U10 Kickoffs Exercise

KICKOFFS

Kickoffs: A kick-off is taken from the center circle at the start of each half, and after a goal is scored. The kick-off is treated like a form of free kick, which means that the 10-yard rule and 2-touch rule apply. As a result, members of the opposing team must stay outside of the center circle and in their own half until the first touch on the ball, after which they are free to try to win the ball.

There are three ways to handle the kick-off. One very common approach in youth games is to boot the ball as far downfield as possible with a hard kick, then to rush after it and try to regain possession. This approach tends to work for only a very brief period before the opposing team learns to boot it back the other way. However, in the short term, it can be rather effective although it produces rather ugly soccer and does nothing to develop good soccer habits.

The second way to handle the kick-off is to follow the approach used by older teams, and to play the ball back to your teammates. By doing this, the opponents are pulled into your end of the field, which creates more space into which your attackers can move because it clears out quite a few opposing players. However, this approach requires several ingredients to be successful, including reasonably good passing and receiving ability, as well as reasonably good composure under pressure. While those skills are being developed, young players may be tempted to take the football approach, especially if this is an approach used by a prior coach. It's better, however to have them work on making deeper passes to the back if they need more time to play the ball and to explain/show to them how the use of back-passes helps to clear out the end that you want to attack.

The third way to handle a kick-off is in between simply booting the ball and making a back pass. In this method, the kicker kicks at a 45-degree angle with the hope than an onrushing winger will be able to quickly penetrate the defense. This is particularly effective in 4v4 games where the forwards for the defending team stand together along the top of the center circle.