Parent's Guide to US Youth Soccer U8 and U10 2026-27

U6, U7 and U8 play 4v4 with no goalkeepers under US Soccer's small-sided standards:

• Field: 25-35 yd long, 15-25 yd wide. No corner flags needed.
• Goals: no larger than 4 ft high x 6 ft wide.
• Ball: size 3.
• Game: 4 quarters of no more than 10 minutes, with 5-minute breaks. Coaches can make quarters shorter.
• Substitutions: unlimited, at any time.
• Restarts: kick-offs, throw-ins, goal kicks and corner kicks are used. Kick-ins or dribble-ins are also acceptable. All free kicks are indirect, and opponents stand 10 ft from the ball.
• No penalty kicks and no offside.
• No referee required: the coaches manage the game from the touchline. Together with parents, they're expected to keep it fun and safe.

U9 and U10 play 7v7 (6 field players and 1 goalkeeper) under US Soccer's small-sided standards:

Other Laws of the Game apply as normal (free kicks, penalty kicks, throw-ins, corner kicks), except that deliberate heading and goalkeeper punts aren't allowed.

Shin guards are required, even in U8 4v4 games.

From U9 (7v7), the standard Laws of the Game equipment rules (Law 4) apply. Required items are:

• a shirt with sleeves
• shorts
• socks, with any tape on the outside matching the sock color
• shin guards, of a suitable size and material and covered by the socks
• footwear

Under the 2026-27 Laws, accessories are allowed only if they aren't dangerous and are safely and securely covered. Anything dangerous must be removed, not taped over. The referee checks players before the game, and a player who won't remove a dangerous item has to leave the field.

The ball is size 3 at U8 and size 4 at U9-U10.

No. Deliberate heading isn't allowed in 4v4 (U6-U8) or 7v7 (U9-U10) games under US Soccer's small-sided standards.

• If a player deliberately heads the ball, the other team gets an indirect free kick from the spot. If it happens inside the goal area, the kick is taken from the goal area line nearest the spot.
• US Soccer also recommends that players U11 and younger don't practice heading either. Coaches may teach the technique in isolation with lightweight balls (foam, balloons), away from any opponents.
• Heading is still not allowed in U11 games. It's allowed at U12, although state associations and leagues may limit or ban it there too.

The build-out line is a line across the field at 7v7 (U9 and U10), halfway between the penalty area line and the halfway line. It helps teams practice playing the ball out from the back under less pressure.

• When the goalkeeper has the ball in their hands, or at a goal kick, the opposing team must move behind the build-out line until the ball is in play.
• The goalkeeper then passes, throws or rolls the ball into play. Punts and drop kicks aren't allowed: the penalty is an indirect free kick to the other team.
• Once the ball is in play, opponents can cross the line and play continues normally.
• The goalkeeper may put the ball in play before opponents have retreated, but accepts where they are.
• The line also marks offside: a player can't be called offside between the halfway line and the build-out line, only between the build-out line and the goal line.

Under US Soccer's Concussion Initiative for small-sided games:

• Play is stopped so the player can be checked.
• If the player leaves the field to be evaluated, a substitution can be made right then.
• The player may not return to the game unless a health care professional or certified athletic trainer has cleared them.
• If a coach or parent insists on returning the player without that clearance, the referee ends the game.

At U8 (4v4) there's usually no referee, so the coaches and parents are responsible for applying this.

The CDC's HEADS UP guidance says the same: remove the child from play right away if a concussion is suspected, and keep them out for the rest of that day and until a health care provider clears them.

US Soccer's small-sided player development philosophy recommends:

• Playing time: every player plays at least 50% of the time. At 4v4, having about 6 players per team keeps everyone involved; at 7v7, rosters should have no more than 12 players.
• Scores and standings: results and standings should not be recorded at U8 or U10.
• U8 teams: formal rosters and fixed teams aren't needed. Many programs run "in-house" so kids train and play with a variety of teammates.

These are best-practice recommendations rather than mandatory rules, so a league can choose differently.

US Soccer's player development philosophy for 7v7 (U9 and U10) recommends:

• 2-3 training sessions for every game played
• No more than 20 games per calendar year, and no more than one game per day
• At least 2 rest days per week during the season, plus planned breaks from organized soccer during the year
• Travel limited to no more than an hour away
• Events (tournaments, festivals) with a set number of games and no advancement, placement games or champions

At U8 (4v4), formal games aren't considered necessary: playing with and against teammates at the end of training, 1-2 times a week, is enough, and players shouldn't take part in tournaments or showcases.

These are best-practice recommendations, so leagues and clubs may set their own schedules.