Girls 4th and 5th Grade Soccer

Division Coordinator

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Age

The Fourth and Fifth Grade girls age group is for girls entering fourth and fifth grades in September. Typically they are children who will be 9 or 10 years old on July 31 of current year.

Season

Teams are formed and parents should be notified by their coach in Mid to Late August. Typically practices will start in late August and continue one and possible two nights a week until early October. Practice duration should be no more than 90 minutes. Practice night is determined by the coordinators, coach, and field and space availability. Games are primarily on Saturday mornings or afternoons, and some Sunday afternoons is possible. Season starts the weekend after Labor Day and continues through early to mid November. This division will have end of the season playoffs. All games and practices are held at Miles Park.

Objectives

The Fourth and Fifth grade program is based on the youth and small sided soccer programs developed by both the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and US Youth Soccer Association (USYSA). This age group will play small-sided soccer 9v9 (eight field players and one goal keeper). This allows each player to have more playing time and a greater opportunity to touch the ball, participate and have FUN!! Other objectives for this age group include:

• FUN and a positive environment.
• Continuation to the basics of soccer.
• Continue to teach basic soccer skills; dribbling, simple moves, striking the ball with either foot.
• Introduction of more complex and or combination of moves.
• Continue to teach positional play, including the goal keeper and to further develop player, team skills and strategy. All players will be instructed in the role of defending and attacking positions. Each player will be rotated through the different positions during the game.
• Fourth/fifth divisions are competitive with team standings and game scores kept.
• Competition among teams is expected, but the emphasis is on FUN, PARTICIPATION and SOCCER DEVELOPMENT. NOT GAME RESULTS. REMEMBER ALL TEAMS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, SO IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHAT THE STANDINGS ARE DURING THE SEASON!
• Encourage fair play, good sportsmanship, self-confidence and coordination.

General Rules

• All players MUST wear SHIN GUARDS, covered entirely by the sock.
• Players shall not wear anything, which is dangerous to them self or another player, including jewelry, watches, rings, ear-rings — even for newly pierced ears (this is a FIFA rule designated to prevent injuries).
• Players with arm casts are permitted provided they are wrapped, padded and pose no danger to them self or another player, this is at the discretion of the two coaches.
• No Slide Tackling.
• Mouth guards are not required but recommended.
• Cups for boys are not required but recommended.
• Sport glasses for those requiring prescription eye glasses are not required but recommended.
• Each player SHALL play a minimum of 50% of the total playing time. Equal play for all is strongly encouraged. It is also encouraged that each player plays a part of each half.
• Teams and coaches to line up and shake hands at the conclusion of each game.
• In cases where a team is short players or have no substitutes:
  • Play with fewer players on the field, allowing the team with fewer players one substitute.
  • The team with more players can loan players to the other team.
  • Be creative!
  • It’s about playing and having FUN!!
• In cases of hot weather and or when teams are short handed:
  • Take extra water breaks, substitute players more often.
  • Play quarters instead of halves or eighths instead of quarters.
  • Players’ safety is everyone’s Number 1 priority.

Fourth/Fifth Grade Game Rules

• Size 4 soccer ball.
• 30 minute halves, 5 minute halftime break.
• All players must play at least half of the game.
• Scores or standings kept and end of season playoffs.
• Balls out of bounds are restarted with a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick.
• Offside conforms to FIFA.
• All free kicks conform to FIFA with the exception that all opponents are at least eight (8) yards from the ball.

Field Location

Victory Fields
Colonial Drive
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

This division plays on Victory 5A which is to the left of the tennis courts when standing in the parking lot or on Colonial Drive. Field 5A is the field further from the road.