Football is our national game, one that has the potential to
ignite and fascinate millions of people across the world, and
this group of children are on that journey.
They might love playing, have
a view to coach in the future
or maybe referee and our
role is to help them fulfi l their
dream and passion.
If their love is for playing, this
format of 9v9 provides the
step in the game of football
between Mini-Soccer and the
full-size adult version, one
that bridges the learning and
progression of young people
in an appropriate way.
Part of The Football
Association’s National Game
Strategy is to develop ‘Better
Players’ and it believes that
9v9 is the most appropriate
format to do this within.
This is supported by
academic research from
around the world on the value
of small sided games for
developing technical ability
and skill acquisition.
A 10 year old child is not
half a 20 year old and they
need a game and format
that replicates their stage
of development.
For too long we have had
U11 children playing on
the same size pitches as 26
year old internationals and
goalkeepers defending the
same size goal as Premier
League adults.
We have to fi nd a way
to make youth football
more child-friendly and
The Football Association
believes 9v9 addresses
these challenges.
Our challenge as adults is
simple - to help young people
stay in love with the game.
If they start this journey
captivated by the experience,
this vastly improves their
chances of getting better.
Our job is to keep creating
that learning environment,
one that is so much fun they
won’t want to stop.
Tags:
training programs