What is Mini Soccer ?
Mini-Soccer, which is now mandatory for all boys and girls under 10 on 1st September.
Mini-Soccer is particularly beneficial to this age group because it provides:
More touches of the ball increase participation which in turn leads to more enjoyment Fewer players on the pitch mean simpler decisions, better understanding
Smaller pitches mean greater concentration and more interest among participants
More individual success leads to more children playing. In the long-term, this leads to sustained participation levels beyond this age group
The main theme throughout Mini-Soccer is to meet the needs of children. Eleven-a-side Association Football does not meet those needs. Mini-Soccer fits the needs of children as too often children are modified to meet the requirements of a game. Mini-Soccer modifies Association Football without losing the essence of the game.
Mini-Soccer is the appropriate introduction to football. All available research and observation shows that children will have more fun and learn more playing a game with smaller teams and modified rules. Mini-Soccer is, therefore, a game children can actually play rather than struggling to understand a game created for adults.
What is Mini-Soccer?
The principles and rules of Mini-Soccer are similar to those in Association Football, except that the pitches are smaller and there are fewer players on each team. Depending on the age group, the number of players and size of pitch can vary from four a-side for the youngest to seven a-side for the under 10s. The goal size for all age groups is 12ft by 6ft (3.6m by 1.8m)
