Soccer
Learn everything about the world's most popular sport!
Simple rules, fun activities, and very easy to get started!
General
Soccer
Teaching Sport
The following are useful guidelines when it comes to teaching a child sports.
Start Simple
When introducing a sport to your child, start off with some simple activities that will teach them some fundamentals. Short simple sessions focusing on a couple skills are all you need to get a warm start. In soccer for example, a parent could take their kid to the park and just pass the ball around. The rules of team play and more technical skills can be learned later on. We recommend finding an activity and going out as soon as you can!
Get the right equipment
Some sports are more equipment heavy than others, but you don’t need to worry about getting the best of the best to start. Our equipment section goes into detail about the bare minimum equipment to get started, the required equipment for regulation play, and links to both cheap and high quality equipment for all skill levels!
Teach Safety
Safety is very important in every sport, especially once your child begins playing with others. Make sure to learn and explain the basic rules regarding safety in a sport. Also explain the importance of each piece of safety equipment
Teach the Basics
After a child has learned some of the basic skills, start combining them together into drills that mimic more game-like scenarios. At this point your child will have a better understanding of the game and how these activities can help them improve! And don’t worry about creating your own activities to start, we have plenty for you here!
Work up to game play
Once your child is more comfortable, they may already start asking you to play a real game. Introduce a low pressure way of playing to bring a little competition to the table. You can start to keep score but try not to put too much importance on it.
Sportsmanship
Teach your child how to be a good winner and a good loser. Although it surely is fun to be competitive, focus more on being supportive and teaching your child to be gracious regardless of the outcome.
Being a Sports Parent
The following are useful guidelines when it comes to being the best sports parent you can be!
Focus on Fun
As a parent, it’s very important not to compare your child to other players. Making your child doubt themselves is the easiest way for them to lose their sense of fun. Try to always emphasize a positive attitude and ask your child if they had fun!
Emphasize Learning
Every child wants to improve in some way, so make sure they are aware of the best learning practices. Get your child comfortable with asking questions on how to get better. Ask your child what they’re struggling with, then help them figure out ways to improve in those areas. You don’t need to be an expert to offer good advice, especially with all of MyntSports’ curriculum at the palm of your hand!
Be Patient
It takes time to get great at a sport, so make sure you pace your child and be patient with them! Celebrate small improvements as well as bigger accomplishments. Try to ensure that your child doesn’t get frustrated when they don’t see immediate improvement in their skills.
Volunteer
When your child joins a sports team, try to get as involved as you can. Help manage equipment or make snacks for halftime! You will be performing a needed service for your child’s team, and you’ll get to know more parents. This will also teach your child the value of helping out.
Basic Equipment
If you want to go out and play Soccer with your child right this second, then you’re in luck. The only required equipment to start playing is a ball!
Soccer Ball:
Technically, you and your child could kick any type of ball lying around and call it soccer, BUT, there are some standards for a soccer ball that can help us have the most comfortable and productive sporting experience!
PUMP UP YOUR BALL!
There’s a decent chance you have a soccer ball lying around in your house, and if it’s been lying around long enough, it’s probably deflated. Here’s a quick video teaching you how to pump up a soccer ball.
You could use a ball pump or even a bike pump. If you don’t have either, here’s the cheapest standard ball pump on amazon!
SIZE MATTERS!
Soccer balls come in various sizes depending on the player’s age. According to Nike.com, here are the age ranges for each size:
Size 5: ages 12 and up
Size 4: ages 8-12
Size 3: ages 8 and younger
If you’re in need of a soccer ball of the correct size, either head to your nearest sports shop or check out the cheapest standard soccer ball on amazon(comes in all sizes)!
Safety Equipment
Soccer involves a lot of kicking, and if your child is playing with other children, many of those kicks may not hit the ball. In addition to kicking in soccer, we’ll also often use our heads. Many studies have shown the lasting negative effects of heading soccer balls over a long period of time, so headgear has been rising in popularity among youth soccer players!
Shin Guards:
All youth soccer leagues will require them. Once things start getting more competitive and the kids around you start kicking harder, consider getting a pair for your child. Kids of course will not be using shin guards at school when they play soccer during recess, but you can still take some extra precaution when they're under your supervision. Here’s a nice pair on amazon that will protect your child’s shins.
Head Guard:
It has not yet been proven to reduce the risks of head injury since they haven't been around long enough, but many would argue that they are necessary! If your child is in a soccer league, please consider buying them a head guard! Here’s the most popular soccer head guard on amazon...
...and here’s an interesting read from the New York Times on soccer headgear.
Practice Equipment
Here’s some extra equipment that are a helpful addition to any soccer session. None of these are mandatory but they are very cheap and can help you make the most of each session.
Portable Goals:
If you're not lucky enough to have public goals at a field near you, consider getting a couple small foldable goals! Though it’s not necessary to buy one as you could place two cones or any two objects on the ground to stand as your goal, having an actual goal is much more fun for a child!
Competitive Equipment
It’s important to look into these pieces of equipment if you’re child is planning on playing on a team. These are required in all youth soccer leagues!
Soccer Cleats:
Cleats specifically made for soccer players. These give you more traction whether you’re playing on grass or turf, and are designed to give you a more accurate kick. Although you could buy a pair on amazon, I would recommend going to your local sports shop to have your child try on a couple pairs to find that perfect fit! If there’s no store near you, here’s the highest rated kids cleats on amazon. Bonus points if you buy the green ones! ;)
Soccer Socks:
These are socks that come all the way up to your knees. They cover your shin guards and provide extra protection from kicks and scrapes. Here’s a variety of sock selections from amazon.
Goalie Gloves:
If your child wants to play a goalie position, they’ll need goalie gloves! Any will do at a young age, but here’s a good pair we found!
Rules
These are all the rules you should learn as a parent to eventually
No Hands
The most important rule in soccer, don’t touch the ball with your hands! To be more specific:
-The ball can’t touch anything from the tip of the fingers to the shoulder
-A ball that is kicked into a players on accident can be decided by the referee
-Goalies can touch the ball with their hands as long as their teammate doesn’t pass it back to them
Throw ins
If the ball goes out of bounds by crossing the sideline. The ball is thrown in by the team that did not touch the ball last. A proper throw in uses both hands and is swung over the head.
Corner Kicks Goal Kicks
If the ball goes out of bounds by crossing the goal line, then either goal kick or corner kick takes place. A goal kick happens when the offensive team hits it out. The ball is placed anywhere inside the goalie box and is kicked out of the penalty box and back into play. A corner kick happens when the defending team hits it out. The ball is placed on the corner nearest to where the ball left the field and is kicked back into play.
Direct and Indirect Free Kicks
A foul on the field initiates a free kick. Play is stopped and the referee places the ball at the spot the foul took place. A freekick is either direct or indirect. A direct kick can be kicked directly into the goal whereas an indirect kick must be passed to a teammate before it can be shot. Typically, direct freekicks happen after contact fouls and handballs, and everything else will be an indirect freekick.
Penalty Kick
A contact foul or handball inside the box by the defending team initiates a penalty kick. The ball is placed on the penalty spot. All players stand outside the penalty area except for the kicker and the goalie. The kicker gets one attempt to shoot at the goal and the goalie must have both feet on the goalline until the ball is kicked. If the ball is rebounded back into the play by either the goalie or the goal, the ball is live and can be touched by anyone. (Exception: The kicker cannot touch the ball if it rebounds off the goal)