The 8 and under leagues will be playing short-sided games.  Each team will field SIX (6) players and a goalkeeper (7v7).  

The 8U leagues focus on furthering individual player skills, as well as working to integrate team play.  Where the U6 program focuses primarily on learning the rules of the game and individual ball skills, the 8U program works to expand the players' knowledge of the game and to further integrate passing and team skills.  This is a good stepping stone into the more competitive 10U program.

In 8u games, the offside rule will be enforce per the buildout line rules (click here for rules)

There will be NO HEADING of the ball at any time in the 8U leagues - practices or games.  

Whenever the ball strikes a player in the head, play is stopped. The proper restart depends upon whether the player delibertely played the ball with his/her head. If deliberate, the proper restart is an indirect free kick to the opposing team. If this occurs within the goal area, the indirect kick should be taken on the goal line paralle to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occured. If the play by the head is deemed inadvertent, then the proper restart is a dropped ball.

Advanced 8 year olds are encourage to play UP in the 10U league to ensure they continue to develop.