A guide to the game formats in soccer

Other than the numbers of players, what else is different about each game format?

It’s not only the number of players that varies across game formats – the size of the field, goal and ball, as well as game length (and whether it’s played in quarters or halves) are all different.

These things all continue to increase until the full version of the game is reached: 11-a-side, played for 90 minutes, on a full-size pitch with full-size goals and a size 5 ball.

These changes are gradual across age groups, rather than being made as blanket changes across formats. This allows for further tailoring to the age of players and their stage of development.

In England, for example, an 11-a-side field used for a U13s game will be much smaller than that used for adult players. The game length is also shorter.

The laws of the game are also adjusted across the formats and age groups, meaning there are variations in rules. For example, in some formats and at some age groups:

• Throw-ins are replaced with pass-ins or dribble-ins
• A retreat line is implemented for goal kicks
• Offside is not enforced
• Heading is not permitted
• Power plays are permitted

Helping your players to fully understand their game format

With various different game formats, rules and nuances, fulling understanding your current game format can be a challenge for players.

It is our role as coaches to help them understand it. We can do this by...

• Ensuring we understand the game format and its rules ourselves
  Don’t only read up on the information given out by your governing body; look at the rules specific to your league, as there may be further nuances. It’s also useful, before playing a fixture, to double check that you, the opposition coach and the referee are all on the same page about the rules before kick-off. And if you really want to test your understanding, try refereeing a game yourself!
• Sharing information about the format and rules with players and parents
  Don’t just send them a link to a site with all the rules – this can be overwhelming and lead to lots of questions. Rather, filter the important information (i.e. what’s different about this format to the full format of the game?) and consider how you might adapt it to make it appropriate for your age group to understand.
• Keeping training consistent with the format and rules
  As far as possible match your training, or certainly the game/match element of your training sessions, to your game format. That means training with the same ball size you play with on matchdays, using the same size goals, using the same maximum team sizes and employing the same rules. There’s no point getting players to do throw-ins in training, for example, if they are required to pass or dribble the ball in during a match. This consistency will make it so much easier for players to transfer their learning from training into matchdays.

Progressing between game formats

Supporting players as they move through the different game formats can also be a challenge, but there are things we can do as coaches to make these transitions as smooth as possible...

• Don’t rush players through the formats
  The guidance and rules provided by governing bodies and leagues exist for a reason: to allow players to progress to the full game at the correct pace.Going against these, and rushing players through the formats, can be to the detriment of their learning and experience.
• Identify the changes
  Work out what the exact changes will be from one season to the next – is it the number of players on the pitch, the pitch size, the goal size, the ball size, the rules, or a mixture of them all?
• Identify what remains
  Work out what remains consistent between your current format and next season’s. Often, these will be core elements of the game across all formats. Focusing on these can make a change much less daunting for players. Also, think about what you can keep consistent for your players. For example, can you keep their positions consistent as they go through the initial stages of progressing to having more numbers on the pitch?
• Prepare before the change
  Don’t wait until the start of the season to introduce elements of the new format. Add a transition phase into your plans at the end of your current season to start preparing players early.
• Be patient
  What may seem like simple changes to us can feel much bigger to our players. You can expect them to struggle a bit when transitioning between game formats and with rule changes, so give them time and space to adjust while they learn new things, and be there to support them when needed.