U11 & U12 Football: Moving to 9-a-side football

A time of momentous change in the lives of young children, the move to 9-a-side football coincides with the change from primary school to secondary school. An intimidating time, many children struggle with the excitement and fear of it all, and playing football (even though that has undergone some changes too) is a great way to help them expend some of that nervous energy, maintain and build new friendships and improve their confidence both on and off the field.

During this new phase of their lives, it's important for the adults surrounding these young players, whether they be coaches, teachers, parents or guardians, to give them all the support they need to excel in both their new school and football. If you’re trying to help someone new to U11 and U12 football, then get ahead of the game by learning more about the changes from 7-a-side to 9-a-side football, including the new 9-a-side goal size, the new rules and more.

What age group is 9-a-side?

Played in two different age groups, children under the age of 11 and 12 play 9-a-side football. Due to the cut off point for football teams and school years being at the same point, this also means that children moving from primary school to secondary school will also move to the new tier of football at the same time. While all of these changes occurring at the same time can seem daunting, they’re important to keep rules and additional elements such as 9-a-side goal size and pitch size in-line with player ability and physical development.

Differences between 7-a-side and 9-a-side football

One of the most challenging steps in a young footballer’s progression, the move from 7-a-side to 9-a-side football is accompanied by a wide range of changes that alter every detail of how the game is played. From wider 9-a-side goals to longer and wider pitches that cater to the larger number of players on each team, there’s plenty to learn before attending that first training session.

Number of players

As ‘9-a-side football’ suggests, the number of players on the pitch per team in U11 and U12 football is increased from seven players to nine. In order to reduce the number of games cancelled and ensure players are given every opportunity to play, this number is seen as a maximum, rather than a requirement. This means that, if both teams only have seven players available on match day, the game can go ahead. The only stipulations to this is that both teams must have a minimum number of six players each, and there cannot be an inconsistency of more than double the number of players from one squad to another. 

9-a-side football pitch size

At U9 and U10 levels, junior football players play on a 60 by 40 yard pitch but, as they progress through to 9-a-side, the pitch expands to a much larger 80 by 50 yard size. Between the additional space and the greater number of players on the pitch, attackers may wonder how they can get the ball all the way to the other goal, and defenders are similarly challenged with a wider space to cover, but these are manageable changes that practice and a growing confidence can tackle.

9-a-side goal size

With a wider pitch to work with, it's no surprise that the 9-a-side goal size has also been enlarged to match. Instead of 12ft by 6ft, which young players will be familiar with from the last four years, they’ll be met with a full 9-a-side goal which measures either 16 ft or 21ft from post to post, both with a crossbar 7ft from the ground. 

Match duration

Continuing in the trend of 9-a-side being bigger and more challenging to players than previous versions of youth football, the duration of the match has also been lengthened, moving from 50 minutes to 60 minutes. The game continues to be split into even halves of 30 minutes, with the rule that halftime must remain within the time limit of 15 minutes.

Greater focus on technique

One of the less material changes made in 9-a-side football is the greater emphasis placed on player technique and game tactics compared to younger ages. Coaches of U11 and U12 football are more likely to use skill-focused training exercises that build up a better understanding of vital player abilities, such as dribbling, passing, scoring and more. Training sessions will also likely see players learning more about teamwork tactics such as 9-a-side formations and the roles and responsibilities of each position within them. This gives players a chance to see where on the pitch they feel most confident and discover in their own time where they would like to specialise in the future.

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