U7 bunching

Question

I am try to think of away to encourage my players to stop bunching, some of them are like a moff to a light, the idea I have had for a practice session is this, wing span as we are called the hurricane&rsquo;s after the plane , get them to play a normal 5v5 or what the numbers dictate , start both teams with ten points , if a team scores they get a point , the one different rule is if any outfield players from the same team get closer than my wing span which is about six foot when I spread my wings (arms) lose a point for their team, any feed back would be appreciated and any suggestions or training sessions that have worked. Thanks

Philip Woolnough · Answer

Hi George, this is not just a problem for u7s, any new players at age, and I do mean any age will tend to gravitate towards the ball (bunch) so me this is developmental rather than age related. Unsurprisingly 6yr olds have very little appreciation of fundamental attacking principles so creating, maintaining, exploiting space. I've worked with adults who have had no/little expereinceof football do exactly the same. Given time they will sort it themselves, as they gain experience playing.It's the experiences they have in training and playing that will accelerate this. Patience is the key, they are not adults, their appreciation of space on the pitch is limited, they are still the centre of their own world, so tend not to pass a lot either (and may be something that underpins this beaviour, the player on the ball is not going to pass, so I'll get close to see if I can have a go (beware of telling them they must pass, although desirable in general play, this is never the top of things to do list for a 6year old), continue to encourage, try not to do absolutes, it's up to us as coaches to persuade them that at times there are other opportunities they may want to consider. Give them different experiences, play 2v2s, 3v3 s, play with no Gk, play games within games, the more mileage they get on their legs, the sooner the penny will drop and they will start to realise that being close to the ball is not always a good thing. Keep doing what you're doing and they will sort it, share what and why you are doing things, never underestimate the social intelligence of these young players, yes at times it can be like herding cats but keep it safe ,fun and simple, and they will get there. A simple game for encouraging the creation of space can be: divide your pitch into squares 6-7 long and 5 wide ( odd numbers allow you to identify the central area of the pitch), play a game - The team in possession are not allowed more than one player in any square (encourages movement way from ball), the team not in possession are allowed as many players as they like in any square (bunching round the ball when not in possession is not necessarily a bad thing just ask Jurgen Klopp he loves a press), so it's a double whammy the team defending gets to understand basic defending as well. Yes you can turn the ball over if the rules when attacking aren't met, but at this age it may be over the top and just remade them as they play, let them get there in their own time. A lot of words just to say don't panic, you're doing a great job, they will sort it, but with a few nudges you can help accelerate their learning. Good luck.

England Football Learning > Youth club football

U7 bunching

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