After several weeks of much discussion, meetings of various clubs around Dublin, the SSG working Group along with the DDSL have come with the following changes starting this summer with immediate effect.
They stressed that the main focus remained to introduce a more soccer friendly and non-competition environment. The focus is ensuring that players get to play more football; more focus on coaching and to educate parents to remain behind the rope, not coach the kids and support the coaches/managers. They also want clubs to work together and make sure that soccer in Dublin is much more player focused and less about adult egos.
“SSG Group to remains in place for a minimum of 12 months to monitor and improve any changes accepted. This would also allow for improving in coaching and assisting DDSL clubs, coaches and players”.
This is what is going happen:
Under 7 to remain within their club academies for further development and coaching.
Under 8s (2006) & under 9 (2005)
Focus on the following:
- Children should play in relevant age group.
- Aim is to bring these age groups into a more soccer friendly and non-competition environment.
- Focus is on ensuring players get to PLAY more and encourage managers to become more skilful.
- We need to educate parents on how to their behaviour affects children’s playing/learning “Don’t cross the line” roping of all pitches is to encouraged in all clubs.
How the game is played:
- Team of 10 to make of two games
- Play in regionalised events
- DDSL to set fixtures every week
- Teams to play across the current small-sided pitch, enabling 2 games to take place at the same time i.e. if a team arrives with 10 players and the opposition also have ten, then 2 x 5v5 games can be played. If a team arrives with 9 players, then a 5v5 and 4v4 should be played.
- 7v7 Goals should be turned on their back to make a smaller goal or use a 5 aside goals.
- Each game to be 3×10 mins with a 2 minuted interval between each quarter.
- No ref/Non-Competition (It doesn’t count for anything, just FUN)
- No Match cards
- No Results
- No league Tables
- Play for fun and learn foot-skill
- Pitch Roped Off (Standard is 5 feet away from the line)
- Size 3 ball must be used
- All players must play
- All groups will be renamed to colours rather then grading of A, A1, B etc
- Each Group will be made up of 10/12 teams so no moving at Christmas
- No playing on Bank Holidays weekends
- If teams missing players they can still travel with 8/9 players (play 2 x 4 aside)
- Pitch dimensions: play across current SSG pitch then the two matches can take place at the same time.
Under 10:
- No change with current playing system
- Play 7 aside
- DDSL to set fixture every week
- For the coming session this will be competition football as they are coming out from playing u9s which was competitive.
- Official refs to be appointed by League €15.00 (Unless FAI alter fee)
- Play 20 mins each way.
- All players must play.
- Size 4 ball to be used.
- Play in 6 team divisions up to Christmas and re-grade after Christmas for League.
- Pitch Dimension: 70 yards Long and 50 yards wide.
Under 11:
- Play 7-a- side.
- DDSL to set fixtures every week.
- Official referees to be appointed by League – €15.00 per match.
- Play 20 mins each way.
- All players must play.
- Size 4 ball to be used.
- Play in 6 team divisions up to Christmas and re-grade after Christmas for League.
- Pitch Dimension: 70 yards Long and 50 yards wide.
Under 12:
- Play 9- a- side on Saturday ONLY (for this year as teams played for top 5 Sat & top 5 Sun from u11s).
- Play on 11 a side pitch from 18 yard line to 18 yard line (different colour paint can be used to mark out the pitch lines).
- Use same 11 aside sidelines.
- Play 30 mins each way.
- All players must play.
- Official referees to be appointed by League – €24.00.
- Small Sided Goals to be used. (Would be great to bring in the European style 6x2m goal)
- No Offside.
- Play in 10 team divisions to streamline the transition into u13 next season.
Next Season (2014/2015) both Sat and Sun top 5 teams from each A division get 13 Premier.
Other Suggestion by the SSG group:
- Bringing the u10’s into non- competition football from the season 2014/2015
- u11’s into non-competition football from the season 2015/2016.
- This would mean that no leagues, no cups until u12s.
- SSG Group to remains in place for a minimum of 12 months to monitor and improve any changes accepted.
- This would also allow for improving in coaching and assisting DDSL clubs, coaches and players.
All in all I think this is a very positive move by the DDSL, it may not be what everyone wants but it’s certainly a step in the right direction and the SSG working group is going to be in place for another year which is fantastic news.
I would also like to see the following eventually brought in:
- A retreat line from to u9s
- 9v9 played at u13
- 9v9 up to u14s for certain levels
- Move to 11v11 at u14s
- Size 4 ball for u13s
- Roll on and roll off up to u16s (Minimum)
Let me know what other leagues are doing the coming season and of course I’m always interested in hearing your views.
Another great post from Blueprint for football Great Coaches=Better Players
