. (Please note that in the South (Long Island, 5 NYC Boroughs) All U7 & U8 Leagues operate under JSS).

NY State Cup

The NY State Cup for U9-U18 teams is modeled after the UEFA Champions League; each team plays at least three preliminary games during the Fall Season, followed by single elimination rounds of play, culminating with final matches to be played on a weekend in the Spring.

I have never said that 8 v 8 or 9 v 9 doesn't have benefits, but I don't feel that 11 v 11 necessarily retards development. This fine line is completely dependent on the coach and the training offered and how it is scheduled. An obsession with either one is simply incorrect and conclusive statements about either is foolish.

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Quote :

Gareth Southgate, the former English International and Premier manager who is now the Football Association’s head of Elite Development in soccer-crazy England, says if England is going to be able to compete with the rest of the world, dramatic changes need to be made at the youth level. The FA wants to ban 11v11 soccer until the young players are at the U13 level. They base this in part on the fact that Spain (world champions) France and Italy (both former recent world champions) do NOT play 11v11 until U14.

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what have you done for me lately

Quote :

Gareth Southgate, the former English International and Premier manager who is now the Football Association’s head of Elite Development in soccer-crazy England, says if England is going to be able to compete with the rest of the world, dramatic changes need to be made at the youth level. The FA wants to ban 11v11 soccer until the young players are at the U13 level. They base this in part on the fact that Spain (world champions) France and Italy (both former recent world champions) do NOT play 11v11 until U14.

Thanks for taking a picture in time out of context. Before I say another word, if you want to change things dramatically then maybe there will be some benefit i.e. no 11 v 11 until U14. But the idea that one more year of 8 v 8 at U12 is so much better than playing 11 v 11 at U12 is not founded in any evidence based writing...opinion yes....factual data no.

You specifically chose 3 of the 4 World Cup finalist (2006 and 2010) while omitting Germany. You also specifically omitted many other teams that have been ranked or placed higher since 2006.
Current rankings are:

Rnk Team Pts +/- Pos
1 Spain 1510 0
2 Germany 1336 0
3 Argentina 1234 0
4 Portugal 1199 0
5 Colombia 1183 0
6 Uruguay 1126 1
7 Switzerland 1123 -1
8 Italy 1112 0
9 Brazil 1104 0
10 Belgium 1084 1
11 Netherlands 1077 -1
12 England 1045 3
13 Greece 1038 -1
14 USA 1017 -1
15 Chile

Tell me what these countries do for their youth training and up to what age?? i really don't know, but if really want to convince the non-believers, you should speak more than what the #1, 8....and ??? are doing vs. 2-7, 9-16.....or more

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many of the ranked nations play 6v6 and move to 8v8 at U12 and 11v11 at U13/14.

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many of the ranked nations play 6v6 and move to 8v8 at U12 and 11v11 at U13/14.

'many' is a vague answer and the equivalent to when people quote the very prolific research group 'they' who are often referred to as 'they say'.

When I read about different opinions and see different age groups playing 6 v 6 (U10 and younger), 8 v 8 (U11... and +/- U12), 9 v 9 (U12....+/- U13) and 11 v 11 (50% of U12 and almost all U13....) is evident that the answer is not truly or fully known, or perhaps appreciated.

As I have said, it really comes down to how the coach runs the team and trains the players. I have no doubt that the better the coach, the less it matters whether or not a U12 team (currently the most debated age group in the US....or so 'they say') plays 11 v 11 or 8 v 8. A couple of interesting examples are clubs that provide a mix of game playing experience. Explosion, Valeo, NEFC (top U12 team), Stars (top U12 team) have, so far this year played a mix of small sided (5 v 5, 7 v 7, 8 v 8) and full sided (11 v 11) games. I watched these teams at the NEFC tournament and watched some very very nice play with the kids getting many controlled touches on the ball and pretty nicely executed team play i.e. no kick and run ball.

In my mind (whatever is left as I age) it is yet to be determined what to do at these intermediate age groups, but the coach is the most important variable regardless. Perhaps a mix of game play formats is better than any one specific one.

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'many' is a vague answer and the equivalent to when people quote the very prolific research group 'they' who are often referred to as 'they say'.

When I read about different opinions and see different age groups playing 6 v 6 (U10 and younger), 8 v 8 (U11... and +/- U12), 9 v 9 (U12....+/- U13) and 11 v 11 (50% of U12 and almost all U13....) is evident that the answer is not truly or fully known, or perhaps appreciated.

As I have said, it really comes down to how the coach runs the team and trains the players. I have no doubt that the better the coach, the less it matters whether or not a U12 team (currently the most debated age group in the US....or so 'they say') plays 11 v 11 or 8 v 8. A couple of interesting examples are clubs that provide a mix of game playing experience. Explosion, Valeo, NEFC (top U12 team), Stars (top U12 team) have, so far this year played a mix of small sided (5 v 5, 7 v 7, 8 v 8) and full sided (11 v 11) games. I watched these teams at the NEFC tournament and watched some very very nice play with the kids getting many controlled touches on the ball and pretty nicely executed team play i.e. no kick and run ball.

In my mind (whatever is left as I age) it is yet to be determined what to do at these intermediate age groups, but the coach is the most important variable regardless. Perhaps a mix of game play formats is better than any one specific one.

The simple fact of the matter is that very few sports have children playing on an adult sized field. It has nothing to do with development. The field is designed for adults, most of whom cannot run a full match or even struggle to utilize the full width of the pitch. Even big,strong kids cannot pass the ball effectively much more than 20 yards, not to mention the insanity of having to cover box to box.
It is a farce that should be eliminated and it is only the old school traditionalists and club owners who feel otherwise. (And look where that has got us).

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The simple fact of the matter is that very few sports have children playing on an adult sized field. It has nothing to do with development. The field is designed for adults, most of whom cannot run a full match or even struggle to utilize the full width of the pitch. Even big,strong kids cannot pass the ball effectively much more than 20 yards, not to mention the insanity of having to cover box to box.
It is a farce that should be eliminated and it is only the old school traditionalists and club owners who feel otherwise. (And look where that has got us).

Agreed !!

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Agreed !!

Please this is all a bit silly. If your kid is small and does not have the skill and strength then play 8v8. If your kid is a top player, they can handle 11v11.


Sorry if your kid can't manage 11v11 at u11 or the club doesn't offer it, they are either
1. Not that good
2. Are not strong enough
3. The club is not a top club
4. The club is trying to maximize profit

You can quote other soccer leagures and development systems... but we live here and if you don't follow the big guys, you get left behind.

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what about touches on the ball being more important at this age and for development?
getting fit to run on a bigger field entails cardio and endurance work (which is hopefully added)- but isn't working the ball the best part of having competitive games @ this age?

Bingo. If you favor of 11 v 11 at younger ages (or oppose the transition to 8 v 8 even at U12), and you're talking about GKs, dominant strikers and wins and losses, then it's no more complicated than you care more about wins and losses than development.

And to the person who mentioned clubs would want the bigger game at the younger ages because of money, well, maybe, but if any party is guilty of caring more about winning, than simply being competitive regardless of the result, never mind individual development, it's the parents.

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Northeast Pre-Academy league is 8v8 THRU U12. 11v11 doesn't start until U13.

11v11 at young ages is ridiculous.

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Anyone who believes that 8v8 is about development is delusional. All I heard this weekend was coaches screaming at 9,10 & 11 year old kids. Trying to control every move they make on the field. One coach pulled a kid off the field, pointing his finger in his face, and telling him "If you want to play on this team, you better start pulling your own weight". Didn't look like much fun to me.

Believing 8 v 8 means you're delusion because of some idiot coach you watched last weekend? OK, that makes sense.

That's a commentary on the coach, not whether or not 8 v 8 is about development.

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Please this is all a bit silly. If your kid is small and does not have the skill and strength then play 8v8. If your kid is a top player, they can handle 11v11.


Sorry if your kid can't manage 11v11 at u11 or the club doesn't offer it, they are either
1. Not that good
2. Are not strong enough
3. The club is not a top club
4. The club is trying to maximize profit

You can quote other soccer leagures and development systems... but we live here and if you don't follow the big guys, you get left behind.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The 11 yr old child is not physically capable of performing adequately on a full sized pitch. Even superb athletes at that age cannot cover the range of the field, including proper distance of ball movement.
NO goalie at this age can cover a full size net.
Basketball players play on lowered hoops. Baseball, even in high school, does not have 400ft fences.
These are 10 yr olds.
"Follow the big guys" to where? The success of US soccer so far, or to the bank, where so many of the club owners seem to visit regularly.

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Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The 11 yr old child is not physically capable of performing adequately on a full sized pitch. Even superb athletes at that age cannot cover the range of the field, including proper distance of ball movement.
NO goalie at this age can cover a full size net.
Basketball players play on lowered hoops. Baseball, even in high school, does not have 400ft fences.
These are 10 yr olds.
"Follow the big guys" to where? The success of US soccer so far, or to the bank, where so many of the club owners seem to visit regularly.

Agreed !!

[Unregistered]

Please this is all a bit silly. If your kid is small and does not have the skill and strength then play 8v8. If your kid is a top player, they can handle 11v11.


Sorry if your kid can't manage 11v11 at u11 or the club doesn't offer it, they are either
1. Not that good
2. Are not strong enough
3. The club is not a top club
4. The club is trying to maximize profit

You can quote other soccer leagures and development systems... but we live here and if you don't follow the big guys, you get left behind.

You sir a a Tool with a small manhood. Do that kid of yours a favor and put up him or her for adoption before they turn 11. Drives home from the fields must be lovely for them! NOT

[Unregistered]

Please this is all a bit silly. If your kid is small and does not have the skill and strength then play 8v8. If your kid is a top player, they can handle 11v11.


Sorry if your kid can't manage 11v11 at u11 or the club doesn't offer it, they are either
1. Not that good
2. Are not strong enough
3. The club is not a top club
4. The club is trying to maximize profit

You can quote other soccer leagures and development systems... but we live here and if you don't follow the big guys, you get left behind.

Pretty sure this clown poster is only trying to stir things up a bit... Having said that... of course kids can "manage" 11 v 11 at u11. Kids playing baseball at that age can "manage" to play baseball at Fenway park too. It doesn't mean it is a good idea all things considered (aside from the novelty of playing there).