Football Dissected

I saw a report recently that argued on three major issues concerning youth development in England. The first issue was that kids in England are playing on full-sized adult pitches when they’re too young. The second was that kids were playing competitive football at too young of an age when compared to their European counterparts. And the third, equally important, was that the kids were unnecessary playing in big teams i.e. 11-a-side.

Regarding playing on full-sized pitches, there’s no doubt that kids shouldn’t be playing on them as it hinders their development. They should be playing on smaller sized pitches, ideally ones that are meant for 5-a-side games. The reasons are simple and straightforward. Playing on a small pitch means corresponds to their young size and levels of technical ability and skill. There are some youth teams of Under 10s who are playing on full-sized pitches whereas most European countries don’t allow their youngsters anyway near a full-sized pitch until they’re at least 12 and in some countries, particularly Spain, until they’re 14.

In the case of boys, it’s often argued that youngsters, even Under 7s, want to play competitive football. But aren’t boys naturally competitive anyway? I know I certainly was. So wouldn’t it be better to have young players focusing more on skill and ability rather than looking to secure 3 points? And wouldn’t this do away with the problem of parents screaming from the touchline? In some European countries they don’t allow competitive football until kids are 10 – in England it’s as low as the Under 7s level. Kids should still play matches, but they shouldn’t be competitive – they shouldn’t be part of a league structure where 3 points is the difference between champions and runners-up.

The problem with playing on unnecessarily big teams is that it prevents the player from getting enough touches of the ball. Ideally, all players under the age of 11 should be playing 5-a-side games. In 5-a-side games, the players all get more touches of the ball when compared to players playing in an 11-a-side team. Getting more touches gradually translates into more confidence when on the ball, which then translates into gradual improvement in ability and skill.

As a volunteer coach of a local football club where I live, I’ve been struck by the fact that the Under 9s practice on a full-size indoor pitch (note: they don’t practice on outside pitches during the winter). And I’ve also been struck by the fact that the kids are playing competitive football on weekends i.e. matches that contribute to a league table. And there are some talented players at the Under 9s, but only time will tell if they’ve been coached properly.