RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAM GUIDE Please read this manual as its content is very important to your understanding of how the Club operates. Cooper City Optimist Soccer 10500 Stirling Road, Cooper City, Fl 33026 Tel: 954-434-2541 Web Site: soccer.coopercityoptimist.com E-mail: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 Organization Descriptions ..........................................................................................……3 Sportsmanship...................................................................................................................... 4 Codes of Conduct ............................................................................................................... 6 FIFA Laws of the Game ................................................................................................... 11 Referees and the Laws ........................................................................................................ 18 Cooper City Referee Contacts ........................................................................................... 19 A Novice Spectator’s Guide to Soccer................................................................................ 20 Players………...................................................................................................................... 23 Team Make up Policy………………………………………………………….…………. 25 Cooper City Youth Soccer Guidelines for Recreational Play ………………………… 26 Small Sided & Game Guidelines U6-10………………………………………………….. 27 U15-U18 Guidelines ……………………………………………………………………… 30 Team Formation ………………………………………………………………………….. 32 Coach Development............................................................................................................ 33 Player Development……………………………………………………………………… 35 Judging a Good Coach……………………………………….…………………………... 36 Planning for the Season..................................................................................................... 37 Preseason Planning ……………………………………………………………………….. 37 Parent Orientation Meeting................................................................................................... 37 Suggestions for Dealing with Parents................................................................................... 39 Coach Responsibilities ....................................................................................................... 41 Overview of Soccer Coaching............................................................................................. 42 Coach Equipment .................................................................................................................. 42 Player Equipment .................................................................................................................. 43 Practice …………………………………………………………………………….……… 45 Practice Session - Intro ......................................................................................................... 45 Ball Control ……………………………………………………………………………….. 46 Simple Soccer Tactics .......................................................................................................... 48 Drills (Skill Games) - General Guidelines............................................................................. 50 Scrimmages - General Guidelines .........................................................................................51 Coaching 5 v 5 – U5 to U6 - Kindergarten ……………….…………………………….. 52 Soccer Techniques …………………………………………………………...……………. 52 The Game ………………………………………………………………………….……… 52 Ball Control Training …………………………………………………………….………... 55 Skill Games ………………………………………………………………………………... 57 Coaching 8 v 8 - U7-U8 - 1st and 2nd grades …………………….……………………. 60 Soccer Techniques …………………………………………………………………….…... 60 The Game …………………………………………………………………………………. 60 Ball Control Training ……………………………………………………………………… 64 Skill Games …………………………………………………………………………........... 66 Coaching 9 v 9 - U9-U10 - 3rd and 4th grades ………………………………………… 69 Soccer Techniques …………………………………………………………………............ 69 The Game ………………………………………………………………………………...... 69 Ball Control Training………………………………………………………………………. 73 Skill Games ……………………………………………………………………….……….. 76 Fouls and Misconducts ……………………………………………………………………. 80 Goal Keeper Training ………………………………………………………………………81 Coaching 11 v 11 - U11-U12 - 5th and 6th grades ………..……………………….…… 88 Soccer Techniques ………………………………………………………………………… 88 The Game ………………………………………………………………………………….. 89 Fitness and Conditioning ………………………………………………………………….. 93 Ball Control Training ……………………………………………………………................ 96 Skill Games ……………………………………………………………………………....... 101 Fouls and Misconduct ………………………………………………………………………104 Tactics ………………………………………………………………………………………105 Goal Keeper Training …………………………………………………………….....…….. 107 Coaching 11 v 11 - U13-U18 - 7th to 12th grades …………………………………...….. 114 Techniques ……………………………………….…………………………………………114 The Game ………………………………………………………………………………….. 115 Fitness and Conditioning ………………………………………………………………….. 119 Ball Control………………………………………………………………………………… 122 Skill Games ……………………………………………………………………………….. 127 Fouls and Misconducts…………………………………………………………...…………138 Tactics ……………………………………………………………………………..……..... 139 Goal Keeper Training ……………………………………………………………..………..141 Coaching Clinics ………………………………………………………………………..... 148 Defending …………………………………………………………………………………. 148 Attacking …………………………………………………………………………………... 151 Coach Liability and Player Safety...................................................................................... 154 Liability and the Volunteer Coach ……………………………………………………….. 154 Negligence and a Coach’s Legal Duties................................................................................ 155 Fouls, Misconducts and Disciplinary Actions…………………………………………... 157 Assault and/or Battery against a Referee……………………………………………..... 161 Event of Inclement Weather…………………………………………………………….. 163 5 v 5 Season and Rules………………………………………………...…………………. 164 Coach’s Safety Checklist..............................………………………………………………166 First Aid for Soccer Players............................................................................................... 169 Glossary of Soccer Terms................................................................................................... 174 Cooper City Cobras Soccer Coaching Manual INTRODUCTION Dear Fellow Coach, CONGRATULATIONS! As a youth soccer coach, you are about to enjoy a rare privilege - becoming a surrogate parent to 7 to 18 kids who are looking to have fun and learn the game of soccer. You are not alone. Youth soccer in South Florida is flourishing and youth soccer needs all of it’s’ member coaches to be their BEST - as leaders, teachers, and friends to every player. With youthful exuberance and enthusiasm, the seven-year-old player finds challenges, excitement, and fun with his or her classmates and friends on the soccer team. For the prospective coach, who likely has never played the sport, the task of organizing a team, understanding the rules, running effective and enjoyable practices, and making a positive experience of the Saturday game, is another matter. But just as your child player will develop soccer skills over time, the parent-coach can learn age-appropriate and effective coaching techniques over time as well. The members of the Cooper City Optimist Soccer coaching staff, who have compiled this manual, believe that your educated participation is vital to the overall experience of your players. We offer this manual to our family of youth soccer coaches with the expectation that you will use it in conjunction with the full complement of coaching clinics supported by Cooper City Optimist Soccer. We hope that together these resources will give you the confidence to be the BEST - for your child, your team, and the sport of soccer. 1 COACHES, WE NEED YOUR HELP! As you work with this manual during the season, please submit any suggestions that you might have regarding improvements, clarifications, or additions: • ADDITIONS: • CORRECTIONS: • TOPICS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXPANDED: Please forward your ideas to us at the following address: Cooper City Optimist Soccer 1500 Stirling Road Cooper City, Florida 33026 Or send an e-mail at [email protected] In addition, if you have a favorite skill game that has worked well for you, please send it to us along with a diagram and description, plus a brief statement of the objective(s) and coaching points. We will add them to future editions. Thank you, and GOOD LUCK! 2 ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTIONS FIFA The Federation Internationale de Football Association serves as the international governing body for soccer. FIFA annually publishes the Laws of the Game, the international guide for referees. United States Soccer Federation (USSF) One of 169 member national soccer organizations within FIFA, the USSF is the governing body for soccer in the United States. USSF is composed of four divisions: Professional, US Amateur Soccer, Referee Association, and US Youth Soccer. In 2001, there were 4,802,639 persons participating in soccer in the USA. United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) The youth division of USSF is composed of 55 member state associations (one in each state, and two in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas). USYSA is divided into four geographical regions; administration is by an elected eight member Board of Directors, including a director