How to stop my U10s 'bunching' in matches?

Sportplan TeamAdministrator, United Kingdom

Hi Azil, we put this question out on our Facebook page and received a response that advised:

"Every time they bunch up you go in and pick up the ball and throw it to a player who is in space.

This will slowly stop their continual swarming of the ball."

Hope this helps!

Thomas HansenCoach, Denmark

I had the same problem with u9 girls and started focusing on left and right (only) in 5 vs 5 matches with 2 defenders and 2 attackers. Attackers and defenders could move freely up and down the field, but I corrected them if they moved to the wrong side of the field. It took 2 months and after that they have maintained their left and right positions. I then had a period where it was difficult to get them to loosen up on the left/right positioning because they did never cross the middle the the other side. Once this was in place we started focusing on defense and attack positioning. I think that kids in that age have a hard time dealing with more than 1 dimension at a time. I had success with this plan. Not overnight but during half a season (6 months)

Scott Coach, Ireland

Conditioned games mark out your area and divide the area up in to sections - during the game state that only so many of each team can ever be in the section were the ball is. This helps spread the players across the pitch with and without the ball.

Football CoachCoach

as per scott's comments. 9 cones makes six squares like an egg box. player in each and one floating. 2 or 3 players trying to get the ball. start with possesion then progress to end zone points from getting the ball from one end to the other. Further progression os players can only pass, if the player calls for the ball encouraging communication.