No goalkeepers, no goal areas, no offside. At U5–U7 the game is intentionally simplified so kids focus on one thing: touching the ball. Every player is a field player.

Throw-ins are used at all ages including U5. Rethrows are allowed at U5 through U8 — if a child does it wrong, have them try again. It's a teaching moment, not a foul. Keep it positive and move on quickly.

🐝 Why kids bunch — and what to do about it
At U5–U7, kids are drawn to the ball like magnets. This is developmentally normal — they can't yet hold a mental map of the whole field while also controlling the ball and reacting to movement. Yelling "spread out!" doesn't work because they can't process it mid-play.

What does work: hot words and small games. A "hot word" is a single short command you use consistently in practice so it becomes automatic — players hear it and react without thinking. Pick one or two and use them every session until they stick.

Hot words to try:
  • "Scatter!" — everyone runs to open space immediately (practice this like a fire drill)
  • "Find your field!" — look up and move away from the crowd
  • "Space!" — short, simple, easy to shout
  • "Freeze — look around!" — stop play, ask every player to point to an open area, then resume

Small games that teach spacing:
  • Freeze Tag Dribble — players must dribble to an empty cone to "unfreeze" a teammate (forces looking up and moving to space)
  • Four Corners — four small goals in corners of the grid, teams score in any goal; wide spacing is rewarded naturally
  • Coach Says Scatter — mid-dribble, coach shouts "Scatter!" and counts to 3; anyone within arm's reach of another player does 3 toe-taps as a silly penalty

Realistic expectation: You won't fix bunching this season. But consistent use of one hot word and spacing games plants the seed. U9/U10 coaches will thank you.

Volunteer Coach Reminder: Keep every activity to 5–7 minutes max, always have a ball for every player, and use silly names for drills. "You're a rocket ship — blast off to the cone!" works better than any tactical instruction at this age.