Assigning a player to only one positon limits the mental growth of the player over their soccer career. For example, players may have late growth spurts, dramatically change in physical abilities, or may “suddenly” sort out technical abilities such as small-space ball control.

It is often the case that players change in their abilities throughout their development years. With younger players, we generally want to avoid positional specialization – the firm assignment of a player to a specific spot on the field during a season. IC3 dictates that we support the development of the perception-action ability in our players – being able to analyze the environment, determine possible choices, and the selection and execution of a “best” choice. In our ideal game model, we look for expansive play with conscious use of risk-taking. The IC3 model is described in more detail here. Our player development standard is based on Intelligence, Competence, Courage, Character (IC3). We use these points to help ground our training and our approach to the game. We have adopted the principles of play from the TOVO methodology, shown below: In order to introduce a system of play, we must first identify our principles of play. Recognizing that we are developing players for the long-haul is an important ingredient in the makeup of youth coaches. A common statement that we make to parents is that “no one wins the World Cup at U11”. In general though, the benefits of basing the system of play and game model around a long-term player development project outweigh the short-term results. There may be situations in which a result is desirable – for morale, in key matches within a competitive framework (league, cup), and for mental skills development (for example, closing out a win, fighting back from a losing position). For exmaple, a system of play and game model that prioritizes direct over-the-top play to a lone forward capable of scoring goals while otherwise sitting in a defensive posture would not generally be considered as supportive of overall player development. In youth soccer, in particular the younger age groups, the game result is less important than a broader objective of player development. Priorities and personnel may shift within the game, which can alter the system of play and game model employed by a team. The coach will base the system of play (and game model) on what is most likely to get the desired outcome.

At the professional/elite level, getting a result is often the highest priority.

The system of play must be considered in the larger context of a game model which dictates roles, responsibilities, and behaviors in different parts of the field, moments of the game (in/out possession, transitional phases), and opponent responses. When considering which system of play to utilize, the coach must reflect on objectives, principles, and the abilities of the players.

Commonly used systems in the modern game include 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-3 – with a range of variations. There are a variety of systems of play that are utilized in 11v11. US Soccer has prescribed 4 formats based on age group boundaries – 4v4 for U7/8, 7v7 for U9/10, 9v9 for U11/12, and 11v11 for U13 and older. In this article, we take a step back and discuss the considerations in the selection of a system of play and provide some possibilities for the 9v9 format. In the first article of this series, we analyzed the 3-2-3 formation.

9v9 soccer position numbers