All sports · Sport guide
Soccer, for the parent in it.
Every read, drill, calendar, pathway, rule, and recruiting note we have on soccer. Use this as the front door.
152 pieces.
From The Drawer for soccer
Cost
What does soccer actually cost?
Pre-filled annual estimates by tier. Edit any line.
Pathway
Soccer by age
What good looks like at 7, 10, 13, 15.
Calendar
The soccer year
Boys high school soccer in fall. Practice opens mid-August, district games run September through October, playoffs and state through November. The off-season is club ball for most kids.
Rules
Rules at-a-glance
Five-minute primer.
Reads
Soccer articles
age 5-7 · Nov 6, 2026
Soccer Ball Sizes for Youth Players: A Parent's Guide by Age
Most kids play with a size 3 ball through U8, a size 4 from U9 or U10 through U12, and a size 5 from U13 on. The exact switch point depends on your league, and that is where parents get tripped up.
age all-ages · Oct 30, 2026
7v7 vs 9v9 Soccer: What Changes for Your Player
In U.S. youth soccer, 7v7 is the standard format for U9 and U10, and 9v9 takes over at U11 and U12.
age 5-7 · Oct 2, 2026
Parents: Pack Halftime Snacks in 5 Minutes for Youth Soccer
Water and a piece of fruit cover most halftimes.
age 15-plus · Sep 28, 2026
What an ECNL fall event actually is, and what the coach with the clipboard is doing
It is a recruiting window with real games, not a tryout for your kid.
age all-ages · Sep 20, 2026
30–45 Minute Age Aware Youth Soccer Passing Drills for Parent Coaches
Six passing drills, ordered by priority, for any young team.
age all-ages · Aug 23, 2026
Goalkeeper Drills Youth Coaches Can Run in 30 Minutes
Thirty minutes, six core drills, and safe landings for young keepers.
age all-ages · Aug 16, 2026
Setting up the soccer center circle
A stake, a length of string, and IFAB's exact radius make a true circle.
age all-ages · Aug 16, 2026
Squaring soccer field corners with the 3-4-5 method
Three lengths of string turn a guess into a true right angle.
age all-ages · Aug 11, 2026
The field breakdown checklist for the post-game crew
Secure the goals, count the bags, and confirm someone owns it.
age all-ages · Aug 10, 2026
The heat-acclimatization rule your soccer program has to follow the first two weeks
A national practice-limit rule governs your kid's first two weeks of fall soccer practice.
age all-ages · Aug 3, 2026
Travel Soccer Costs: A Parent's Complete Budget Guide
The club fee is only the start of what travel soccer costs.
age all-ages · Jul 18, 2026
The Final Is Sunday. How to Make It Your Kid's Best Soccer Memory, Not Just a TV Afternoon
The final kicks off at MetLife Stadium on July 19 at 3pm ET. Here's how we're making the afternoon feel like something our kid will actually remember.
Drills
Soccer drills
75 drills total. Most recent shown.
· fundamentals
1v1 Defending in a Channel
· fundamentals
1v1 Finishing on Keeper
· fundamentals
1v1 Shielding
· fundamentals
2v1 Defending
· fundamentals
Attacking 1v1 on Cones
· fundamentals
Attacking Heading on Goal
· fundamentals
Chest Trap from Toss
· fundamentals
Circle Passing
· fundamentals
Cone Slalom Dribble
· fundamentals
Corner Kick Near Post
· fundamentals
Cushion the Ball
· fundamentals
Defensive Heading
The Sideline File
Abdominal trauma: spleen, kidney, liver, and the hit that needs evaluation
Direct blows to the torso can produce internal-organ injury. The signs, the delayed-presentation pattern, and when the emergency room is the right call.
The ACL prevention warm-up
Eleven minutes before practice. A structured warm-up that's associated with lower ACL injury rates in adolescent female athletes. Risk reduction, not a guarantee.
Artificial turf temperatures: the burn-risk parents don't see
Synthetic turf can run 40 to 60°F hotter than air temperature. The skin-burn risk, the heat-illness contribution, and the practice-modification thresholds.
