Characteristics of U14 - U18 age players

The BSA encourages our coaching staff to use age appropriate instruction for all of our teams. Below is an analysis of the characteristics of nine and ten year old players:

U-14 TRAINING PRIORITIES

U-13 and U-14: DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SKILLS, INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP TACTICS.

HIGH PRIORITY: The importance of possession: DO NOT GIVE THE BALL AWAY!!!
Development of individual skill.
All practices must challenge the player in competition.

Understanding of combination play:

  1. Support
  2. Takeovers
  3. Wall pass

Individual and small group defending.
One session in three devoted to 1v1's, 2v2's, 3v3's.

Develop an understanding of:

  1. Delay
  2. Tracking back
  3. Depth
  4. Balance

LOWER EMPHASIS Functional play, Team play, Set Plays.

All activities should be challenging, motivating and involve TRANSITION!!!

U-16 TRAINING PRIORITIES

U-15 and U-16: DEVELOPMENT OF GROUP SKILL / TACTICS.

HIGH PRIORITY: Development of individual skill should be covered in the warm-up.
Understanding of combination play:

  1. Support
  2. Takeovers
  3. Wall pass
  4. Third man running
  5. Overlap

DO NOT GIVE THE BALL AWAY!!!

One session in three devoted to 3v3's, 4v4's, 5v5's.

Develop an understanding of:

  1. Depth -- role of strong side defenders.
  2. Balance -- role of weak side defenders
  3. Compactness
  4. Communication -- who, what, when.

LOWER EMPHASIS: Functional play, team play, set plays.

All activities should be challenging, motivating, and involve TRANSITION!!!

U-17 TRAINING PRIORITIES.

U-17: DEVELOPMENT OF POSITIONAL PLAY.

Individual and group skill should be covered in the warm-up.

Functional Play:

  1. Attacking roles and responsibilities

    2.   Defending roles and responsibilities. One in three practices devoted to defending principles of play.

Match - related practice: offense vs. defense.

Crossing: Develop a complete understanding of:

  1. Crossing angle.
  2. Overlaps.
  3. near and far post runs.

Set Plays: Develop a complete understanding of:

  1. Attacking and defending responsibilities at corner kicks and all other restarts.
  2. The importance of possession from throw-ins in defensive and midfield third of field versus possession and creativity in the final third

All activities should be challenging, motivating, and involve TRANSITION!!!

U-18 TRAINING PRIORITIES

U-18 DEVELOPMENT OF TEAM PLAY.

Individual and group skill should be covered in the warm - up.
Functional play. Training players for specific positions and roles.

Team Play:

  1. Match - related practice ; offense vs. defense
  2. Match conditioned. One in three practices devoted to the defensive aspects of the game.

Players should have a complete understanding of the principles of team play.