Build-Out Lines for Fun and Profit

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There is an FAQ that addresses the AYSO implementation.

but if you aren't AYSO I think you are going to find a variety of interpretations -- the USSF simple statement lacks specifics (as does the AYSO statement in the rules and regs -- the FAQ is from a bunch of subsequent decisions).

 

Where this football happen? All new for me.

 

In my neck of the woods, the biggest competition authority has actually done a pretty good job in defining your questions.

On a goal kick, players must remain behind the build out line until the ball is in play, and the ball isn't in play until it leaves the penalty area.

On ball in hand by the 'keeper the players must remain behind the build out Line until the ball is released.

In this league, a player who fails to retreat to the build out line is not allowed to get involved in play until the ball either crosses the build out line or the player retreats to the build out line and then attacks. No drifting back and no hanging out. It defeats the purpose of the line which is to allow play out of the back and a couple of passes.

The best teams so far lay back behind the line, cut off passing angles and then attack to steal the ball. This usually results in a 2 v 1 and goals if the team coming out can't move the ball crisply.

We are forgoing AR's at this level starting in the fall. The build out line makes OS far easier to call.

 

Only in the US.

 

Uh, do you know where the BOL line came from? The BOL line recommendation was part of a set of recommendations that came from Tab Ramos's world tour of youth programs and player development. He went out to find out how the rest of the world develops players.

To some, the BOL doesn't seem to square well with competitive games. Well, one of the other recommendations was that there not be standings at this age so there was more focus on development than winning. (The BOL becomes easier to implement when winning isn't important, as the little details just don't matter.). Of course, that recommendation was going nowhere here in the US. (But consider what so many u10 and lower games look like: strategies being used that only work at the little ones that don't teach them true soccer skills or how to think like a real soccer player.)

(Note: I read the only in US as a snarky comment as I did t see the post it was answering. So not intended if this can across as snarky.)

 

No, didn't take it that way. I do a lot of matches in the summer with the BOL and I can safely say it is a better style of play for those age groups.

 

No, no prohibition on the side.

I find now there is little need for AR's on these games even more so now because of the BOL.

I did 9 of them over the weekend at a tournament. No AR's. No need .

 

One of the downsides of the BOL from an AYSO perspective, in my mind, is the 10U is where most of our volunteers start. The BOL is going to make being an AR at 10U less interesting, which won't help folks want to come back. And it will narrow the experience gained, making those folks less ready for the transition to 12U.

 

You use ARs with a BOL?

It's early, so I may have mis-read it.

In our local club league it's a 1-man job, w/no offside, you must be at least 18 y/o to ref because parents/coaches tend to be a little crazier at this age.

Any time the keeper has the ball in-hand, they must hold it until all opposing players leave the BOL area. ---This one is a sticking point with some people because it prevents a quick release counter by the GK. Our assignor likes us to allow the gk to release the ball whenever they want, but I call it by the rules, gk must hold ball until everyone is clear of the BOL. It's how the rule it written for us, that's how I call it.

Good teams will line up pretty much everyone on the BOL and wait, like olympic sprinters, for the first touch by the offensive player, then run and and try to nick it from them. It works a lot when it's a lopsided game skill-wise, but better teams will let them run up, then just counter quickly.

BUT, some GKs can throw the ball nearly the length of the field, so makes it all moot.

I enjoy doing these matches because the kiddos are pretty respectful and haven't yet really learned to show ass every time you whistle.

 

Without first hand experience training new refs...

I have always thought that new refs should start at U12, not U10.
U12 looks and feels more like real soccer -- so the refs learn how the game mechanics work;
the parents are a bit farther away from the field -- to give the CR a break;
and U12 parents and coaches are a little bit less wacko than U10.

Really, U10 should get the crusty old timers who can't run, not the 13 year-old newbs. But if they are not available, U10 should get the 3rd year teenagers, not the first year. IMO

 

My 13-y/o twins started this past spring with me.

I agree wholeheartedly for the most part. At least the way our league runs things, I think the absolutely best place to start is on the first field where players have no BOL and have offside as a rule. Let them AR for a while then turn em loose at the middle with experienced, bit older ARs.

Obviously, this is ideal, but at least get them someone a bit older as AR on their first CR matches. My daughter is terrified of CR, she had some issues with the exam and a few points and generally always worried about everyone looking at her. My son is the polar opposite "Wait, I have to do some AR before I get the middle? PHOOEY!"

 

Totally agree.

 

Are you treating the ball as "in play" when released by the goalkeeper or when received by one of his teammates? Right now I am told it is when it is released. This seems like it will lead to many sprints from attackers.

