Autumn Academy – The Academy will focus on basic core skills for each age group, with each group practicing as one. This Autumn (2025) we will be trying to set teams with at least one coach per team, but this will be reliant on coaches getting signed up early to prove we have enough coaches. Please reach out ASAP if you are interested in helping.
- Age groups will be U5, U7, U9, and U11+ for the Academy
- Players work on the basics of soccer and focus on education of the game to improve on a personal level
- This will be a six week program, Monday-Thursday practices, with Fridays as make-ups, and games on Saturdays
- U5 – Mondays – 6:00 – 7:00 all season
- U7B/U8G – Tuesdays – 6:00 – 7:30 in Sept //// 5:30 – 7:00 in Oct
- U9B – Wednesdays – 6:00 – 7:30 in Sept //// 5:30 – 7:00 in Oct
- U11+ – Thursdays – 6:00 – 7:30 in Sept //// 5:30 – 7:00 in Oct
- Please plan to stay for the duration of practice should weather or other issues arise and we need to call practice a little early.
Important Autumn Dates/Info
August 15-18 – Dick’s Sporting Goods 20% off everything in store for LYSA- Field Setup Day(s) – Labor Day Weekend
- Practices will begin the week of September 8th
- Sept 13th – First Game Day
- Picture Day – Sept 19th at Freedom Church starting @6pm – Schedule tbd
AUTUMN PRACTICE PLANS
At the beginning of every practice (except U5) there will be a 10-minute session of repetitive touches. All players will have a cone and will do the exact same thing as a warm up routine. Then they will break into their teams and get started with the practice rotation.
PDFs for each practice will be uploaded here (practice plans subject to change)
Day 6 for all ages and PLAY!
4v4 GAME RULES (Academy ONLY)
U7 - U11+
FIFA Rules will be followed where not specifically deviated from below
Games will be played 4v4
Substitutions are allowed at any stoppage of play by either team
There will be no keepers and goal box tending will be discouraged leading up to penalty.
Contact will be incidental only.
Incidental contact is described as contact that is made by someone attempting to achieve the space around the ball and makes contact with another player in that space
Examples of incidental contact
- Tackles on the ball
- Shielding the ball from an opponent
- Small bumping when two players are running after the same ball
Kick offs
- A kick off will start each segment of play, and after each goal scored.
- Players on the opposing team must be outside the center circle on their side of the field
- Opposing team cannot cross the half-line or enter the circle until the ball has been touched after the whistle
- Kick offs are indirect
Goal arc (2yd arc)
Players will not be able to touch the ball inside of the goal arc.
- Players can go into the area, just not make contact with the ball
- If an offensive player touches the ball the result is a goal kick
- If a defensive player touches the ball the result is PK from 10 yds away.
Players will be discouraged from tending the goal arc
- Tending the goal box is when a player does not actively defend the other team out on the field but stays next to the goal arc.
- It is not considered goal tending if the play is near enough to box that the player is active in defending while near the arc.
- First offense will be a warning
- Second offense will result in a reset of possession
- Third offense will result in a PK
Ball out of bounds resets
- All balls out of bounds will be reset with a kick-in
- All resets are indirect
- Balls over the sideline will be kicked in by the team that did not touch the ball last from the point it leaves the field
- Balls over the end line last touched by an offensive player will be played in from the top of the Goal Arc
- Balls over the end line last touched by a defensive player will be played from the corner on that side of the goal
- Opposing players must be 3 yards away from the ball being played in
Infractions
- All Infractions deemed worthy of a free kick will be indirect, other than those described above resulting in a PK.
GAME SETUP
U5 - 10 minute warm up, 2 min break, and THREE 10-minute periods of play with 2 minute breaks
U7 - FOUR 10-minute quarters with 2 minute breaks
U9 - THREE 15-minute periods with 2 minute breaks
U11 - TWO 25-minute halves with 5 minute break
Autumn Games
Saturday Game Times/SCHEDULES –
U5B – 8:45am
U11B/U11G – 9am
U7B/U8G – 10am
U5G – 10:15am
U9B – 11am
