Article

Why you should try 7-a-side football

Want to give your players a flavour of 11v11 without sacrificing the benefits of smaller-sided formats? Try 7-a-side football to maximise player interaction and decision-making.

England Football Learning

0-3mins - Jan 18, 2022

Overview: our 7-a-side game

Graduating from smaller-sided formats to 7v7 lets coaches introduce the idea of a formation and helps players work on the skills required in the 11-sided game.

To find out exactly what 7v7 involves, we counted every action in a 20-minute game played on a 60x40 metre pitch by U9s. Standard rules were applied, and the ball was in play 55% of the time (11 minutes).

Here’s what the game looked like:

What the numbers tell us

7v7 is a fast-paced game, with a total of 462 touches across the 20 minutes. At 37 per outfielder and 11 per goalkeeper, average touches for each player were lower than in 5v5 and 3v3 formats. But while there were fewer on-the-ball actions, 7v7 called for more of specific skills.

For instance, communication and interaction with teammates featured heavily in the 7v7 format. There was more decision-making required too. Positioning became important with extra players on the pitch, giving outfielders practise in this area as well.

For goalkeepers, 7v7 gave them the most chances to practise facing crossed and aerial balls, averaging three times per keeper. It’s not the best format for facing shots, sweeper-keeper actions or 1v1s, though. The opportunities for keepers to join in attacks were also fewer than in smaller-sided formats.

Things to consider in 7-a-side football

Tweaking your game’s set up can change the skills that players work on. For example, a bigger 7v7 pitch would encourage more ball striking and moving with the ball over long distances. In contrast, a smaller pitch would create even more opportunities for challenging and intercepting.

As a coach, it’s your job to think about how the environment and rules will affect players’ actions. For instance, try working out the relative pitch area (RPA) to see how much space each player has. Just multiply the length of the pitch by its width and divide the result by the total number of players.

Other things to consider: