U.S. Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives

[younothat]

U.S. SOCCER PLAYER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES OFFICIALLY ROLL OUT
BIRTH YEAR REGISTRATION, SMALL-SIDED GAME STANDARDS AND OTHER INITIATIVES NOW IN EFFECT
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...lopment-initiatives-official-as-of-aug-1-2017

CHICAGO (Aug. 1, 2017) – As a part of its mission to make soccer, in all its forms, the preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels, U.S. Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives (PDIs) are now officially integrated as a part of the soccer landscape.
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...bout-us-soccer-player-development-initiatives

Following a two-year implementation window with the announcement of PDIs in August 2015, U.S. Soccer’s 60 youth member organizations, including US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, American Youth Soccer Organization and Soccer Association for Youth are collectively set to roll out the new standards and initiatives, which include birth year registration and small-sided game standards.

“As a U.S. Soccer National Association we are proud to partner with the Federation on the implementation of the PDIs. Benefits have been already realized by our early adopters and we’ll see more as the PDI’s align with AYSO’s Vision, Mission, and Six Philosophies where the child; the player is our priority,” Scott Synder, AYSO Player Development Specialist said.

Small-sided standards, which provide a framework for field, goal and ball sizes, number of players, game length, and offside regulations as youth players progress from age six to 12, are intended to provide a consistent approach, according to developmental needs, to an on-field game environment that allows players to have a stronger opportunity to develop heightened soccer intelligence and on-the-ball skills.

Birth year registration, which requires that a youth player’s registration process is based on his/her birth year, allows for a consistent approach in how players are recognized for competition. Along with aligning the United States with the international standard observed by the majority of FIFA member nations, this step ensures that an increased focus will be on the developmental needs of the child within the context of his or her age group. Under this categorization, U-6 players for the upcoming 2017-2018 season will fall under birth year 2012, while U-12 players will be those players born in 2006. To simplify, an age group can be determined by subtracting the birth year from the year the season ends.

Year Season Ends – Birth Year = Age Group

2017 to 2018 – 2003 = U-15

The 60 U.S. Soccer youth member organizations registering more than four million youth players in the country will observe the standards and philosophies beginning today, if they have not done so already.

 

[younothat]

standards and philosophies beginning today
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...s-adopt-pdis-support-future-youth-development

 

[jrcaesar]

Are leagues/groups also following the longer halftime breaks (longer than 5 minutes)?

 

[LASTMAN14]

Not to deter from these new standards, but will US Soccer introduce a unified curriculum?

If they are truly trying to develop players than those who teach the game need to know what direction their suppose to go in.

 

[Deadpoolscores!]

I don't think AYSO will be doing the Build-out line. They have been doing 7v7 and 9v9 format for years and they are finally doing the age group as well but unfortunately they are still putting 2 age group for example U9 and U10 together considered U10 forcing a lot of players to play up. Yes it's Rec but the younger one's get discouraged when the compete against players that have 1 year of experience 7v7 same for 9v9 format.

 

[beastmodesmom]

I don't think AYSO will be doing the Build-out line. They have been doing 7v7 and 9v9 format for years and they are finally doing the age group as well but unfortunately they are still putting 2 age group for example U9 and U10 together considered U10 forcing a lot of players to play up. Yes it's Rec but the younger one's get discouraged when the compete against players that have 1 year of experience 7v7 same for 9v9 format.

Some regions are depending on their situations. The region my older non club kids are playing in are doing BOL's for 10u. They are also doing two year age group simply because of lack of coaches and field space. AYSO National is requiring all regions to be compliant by the 18-19 season. New sized goal nets as well.

 

[Daniel Miller]

US Soccer has, as usual, screwed the pooch with this one. I'm OK with the birth-year registration and restrictions on heading the ball. But the build-out lines, no-punt rule, and changes in the offside rule are asinine, pure and simple. These rules prevent kids from playing good soccer; they dumb down the game and stifle true development. They help kids play better soccer to the same extent that ebonics helps kids read better.

These rules were never tested in the real world before being imposed. In competent organizations not run on the basis on cronyism, these rules would never have gotten out of committee, because too many people dislike them and because there is no objective proof that these rules improve either the quality of team play or the "development" of any player. A little beta-testing might have been helpful.

US Soccer is a joke. It ruins more talent than it creates.

 

[espola]

US Soccer has, as usual, screwed the pooch with this one. I'm OK with the birth-year registration and restrictions on heading the ball. But the build-out lines, no-punt rule, and changes in the offside rule are asinine, pure and simple. These rules prevent kids from playing good soccer; they dumb down the game and stifle true development. They help kids play better soccer to the same extent that ebonics helps kids read better.

These rules were never tested in the real world before being imposed. In competent organizations not run on the basis on cronyism, these rules would never have gotten out of committee, because too many people dislike them and because there is no objective proof that these rules improve either the quality of team play or the "development" of any player. A little beta-testing might have been helpful.

US Soccer is a joke. It ruins more talent than it creates.

The players need a representative in all those rule-making committees that asks of all proposed changes - "will this result in kids playing less?"

 

[smellycleats]

I don't think AYSO will be doing the Build-out line. They have been doing 7v7 and 9v9 format for years and they are finally doing the age group as well but unfortunately they are still putting 2 age group for example U9 and U10 together considered U10 forcing a lot of players to play up. Yes it's Rec but the younger one's get discouraged when the compete against players that have 1 year of experience 7v7 same for 9v9 format.

Not true for AYSO Extra

 

[Grace T.]

The other thing, at least for our region, is that AYSO for U8 is doing 6v6 with goalkeepers and for U7 5v5 without GK. The issue is partly that they have a hard enough time getting enough coaches as it is and if they had to do 4v4 at U8 they'd have to say no to a lot more kids. There's also the philosophical reason....by U8 the kids and parent coaches are smart enough to figure out one kid should serve as the de facto goalkeeper.

 

[Deadpoolscores!]

Not true for AYSO Extra

Extra is fading away gradually thanks to the AYSO United initiative... people will eventually find out why pay so much for AYSO United once they realize that they level of coaching is not there. The Regions should just allow the AYSO Matrix program where United is.

 

[Grace T.]

Extra is fading away gradually thanks to the AYSO United initiative... people will eventually find out why pay so much for AYSO United once they realize that they level of coaching is not there. The Regions should just allow the AYSO Matrix program where United is.

In our region and our neighboring ones, Extras usually covers the U12-U9 and United the olders. Just anecdotal, but the U9 Extras team in our region actually had much less demand for our year (despite that they have a coach who knows what he's doing and is on par with many soccer club coaches)....though still a competitive tryout season, they wound up taking 2 players playing up and a girl (there was no equivalent U9 girls team) who is quite good. The age shuffle really did a number on them last year and the previous winning team wasn't able to hold together (which was a deciding factor in my moving DYS to club....the other one being that DYS really wants some time between the sticks and Extras required them rotating the position around).

Anyone have any sense how the United Teams are holding up? IIRC there still aren't very many of them but are they competitive on the club circuit?

 

[Deadpoolscores!]

In our region and our neighboring ones, Extras usually covers the U12-U9 and United the olders. Just anecdotal, but the U9 Extras team in our region actually had much less demand for our year (despite that they have a coach who knows what he's doing and is on par with many soccer club coaches)....though still a competitive tryout season, they wound up taking 2 players playing up and a girl (there was no equivalent U9 girls team) who is quite good. The age shuffle really did a number on them last year and the previous winning team wasn't able to hold together (which was a deciding factor in my moving DYS to club....the other one being that DYS really wants some time between the sticks and Extras required them rotating the position around).

Anyone have any sense how the United Teams are holding up? IIRC there still aren't very many of them but are they competitive on the club circuit?

I have yet to hear about any of the United teams competing in any tournaments but I could be mistaken. Yet I have heard they had their United tournament which ended up being a bunch of AYSO United teams playing against each other.

 

[cks1450]

Coached my first game with the Build out line last weekend in GU10 AYSO. Rather surreal scene. Early on their goalie was making a lot of saves.
It started to look like a horse race starting gate on that build out line as the goalie is trying to throw the ball out.
Not a good look at all.
I am sitting there watching it trying to think what am I supposed to do, have my players back off so we can have something that looks more like a soccer game ?

I had a prior season worth of experience where our GK could not punt, at all. So the whole run and throw routine was easy enough to put in place.

Right now its even more turnovers than before right in front of goal and its worse than playing against teams that didn't have any players with a strong leg to clear the ball out off a goal kick.

But I guess this is where we all start churning out our own Marcelo type players and changing US Soccer forever.

 

[Grace T.]

Coached my first game with the Build out line last weekend in GU10 AYSO. Rather surreal scene. Early on their goalie was making a lot of saves.
It started to look like a horse race starting gate on that build out line as the goalie is trying to throw the ball out.
Not a good look at all.
I am sitting there watching it trying to think what am I supposed to do, have my players back off so we can have something that looks more like a soccer game ?

I had a prior season worth of experience where our GK could not punt, at all. So the whole run and throw routine was easy enough to put in place.

Right now its even more turnovers than before right in front of goal and its worse than playing against teams that didn't have any players with a strong leg to clear the ball out off a goal kick.

But I guess this is where we all start churning out our own Marcelo type players and changing US Soccer forever.

My GK son in U9 is similarly struggling with the build out line. On the one hand, he thinks it's great because it reduces his chance of making a mistake and accidentally goalkicking or punting it to an opposing player (which he did a lot in the spring), and then facing a one v. one and the team is building out the back more. On the other hand, he had gotten his goalkicking technique to be pretty good and is now reverting to bad habits. It's kind of a myth that goalkicks are about a big leg.....there's quite a bit of technique to it including keeping the right shoulder back (for a right legged player), getting under the ball and following through...even a mediocre kid without a really big powerful leg can do a decent goalkick with proper training.

