Rules for 1st Grade

1ST GRADE PROGRAM

U.S. SOCCER BEST PRACTICES

OVERALL OBJECTIVES:

Soccer at these ages should be discouraged in any form other than as a fun activity for kids, that happens to include a soccer ball. There should be groups of players rather than teams. Fees should be nominal. Attendance should be optional. Creating a joyful environment is mandatory.

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS AGE:

Five- and six-year olds are too young to be involved in any structured, organized soccer program. At most, they should be involved in fun activities that encourage the children to explore their physical abilities, while also including a ball with which to play. Make sure these are activity based games that emphasize exploration and experimentation with the rolling, spinning, and bouncing qualities of the ball. The soccer ball should be considered a toy. There should be no activities where players wait in lines to perform a predetermined movement or required action. 

Five- and six- year olds, although still young, are beginning to gain more control over their bodies. At the same time, it is still new to them and they will require a lot of time and energy figuring out what their bodies can do, and how to use this developing coordination. 

Children at this age also love to use their imagination when they play. Keep this in mind when designing games. They enjoy playing on their terms, and as a by-product of their play, they will gain some limited comfort with the ball. Although they love to play, their ability to stay focused on any one thing is very limited. Keep your activities short and simple. 

Finally, even as they are steadily developing physical and mental abilities, they are still very young. Always treat children with care, patience and give plenty of encouragement. It can be helpful to include parents in the practice/play time so they can take ideas home with them to their backyards or parks. If children must be involved in these organized practice times, they should be having so much fun that when they go home, the soccer ball becomes one of their favorite toys.

DURATION OF PRACTICE; RATIO OF BALL TO CHILD AT PRACTICE

30 to 45 minutes is the best option for these ages. Most of the practice should be spent in ratios of one ball per child or one ball per two children. 

■ GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING DURING PRACTICE 

The children should be having fun with the ball. There should be periods of active playing where everyone is involved, and there should be ample opportunities for short breaks for water and for catching their breath. If there is more than one adult/coach, the children should be divided into smaller groups, with at least one adult per group. At these young ages, children work hard and tire quickly. Allow them to have “active rests,” where they are not running but are trying to do something specific with the ball, often sitting or standing. Everyone should be occupied with something, even when resting. Keep the numbers from 1 v 1 to 3 v 3 and keep as many children actively involved with a ball as possible. Let them go to small goals with no goalkeepers. When possible, a size 3 soccer ball should be used.

 ■ GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING IN MATCHES 

U.S. Soccer recommends that there be no organized matches at this age. Consistently set up mini games at practice for your kids to compete with and against each other, according to their age.

■ GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION THAT IS COMMUNICATED

TO THE PLAYERS BY THE COACH

At these ages, the coach/parent should be positive and encouraging of each child. Specific soccer related information should be limited to basic ideas of how to best keep the ball from running out of bounds too often. There should not be any discussions about positions or any other team concepts.

GAME RULES:

The Laws of the Game are established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), and govern all play sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The In-Town Program follows these Laws with some specific modifications to suit different age groups and different playing arrangements (e.g. 4v4). The modifications for the In Town Program are described on this page.

LAW 1: FIELD OF PLAY

• FIELD SIZE:
  • U6 - 20 yards X 25 yards
    • Center line only.
    • No marked goal area.
  • GOALS
    • U6 - 4x6 Pop-Up Pugg Goals OR Franklin 4x6 goals

LAW 2: THE BALL

• U6 (1st GRADE) - SIZE 3

LAW 3: NUMBER OF PLAYERS

• GAME FORMAT: 4v4  (4 FIELD PLAYERS/NO GOALIE)
• FORMATION: 1-2-1

No fewer than 3 players and no more than 4 players are needed to start the game.  

SUBSTITUTIONS - rolling substitutions/sub on the fly.  

• There is no need to wait until the ball is out of bounds to sub
• One player must be completely off the field before another player can enter the field of play.
• Players must enter and exit the field at the mid-line.  

EQUAL PLAYING TIME: HYS is committed to player development and we believe that players develop best by playing.  Therefore, we have adopted the following policy on playing time for all players from kindergarten through high school.  