Cleats and foot safety: metal vs molded, fit, and the growth question
When metal cleats are allowed, when they're not, and the fit rules that prevent the most common youth-sport foot injuries.
Cold-weather practice: frostbite, layering, the temperature threshold
What an outdoor practice should look like below 40°F, when the wind chill makes it actually dangerous, and the layering rule for kids who run hot.
Concussion: protocol, return to play, your state law
What a concussion actually is, what the trainer or coach should be doing in the first ten minutes, and how return-to-play works under your state law.
Goalkeeper gear safety: gloves, headgear, padding
What protects a soccer or lacrosse goalie. The headgear data, the glove sizing rule, and the chest protector debate.
Heat and hydration
What an August practice should look like under NATA's youth heat acclimatization rules. How much water, when. And the signs that say stop now.
Heat exhaustion vs heatstroke: the line that matters
Both look bad. One is recoverable with rest and water. The other is a true emergency. The signs that distinguish them, and the protocol for each.
Heatstroke right now: cool first, transport second
The protocol that saves lives in the August heat. Cold-water immersion before EMS transport. The signs that mean act now.
Humidity and dew point: practice modifiers when WBGT isn't on hand
WBGT is the gold standard for heat decisions, but most youth programs don't have a reader. Humidity and dew point are the backup metrics, and they tell you more than air temperature alone.
Hypothermia on the field: recognize, warm, escalate
The signs the kid is past 'cold' and into hypothermia. The protocol that warms safely. When to call 911.
Knee braces in youth sport: what helps, what doesn't
Functional braces, prophylactic braces, neoprene sleeves. The published evidence on what each does and when to use them.
Mosquito-borne illness in outdoor youth sport: West Nile, EEE, and the basics
Outdoor practices at dawn and dusk during summer carry small but real risk of mosquito-borne illness. The repellents, the timing, and the regional patterns.
Mouthguard fit: boil-and-bite vs custom
The boil-and-bite option works. The custom option works better. The actual difference, and when paying for custom matters.
Patellar dislocation: the kneecap is not where it should be
The kneecap slipped sideways and may have popped back. The on-field protocol, the imaging that matters, and the recovery picture for repeat dislocators.
Pollen and allergic conjunctivitis: the spring eye-irritation kids underreport
Itchy red eyes during outdoor practice. The seasonal patterns, the over-the-counter management, and when to see a doctor.
Rib injury and the splenic concern: the hit that looks like a bruise
A blow to the lower-left torso can be more than a bruised rib. The signs of splenic injury, the timeline to watch, and when the kid goes to the emergency room.
Soccer goalpost anchoring: the CPSC warning every parent should know
Unanchored portable soccer goals have killed kids. The CPSC's warnings, the safer designs, and the questions to ask before signing up at any field.
Soccer headgear: what the data actually says
The padded headbands marketed for concussion reduction. What the published research supports, what it doesn't, and when it might still make sense.
Sun and skin: youth athletes, sunscreen, and the melanoma math
The cumulative-exposure problem with kids in outdoor sports. SPF, the two-finger rule, when to reapply, and why hats and shirts are still the best UV protection.
Suspected concussion right now: same-day pull, written clearance
The first ten minutes after the hit. What the trainer, coach, or parent does in order. Sideline triage, not medical advice.
Tick prevention and Lyme disease: the protocol for outdoor youth sports
The repellents that work, the post-practice tick check, the bullseye rash, and when a tick bite needs the doctor.
Wet field decisions: when surface conditions make play unsafe
Standing water, soft mud, ice in cold months. The published thresholds and the questions to ask before a game starts on a marginal field.
Wildfire smoke and AQI: when to cancel a youth practice
The AirNow AQI thresholds for kids, how PM2.5 affects developing lungs, and the practice-modification rule the EPA actually publishes.
What's actually dangerous about youth soccer
ACL tears in girls, heading research, ankle sprains, and the heat-and-lightning weather profile of an outdoor sport.