 

I wouldn't use "in play," as the ball is not out of play.

On keeper possession, we are releasing the restrictions when the ball leaves the GK hands. On goal kicks, when the ball is kicked (not when it is in play by leaving the PA.)

 

Agreed. I had a U10 game tonight with the buildout line. Unfortunately that line was the same color as the PA, GA and touch lines. And it wasn't equidistant between the PA and midline. Way too close to the PA.

These poor keepers were playing the position for the first time. One kept putting the ball down after making the save and I expected an opponent to challenge. Interestingly, they never did, choosing to stay beyond the line until the ball was then kicked.

One player pretty much stayed in an offside position inside the BOL, but only played the ball a few times while there. The tying goal came when a player, who clearly would have been offside had the line been in the right place, received a pass and slotted it home.

Growing pains.

 

You all are correct that there is no great need for ARs on these games. That was true even before we had BOLs.

As an assignor, this is not good. My goal is to break in new refs with these low level games. Let them screw up where it matters the least, get more experience, and make a few bucks. This strategy has been win-win for our club for years.

My observation has been that clubs that only use 1 ref for some/many of their games tend to have lower quality/less experienced refs on their older games.

And if I assigned a crusty old timer to one of these games, they would be pissed!

 

I happened to take a few games in the U09-10 age-groups in tournament situation to experience first-hand how the build-out line process works.

What I have now found is that coaches keenly instruct their goal-keeper to hold the ball until the opponents are clearly on or beyond the build-out line. The goal-keepers then bring the ball up to the top of their penalty area and then put the ball in play, mostly it is roll or throw to their teammate deep within their build-out area.

Opponents are now crafty. If leading one of them takes time to move beyond that line. There are also teams who have a runner that stays deep beyond the line and then sprints toward the direction of the ball after the goal-keeper has put it in play.

What is more, the offside rule is to be enforced. So referees, even the crusty ole ones, or those thrown to the deep-end, will need to keep an eye out - the head of the opponent beyond the line, or the foot encroaching the line - these are still 'standard' factors to determine the offside infraction.

The other situation that I have increasingly seen is to not let the opponent out by giving them the goal-kick, so there are extended stretches in one area of the field (yes, I use the gps-traces to figure this out post-match).

The boys teams have used their dribbler as goal-keeper and he rolls the ball to himself after releasing it outside his penalty area.

It has taken 2 seasons to have coaches start using the build-out lines to their advantage.

 

At the club I ref at most, they use the academy games (with the build out line) for the new refs. We go out on in a team of 3 for three games. One senior ref and two new refs. The senior ref will center the first game and work with the new refs with AR duties, mechanics etc...Then each new ref will take a center and between each game we talk about all the stuff new refs (and old ones!!) need to talk about. So we get a good three hours or so of work and instruction each week. The new refs do that for a few weeks before they work with a senior ref on a 7v7 or 9v9 for the first time.

It works out pretty well as it lets the new refs get game time so they don't get chewed up and discouraged right off the bat. We are fortunate to have a number of senior refs who are willing to spend their Friday nights to mentor, train and protect the new refs. In the Academy setting the coaches have been very supportive of the process and go out of their way to help the new refs.
At the first of the season we talk to the parents before the games about the build out line and the ref training program. We sometimes let them know if it is a refs first center. Often they even congratulate them after they come off the field. Its pretty cool when that happens. For the most part the parents have been great at understanding we have "refs in training" and have been helpful and supportive.

 

We are implementing the build out line for U10 in our rec league this season. We've had a couple of training sessions focused specifically on that. In our league, there are a couple of things that differ from the USSF guidance. First, offside is still judged from the mid-field line. Second, after taking possession, another teammate must touch the ball after the keeper releases it back into play before the attacking team can cross the BOL. There is no restriction on the keeper throwing the ball past the BOL, although I think there should be. You're going to get kids that can throw the ball past mid-field, negating the intent of the BOL.

A thought came to me while watching the GK procedure in our league, in that players must remain behind the BOL until the ball has completely left the PA and is actually in play. I brought up that it would seem intuitive, and in line with the intent of the BOL rule, that a similar procedure apply to all free kicks taken by the defense from inside their PA since the ball must also completely leave the PA in order to be in play. There doesn't seem to be anything about free kicks, other than GKs, in the USSF guidance.

 

I agree that it is peculiar. FWIW, AYSO has been very clear that the BOL does NOT apply to FKs from the PA.

 

I thought Claudio Reyna penned the recommendations? At any point, good summary this is something that came from seeing how others do things. In the league I coach there are no standings from u8-u10 and haven't been for about 20 years.