Coach Offsides to Youth Soccer Players

Hi Friends,

Just as your players are beginning to understand the importance of spreading out on the field and helping back on defense, it's time to teach them another aspect of the game that will inevitably confuse them: Offsides. The concept is simple--a player cannot receive a ball past midfield if he is behind the last field player in the opposing team's half of the field. But it takes quite a bit of concentration to learn how to pull a defensive offsides trap, and how to beat it on offense. According to U.S. Youth Soccer, leagues for players under the age of 10 should not include the offsides rule.

Thanks a lot!
Alexis Allen