U7 Soccer Game

How many players on a field during a U7 Soccer Game?

[steveaki13]

Best guess somewhere between 1 and 2,300,392.

Hope this helps.

I assume they are mostly under 7, but that might be me jumping to conclusions.

[D-Type]

Google is sometimes your friend:
A google search for "U7 soccer rules" turns up several variations this (http://http://www.opsoccerclub.org/forms/u7.pdf) which says 4-a-side and this one (http://www.impactsoccer.org/Default.aspx?tabid=268374) which says 5-a-side, and this one (http://www.richmondstrikers.com/Recreation/RecreationRules/405654.html), which says 4-a-side and no goalkeepers. So it looks as if it depends where you are.
Whereabouts are you? Your profile doesn't say.
What is your interest in under-sevens soccer? Clearly not a player, so are you a parent, a coach or what.

Having had a quick glance through the rules I posted, I gave up. Their rules are longer than the basic 17-point rules of the full game. The people organising U7 are going the wrong way. At six years old, kids shouldn't have to follow a set of rigid rules, play in organised leagues etc. All the organisation and pushy dads will put them off - it happened to my son wher jis cubs played football and people (both kids and parents) began to take it too seriously.

The kids should simply be encouraged to enjoy kicking a ball around. Pick a piece of park that's free of dog poo make two goals from coats and you're away. The lad who owns the ball is one captain, he says who the other captain will be. The captains take it in turns to pick players from the bunch of lads who want to play and away you go. Lots of kids move the goals further apart, few kids closer together. A parent can ask the kids if they want a referee, but not take over. Other parents can watch but not shout encouragement. The important thing is that the kids get to enjoy kicking a ball around. All the clutter can come later.

[Alexamateo]

My 7 year old son is on a U-8 team and they play 5 a side (4 outfielders and a keeper) very small field and what looks to me to be a 1/2 size goal. No offsides is called

My 9 year old daughter plays on a U-10 and the field is much larger, but still not regulation and 7 a side. Offsides etc is called.

I am in the US so who knows how relevant this is to where you are, but this is something that is happening right now,literally as my boy has a game in 45 minutes :p

[D-Type]

Interesting! Do the under eights play in an organised league? Or do they simply play a series of games? It makes sense not to bother with offside, the other rule to ignore is that the goalie can only run three steps with the ball. And, more my concern, is the touchline lined with pushy dads all shouting instructions to their sons, arguing with each other and ahouting abuse at the referee, as I've seen at some kids' games?
In my son's case, it was when the father of one of the other kids organised a trip for his cub team to go to a football match and the older kids said he couldn't come as he wasn't a good enough player that he lost all interest in football. Maybe I'm over-reacting but I now feel that over-organised football for kids is a bad idea - far better to just let them play and enjoy it.

[Mark]

Of course it's the dream of many kids at school that they are some day going to play for (local sports team). When the reality is they won't.

[Alexamateo]

Interesting! Do the under eights play in an organised league? Or do they simply play a series of games? It makes sense not to bother with offside, the other rule to ignore is that the goalie can only run three steps with the ball. And, more my concern, is the touchline lined with pushy dads all shouting instructions to their sons, arguing with each other and ahouting abuse at the referee, as I've seen at some kids' games?
In my son's case, it was when the father of one of the other kids organised a trip for his cub team to go to a football match and the older kids said he couldn't come as he wasn't a good enough player that he lost all interest in football. Maybe I'm over-reacting but I now feel that over-organised football for kids is a bad idea - far better to just let them play and enjoy it.

At this stage it's just a rec league with a series of games. All players have the same uniform with two jerseys, and you either wear white or blue depending if you are "home" or "visitors". The town where I live in is really well organized, in fact kids come from neighboring towns to play in this one. It's parent coaches and paid refs. Everybody plays and has to play at least 50% of the game.

U8's fields are a 50 x 30 (yards),and U10's are 70 x 50

There is a competitive traveling league, and although my son is good enough, I don't want to sign him up for it or even push him towards it right now, because that's where I hear some of the nightmare stories. You know the kids who are really good but are burned out and quit the game at 14. Right now he just wants to play,and he's a joy to watch. Oh his team lost 4-3, and he scored one of the goals. He still comes back smiling,though, saying "Did you see that?..." That's the way I like it.

[Mintexmemory]

It makes sense not to bother with offside, the other rule to ignore is that the goalie can only run three steps with the ball.

No need to worry about the number of steps a GK can take, FIFA abandoned the rule about 5 years ago, keep up!

[D-Type]

No need to worry about the number of steps a GK can take, FIFA abandoned the rule about 5 years ago, keep up!
Yes, I should keep up to date. It was still in the rule book when my son was playing Cubs' football.