Every parent and coach wants their team to win! And employing the right strategy at the right time makes that happen, sometimes😊The strategy you see employed on the field will rely on the level of play and capabilities of the players. At early ages, the idea to get the kids acclimated to moving the ball – so strategic plays take a back seat. As the kids progress through the levels of soccer, you’ll see more strategy unfold. When you’re new to the sidelines of a soccer pitch, it’s fun to be able to recognize the strategy being used on the field.  

Passing and moving the ball is critical in youth soccer and is part of the primary strategy. Offensive players should always be moving and moving the ball. When the player passes, they should be moving to an open position closer to the goal so that their teammates can move the ball up the field. 

Switching the attack means that the offensive player kicks the ball to an open area of the field that has fewer defensive players. They may move the ball either toward the goal or away from the goal depending on the options on the field. This gives the offense time to reestablish their possession and create a new attack plan. 

You may see some teams playing a possession ball strategy in which they spend most of their time passing the ball in an effort to have the defense expend more energy chasing the ball. It also takes less offensive energy to pass than it does to dribble. Often this strategy is employed when the offense has a higher score and wants to burn time off the clock while holding onto the lead. 

On the defensive side, players will try to force the person in possession of the ball to the sideline so that they will either lose it over the sideline or decrease their opportunity for a good pass. The defense can also double up on a player to trap them so that the offensive player cannot deliver a good pass.
 
The strategy from the sidelines (it’s a thing😉) includes witnessing the kids unlocking new skills, learning how to be a better teammate, demonstrating good sportsmanship, and having fun while exercising – when these things happen it will feel like everyone wins!