Youth Soccer Reference Library

A first-time youth soccer coach checklist for the first 48 hours: league rules, team requirements, roster details, assistants, safety, and parent communication.

first-time youth soccer coach checklist

How to coach youth soccer as a first-time volunteer or rec coach, from your first practice and lineup to playing time, parents, safety, and game day.

how to coach youth soccer

A practical way to improve as a youth soccer coach by separating player problems from activity problems and writing one observable adjustment after each session.

how to improve as a youth soccer coach

Learn how to plan a youth soccer practice around one player decision, using age-appropriate games, simple constraints, and a clear next-session observation.

youth soccer practice plan

A youth soccer coach safety checklist covering safeguarding, adult-minor communication, emergencies, heading, concussion response, weather, and reporting.

youth soccer coach safety checklist

A practical youth soccer game-day plan for coaches, including arrival, roster checks, warmup, lineup, substitutions, assistant roles, parents, and post-game notes.

youth soccer game day checklist

Set youth soccer parent expectations before the first game, explain playing time, manage sideline communication, and handle individual concerns privately.

youth soccer coach parent communication

Plan youth soccer substitutions and playing time before kickoff, then repair the plan when the roster, score, injury, or match conditions change.

youth soccer playing time

A beginner coach's guide to youth soccer positions and formations, including 7v7, 9v9, simple role language, and when to rotate players.

youth soccer positions and formations

Soccer ball sizes by age for youth players: size 3 for U6-U8, size 4 for U9-U12, and size 5 for U13 and older, with official source notes.

soccer ball size by age

4v4 soccer field size for U6-U8 coaches, including field dimensions, goal size, ball size, player count, no-goalkeeper rules, offside, and game length.

4v4 soccer field size

7v7 soccer field size and dimensions for U9-U10 coaches, including goal size, game length, ball size, player count, and build-out line notes.

7v7 soccer field size

9v9 soccer field size and dimensions for U11-U12 coaches, including goal size, game length, ball size, player count, and transition-format notes.

9v9 soccer field size

Youth soccer field dimensions by age and format, including official 4v4, 7v7, 9v9, and full-size 11v11 length and width ranges.

youth soccer field dimensions

Youth soccer goal size dimensions by format: 4v4, 7v7, 9v9, and full-size 11v11 goals, with U.S. Soccer and IFAB source notes.

youth soccer goal size

7v7 soccer rules for youth coaches: field size, players, goal size, ball size, game length, substitutions, build-out line, offside, and heading.

7v7 soccer rules

Build-out line soccer rules for youth coaches, including placement, goalkeeper restarts, offside changes, punts, goal kicks, and 7v7 or 9v9 use.

build out line soccer

U6, U8, U10, and U12 soccer rules by age: format, field size, goal size, ball size, game length, offside, heading, and substitution notes.

U6 U8 U10 U12 soccer rules

Youth soccer game lengths by age: U6 and U8 quarters, U10 25-minute halves, U12 30-minute halves, U14 35-minute halves, and older youth 40-45 minute halves.

youth soccer game length

Youth soccer offside rules by age and format, including no offside in 4v4, build-out line offside in 7v7 and 9v9, and standard 11v11 rules.

youth soccer offside rules

Youth soccer substitution rules for coaches, including unlimited substitutions, re-entry, stoppages, tournament limits, and concussion-substitution notes.

youth soccer substitution rules

Youth soccer heading rules by age, including U.S. Soccer, US Club Soccer, and US Youth Soccer guidance for heading bans, practice limits, and penalties.

youth soccer heading rules