• All players shall play an equal amount of time.  Each player shall play a minimum of 50% of the total playing time.  
• No one player shall play the entire game unless all of the other players have had a minimum of 75% playing time.  
• Playing time may not be used as a reward or punishment.  

LAW 4:  PLAYER’S EQUIPMENT

• FOOTWEAR - sneakers or soft cleated soccer shoes
• SHIN GUARDS ARE MANDATORY.  No child will be allowed to play in a game without shin guards.
• Players must wear their team color jersey with socks that cover their shin guards. 

LAW 5: REFEREES

• There will be no official referee for first grade games. 
• One coach or assistant coach from each team should be on the field at all times. 
• Coaches are encouraged to call fouls if they occur.

LAW 6: ASSISTANT REFEREES

• None

LAW 7: DURATION OF THE GAME

• The game shall be divided into 4 8-minute quarters
• There will be a 2 minutes between quarters

LAW 8: THE START OF PLAY

• Alternate possession in center of the field; pass to start (no dribble starts).
• Opponents must be five yards from the center mark while kick-off is in progress. 
• The ball is play once it has been touched

LAW 9: BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY

• Ball out of play - the ball is out of play when it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline on the ground or in the air. 
• Ball in play - The ball is in play at all other times.

LAW 10: DETERMINING THE OUTCOME

• Game score will not be recorded and the outcome of the game is of no importance.  
• GAME MANAGEMENT - even though the game score is not recorded, winning by more than 5 goals does not enhance the experience for the winning team, but it can significantly diminish the enjoyment and interest in soccer for the losing team. Beyond that, it is considered poor sportsmanship and lack of respect for your opponent. It is the coaches' responsibility to manage the scoring and take the necessary steps to keep within the suggested goal differential.

LAW 11: OFFSIDES

• There shall be no offsides

LAW 12: FOULS AND MISCONDUCT:

• No cautions (yellow cards) or ejections (red cards) for players.
• Coaches manage players' behavior.  
• All fouls result in an indirect free kick. Opponents must be five (5) yards from the ball when it is kicked.
• INDIRECT FREE KICK - defined as one full revolution of the ball before another player can touch it.  
• There is no slide tackling allowed.  Sliding to kick the ball is allowed if no other players are in the vicinity of the ball.  Sliding into opposing players results in a foul.  

LAW 13: FREE KICKS

• All free kicks are indirect. The opponents must be five (5) yards from the ball when it is first kicked.
• No free kicks shall be taken by the attacking team within the defending team’s penalty box area. The ball will be placed on the penalty line at the point closest to the point of infraction.
• Indirect Kick - defined and one full rotation of the ball. 

LAW 14: PENALTY KICKS

• NO PENALTY KICKS ARE TO BE TAKEN DURING THESE GAMES. (SEE LAW 12 AND 13)

LAW 15: THROW-INS

• There are no throw-ins at this age-level.
• If a ball goes out over the touchline (sideline), the game will be restarted with a kick-in or dribble-in from the spot where the ball went out of play.
• All other players must stand at least five (5) yards from the ball.
• Emphasize quick restarts.  Do not allow a long time to kick or a running start.  
• Encourage players to place the ball down and immediately kick or dribble into the field of play.  

LAW 16: GOAL KICKS

• If the ball goes out of play over the goal line (endline) and is last touched by an attacking player, the game will be restarted with a goal kick taken from any point inside the goal area.
• Goal Kicks may be pass-ins or dribble-ins.  
• All opponents must be behind the center mid-field line. 
• Defenders must not engage with attackers until they cross midline.

LAW 17: CORNER KICKS

• If a ball goes out of play over the goal line and is last touched by a defending player, the game will  be restarted with a corner kick.
• Opponents must be five (5) yards away from the ball when it is kicked.
• Corner kicks may be pass-ins or dribble-ins.

**NOTE - the idea behind the restarts rule is to introduce the concept of out-of-bounds and the resulting restarts.  The use of dribble-ins is to provide players with more opportunities to handle the ball and deemphasize the BIG kick which so many young players have trouble avoiding.  While BIG kicks are fun, we should encourage ball control and dribbling first.

LAW 18: GOALKEEPER RESTRICTIONS

• There are no goalkeepers at this age-level.