Soccer Rules for Kids

Soccer is a game that has a variety of rules that may feel odd, at first, to most children. Up until the time they begin to play soccer, most things they do are with their hands. The first “rule” to impress on children is that soccer is a game of the feet, but hands are never used except by the goaltender. This is a fairly straightforward lesson to be taught and can be reinforced by making a guideline that all practice soccer balls are to be moved with the feet, at all times. Don’t be surprised if you spend one complete practice chasing wayward soccer balls, but in the end the kids will learn control a whole lot faster through trial and error, rather then strict instruction. This period also gives the coaches a chance for one-on-one instruction and evaluation of each child’s skill set. If you have a child who just cannot grab the concept of controlling the ball with their feet, and insists on carrying the ball, don’t fight too hard to correct that, but realize you may have a prime candidate for goaltender.

The hardest guideline for a child to grasp in the game of soccer is “off sides”. Off sides can be explained to a child in a variety of ways, however, the easiest way to teach off sides all depends on the children’s age. Between 3 and 9, the fastest way to teach the concept of off sides is to explain that if the player is without a ball, that player should never be between the last defensive player and the opposing goaltender. Some younger leagues have chosen to ignore this rule to save playing time, but if it is not taught early, it will be a hard habit to break later on. If your league has chosen to enforce off sides then make sure each practice session includes an off sides drill because children struggle daily with area awareness.

As with any game, the most important rule when dealing with children is to make sure they have fun. As adults, we sometimes forget that rules governing games and quite frankly life, are often viewed by children as nothing more than guidelines. This can make an otherwise fun and exciting game, much more taxing on the adults who are trying to teach the youngsters how to play. Remembering this simple fact, can make a game practice session literally stress free.