7v7 and 9v9 formations for youth soccer

Most children under thirteen play seven or nine a side, and every soccer formation we had was for eleven. Now there are six small-sided ones to start from.

What is new

• Three 7v7 shapes: the 2-3-1 most under-9 teams start in, a 3-2-1 for a team that keeps conceding on the break, and a 2-1-2-1 diamond for teaching passing triangles.
• Three 9v9 shapes: a 3-2-3 with wingers, a balanced 3-3-2, and a 2-3-2-1 for an older team that keeps the ball.
• Each opens with the right number of players, seven or nine, from the Formations button in the designer. Move the two or three your team does differently and draw the runs.
• A youth soccer page at /youth-soccer-play-designer, with which ages play 7v7 and 9v9 and what each shape teaches.

The pitch is still the full-size one, so these shapes are drawn in proportion: the spacing between the lines is right, but the penalty area is the eleven-a-side size. A small-sided pitch of its own is on our list.