Games that are "blowouts" (ie 8-0, 10-0, etc) end up not being fun for anyone. Please adhere to the following guidelines (scroll down for additional information) in the interest of the best experience for our kids. Keep in mind that many AYSO tournaments (including our own Joe Stapp and Cookies tournaments) have rules against blowouts where teams actually get penalized for having a goal differential greater than 5. It's in your best interest as coaches to learn how to manage games where your team is heavily dominating.
Blowouts in the U8 division
Blowouts tend to be the biggest issue in our U8 division, since one dynamite player has such an outsized impact at this developing age. We do the best we can to balance players during team formations. AYSO guidelines say we don't keep score or rankings in the division (though of course we know the kids do), so the best option to manage a blowout is to mix up the teams during a game. When it becomes obvious on game day that the teams are lopsided, the coaches (and referee, if there is one) should get together either at a quarter-break or after a play stoppage to discuss rearranging players. Each U8 team will be issued a set of pinnies to facilitate this redistribution. The stud players should not be encouraged not to play their best. However, coaches can discover ways to challenge and therefore further develop those players. The player can be taught about "assists" and work to help their teammates score goals. Or that player must pass to each player on his/her team before he/she shoots.
Blowouts in older divisions
Blowouts are not as common or severe in the older divisions. However, they can still be managed when they occur. Coaches should first consider positional or formational changes (see below). If the blowout continues, the coaches and ref should meet at a quarter break to consider redistributing players among the two teams for the remainder of the game. Since we don't keep rankings for any of our divisions, it's possible to have this fluidity. [The only Mammoth games where the score truly "matters" is the Joe Stapp tournament, when the division winner advances to the Area tournament.] With our small town, all of our kids know each other. You'll probably find that the players will be excited to be teammates with a friend for a portion of the game. There will be full sets of pinnies in the container, if needed.
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When you see a game starting to turn heavily in favor of one team, it is up to you as the coach to do all you can to manage the game. Below are some ideas to help guide you when you notice a game is getting out of hand:
Avoiding Blowout Games
Coaches should do their best to manage potential blow-out situations in your games. Opposing coaches along with referees should work together to help each other manage the potential blowouts versus doing nothing at all.
At no time should managing the game to avoid a blowout be confused with blaming or penalizing the team that’s winning. We simply want the players to have a positive game experience so they’re coming back for more soccer.
Why Try to Manage?
There are always new ways in which we can challenge the players who are winning and potentially raise the competitive balance in order to at least try to raise the quality of the experience for all players involved.
Competition and winning are both important elements in sport, in soccer, and in our league. But also important is kids enjoying soccer and coming back for more soccer the following practice and game.
What Can Be Done?
When a single team is dominating another team and basically scoring at-will, here are some among many other steps that can be taken to proactively avoid a blowout game:
Observe
Does the game appear to be getting out of hand? Is one team dominating the game? Are they scoring at-will while the opposing team isn’t able to come close to scoring at all?
Communicate
Don’t wait- if a game appears as though it’s becoming lopsided or “out of hand,” both coaches as adults in the room should talk at halftime or just before that next kick-off. Discuss with each other and with the referee so that everyone’s on the same page.
Positional Change
If a team is dominating the opposition, the winning coach should consider positional changes such as having their best scorers playing defense or goalie.
Formation Change
Formation, aka changes to System of Play can sometimes effectively balance the competition on the field. If your team is dominating in a lopsided game- are you playing 3 forwards? Consider dropping down to 2 or 1 forward/striker. Consider adjusting your formation to a less attacking and more ball-possession system.
Change the Challenge
If your team is winning and scoring at-will, challenge your players to accomplish new goals on the field such as more passing, or shooting with their weaker foot, or scoring only from outside of the penalty box. Challenge your team with a 3-pass challenge, where your team doesn’t shoot at goal until they’ve first made 3 passes as example. Challenge your team to "play out of the back," meaning have your goalkeeper deliver a short pass to a defender rather than drop-kicking it halfway down the field.
Everyone STILL Plays
Please stick to the tenets of Everyone Plays and do not penalize an effective scorer or player by “benching” them. See positional changes & challenge above as the proper way to manage a blowout game while still playing all of your players an equal amount.