The Core 6U and 8U programs will be all new for AYSO Region 144 for the 2019-2020 Membership Year

The 6U and 8U divisions will be a combination of Master Coach led jamboree training of new volunteer coaches working with players assigned to their team followed by small-sided games. And, your registration includes both Fall & Winter seasons for one fee. Spring will be a separate season and program which requires separate registration and small fee for returning (from Fall & Winter) players.

The program looks like this:

• There will be one practice session during the week.
  • Parents can request their child be placed on a team which practices on one night or the other.
  • The session is 1-hour in length: 6U 5:00-6:00 PM and 8U 6:00-7:00 PM
  • The UK International Master Coach will provide the training plan via email to each coach prior to the session.
  • The Master Coach demonstrates each of the session's activities. The coaches work with their teams as supervised by the Master Coach
• There will be one training and game session on Saturday.
  • The session will be approximately 1-hour 15-minutes in length and include 30-minutes of training led by a Master Coach followed by a small-sided game.
  • The 6U session is 10:00-11:15 AM. And, the 8U session is from 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM.
  • See the 6U and 8U small-sided game guidelines below.
  • Note: all players will receive the same uniform. The home team wears pinnies to distinguish them from the other team.

6U Small-sided games guidelines

• Field. The field is 15-yards wide and 25-yards long where the field is longer than it is wide (a clearly defined rectangle). A center line is required. No other markings are required.
• Goal. The goal should not be more than four (4) feet high and six (6) feet wide.
• Ball. Size 3 ball.
• Players. Games are played with no more than four (4) and no less than three (3) players per side and without a goal keeper.
  Shin guards (under the socks) are required.
• Time. The game is played with four 5-minutes quarters. The time is continuous - do not stop the timer for injuries or for any other reason during the quarter. And, do not add time to the end of a quarter. Breaks between quarters should be a minimum of 2 minutes and closer to 5-minutes.
• Substitutions. Every player plays 3/4 of the game before any player plays the entire game. Substitutions at the end of each quarter.
• Restart of play (after ball goes out of play over goal or touch line).
  • The restart can be a kick-in or dribble-in. No throw-ins.
  • If the ball goes out of play over a goal line, then allow the restart to take place from either touchline. Use common sense on how far up the touch line to place the ball for the restart. This applies for both:
    1) Goal kicks -- where a goal kick is awarded if the attacking team last touched the ball before it went out of play over the goal line. And,
    2) Corner kicks -- where a corner kick is awarded if the defending team last touched the ball before it went out of play over the goal line.
  • If the ball goes out of play over a touch line, then restart with a kick-in or dribble-in from the approximate location where the ball crossed over the line and out of play (or "into touch").
  • All free kick restarts are indirect where indirect means a goal cannot be scored from the free kick.
  • All opponents should be a minimum of ten (10) feet from the ball for all starts and restarts.
  • No penalty kicks (remember: all free kicks are indirect free kicks).
  • No offside.
• Referees. Registered and certified referees are not required for these matches. Coaches are expected to work together to manage the game environment.

8U Small-sided guidelines

• Field. The field is 25-yards wide and 35-yards long where the field is longer than it is wide (a clearly defined rectangle). A center line is required. No other markings are required.
• Goal. The goal should not be more than four (4) feet high and six (6) feet wide.
• Ball. Size 3 ball.
• Players. Games are played with no more than four (4) and no less than three (3) players per side and without a goal keeper.
  Shin guards (under the socks) are required.
• Time. The game is played with four 7-minutes quarters. The time is continuous - do not stop the timer for injuries or for any other reason during the quarter. And, do not add time to the end of a quarter. Breaks between quarters should be a minimum of 2 minutes and closer to 5-minutes.
• Substitutions. Every player plays 3/4 of the game before any player plays the entire game. Substitutions at the end of each quarter.
• Restart of play (after ball goes out of play over goal or touch line).
  • The restart can be a kick-in or dribble-in.
  • Throw-ins are recommended. Teach proper technique. Yet, do not stop the game to correct technique -- allow the game to continue and correct the technique the next time they take a throw-in.
  • If the ball goes out of play over a goal line, then allow the restart to take place from either touchline. Use common sense on how far up the touch line to place the ball for the restart. This applies for both:
    1) Goal kicks -- where a goal kick is awarded if the attacking team last touched the ball before it went out of play over the goal line. And,
    2) Corner kicks -- where a corner kick is awarded if the defending team last touched the ball before it went out of play over the goal line.
  • All free kick restarts are indirect where indirect means a goal cannot be scored from the free kick.
  • All opponents should be a minimum of ten (10) feet from the ball for all starts and restarts.
  • No penalty kicks (remember: all free kicks are indirect free kicks).
  • No offside.
• Referees. Registered and certified referees are not required for these matches. Coaches are expected to work together to manage the game environment.