I was watching a few rival and girls U9 games at a tournament over the weekend. Some teams, including a RealSoCal team, adapted by having the GK pass to a designated defender who was then instructed to smack it up the line to either the winger or the center forward (who was usually the strongest player on the team). After watching the same play being run time and time again I began to wonder what exactly they are supposed to be teaching the kids. It just seems to just shift the pressure from the GK to the designated big legged defender.

 

[Grace T.]

My GK son in U9 is similarly struggling with the build out line. On the one hand, he thinks it's great because it reduces his chance of making a mistake and accidentally goalkicking or punting it to an opposing player (which he did a lot in the spring), and then facing a one v. one and the team is building out the back more. On the other hand, he had gotten his goalkicking technique to be pretty good and is now reverting to bad habits. It's kind of a myth that goalkicks are about a big leg.....there's quite a bit of technique to it including keeping the right shoulder back (for a right legged player), getting under the ball and following through...even a mediocre kid without a really big powerful leg can do a decent goalkick with proper training.

I was watching a few rival and girls U9 games at a tournament over the weekend. Some teams, including a RealSoCal team, adapted by having the GK pass to a designated defender who was then instructed to smack it up the line to either the winger or the center forward (who was usually the strongest player on the team). After watching the same play being run time and time again I began to wonder what exactly they are supposed to be teaching the kids. It just seems to just shift the pressure from the GK to the designated big legged defender.

There are also fewer fast breaks off a catch and javelin throw because the kids (rather than risk a turnover) play it conservatively and wait for the ref to enforce the build out line (at which all the forward opposing players line up like a line of scrimmage). Would like to see more coaches instructing players to look for the fast break rather than play the set piece of pass to the defender with the big leg and boot it up the CF.

 

[Grace T.]

3 tournaments in 3 weeks now and the hardest thing my DS is struggling with is the various rule changes re distribution at U9. For the first one he had full options (punting, throwing, kicking) and no line...still struggling goalkick judgment but his technique improved greatly over the summer and the turnovers that happened were judgment related, not technical. Second one had a build out line...his reaction...whew the pressure is off...but there were very few fast breaks and the pacing of the game slowed down a lot...most teams just played it out to the defender and some had designated big leg kickers whose job was to bang it down from the defensive corner up to the wings. Third one had no line but no punts and classic offside rules....had a couple pretty fast breaks off the javelin throw...like the dynamic on this one too but the team was frazzled...used to now building up the back and they flubbed a couple of potential fast breaks...DS was confused between going for the long goalkick or playing it safe to a defender (who'd sometimes try to switch it across the middle of the goal). Wish they'd all get on the same page for what they are doing. On the one hand, I suppose it's useful the teams get to operate with different rules that challenge them in various unique aspects of the game....on the other hand, it makes a mess of system if the team tries to put one in place (other than pass it to the big legged defender and boot it).

 

[timbuck]

I like the initiatives but the tournament season needs to fall in line.
My 07 daughter played this past weekend. They play 9v9. This tournament had 9 and 10 year old girls playing on the same size field as the u18 kids. They just put in a smaller goal for the youngest. The new initiatives are supposed to teach how to play on small spaces and stop the kickball.
I guess there was some good in playing 3 games, but they'd have been better off playing futsal instead of on a 100 yard field in 100 degree weather.

 

[mirage]

Do you suppose all the great players of the game had all these rules.

Are there a build out line for pickup/street soccer?

Thankfully my kids were left to just have fun playing when they were these ages. Probably both would have quit playing if there are too many rules - takes the fun away with too many restrictions and confusion.

Well, we'll see how much better these kids are by the time they reach older and into college ages. Also it would be interesting to see attrition rate for kids returning with and without the new initiative...

 

[Justafan]

Do you suppose all the great players of the game had all these rules.

Are there a build out line for pickup/street soccer?

Thankfully my kids were left to just have fun playing when they were these ages. Probably both would have quit playing if there are too many rules - takes the fun away with too many restrictions and confusion.

That's the point Mirage, there is no street soccer in the USA, at least relatively speaking. Trust me, I wish there was street ball down at the corner, but I've never seen it in any suburb. It's just not in our culture like it is in other countries. Futsal is probably the closest thing we'll ever have to street soccer in the USA and that's why I'm all for more futsal.

I always give this example when talking about the difference between soccer in the USA and other countries. In other countries, I always picture little kids, almost as soon as they can walk, kicking a soccer ball around in the living room/patio/backyard. As they age a little I can picture them playing with siblings/cousins/friends wherever they can simulate a game, be it in the house, street, against a wall, etc.

Compare that to the very first time my dd's were introduced to soccer at age 5. First practice was at a middle with a field the size of Montana. And what's the first thing they do? Drills! Then more drills. Shoot, how many times have seen warm up drills with little kids doing double scissors, step overs, helicopters, etc. I bet you we'll kill other countries when it comes to drills. Soccer IQ, touch, instincts is a while different ballgame. I think that's what we're trying to address in the USA.