Positions vs. Positionless Soccer

I want the U11 forwards/mids moving, overlapping, crossing over, confusing the defense, understanding and anticipating the action. They want positions, a "safe" place, organization, to simply wait for the ball.

Do I give in and allow them to play with these fixed positions and clear instructions on what to do in the most common situations? Or do I allow them to struggle with the chaos and let their minds begin to really understand the patterns? Or is it just too much to ask?

I see a good response in some players. This gives me hope that letting them sort through the chaos is potentially a good idea.

I've learned a lot over the last several years and continue to learn. I have to admit that my U7 team playing 4 v 4 with no positions, always has someone in the cover position even though its often not the same person. They actually connected on some passes this week. They even maintained separation when their teammate had the ball. Yet they still dribbled aggressively and pressured aggressively. I think I may have done a better job with them and they are handling the chaos even though they're much younger.

I'm still not sure.

Passing in the Fast Lane

No, I'm not talking about driving. We played a new game yesterday that really seemed effective.

I like simple, self-correcting games that I can explain once and then let them play. In this one, I setup a "lane" 10 yards wide and 40 yards long. 3 girls started at one end and 2 girls we set to stop them. The object was for the 3 girls to dribble or pass their way to the other end without letting the ball get out of the "lane". Even though it was 3 v 2, they really struggled at first. However, with some tips on shielding the ball under extreme pressure and supporting your teammates, they got better. Then we pointed out that passes need to be to the side of your teammates away from the pressure. Then we talked about first touches away from pressure and even up the lane. We saw some quicker passes in a give-and-go situation. To top it off, we enforced offsides which made it really tough and certainly reinforced this tricky topic.

I really think they learned a lot. They had to be more precise and think quicker than normal. Hopefully, it will make the wide open space of the field seem slow and easy.