The Build Out Line in US Youth Soccer: A Terrible Idea full of unintended adverse consequences

The US Soccer Federation has created a new set of rules for youth games. These games are played on reduced sized fields with sides of 7 players (7 on 7). The rules include a new line on the field called the “build out line” which is half-way between the top of the goalkeeper box and the midfield line. When the goalkeeper receives the ball in his hands, the rule is that play must stop, and the opponents must move out past the build-out line before the goalkeeper can re-start play. I’ve seen websites claiming that a quick-restart is still allowed, but the rules adopted from US Soccer by CalSouth are actually explicit that this is not allowed

“once the opposing team is behind the build out line, the goalkeeper can pass, throw or roll the ball into play (punts and drop kicks are not allowed)” (bold emphasis is mine, italics is theirs)

Now, whenever you create a rule in a game, you modify the tactics that work well in that game. The game is the rules and everything that the rules imply about what will work well to win. The point of a game is to make an honest attempt to win. If we’re just trying to work out certain limited skills, it’s called practice. Furthermore, the players want to do a good job at the game. The players do not want to be obliterated, nor to lose opportunities to score goals “for no reason” (ie. if the rules don’t prohibit their tactic).

This new rule does several things to change the effective tactics available, all of them bad:

1. It eliminates the role of the goalkeeper in breaking up the attack and coordinating a counterattack, forcing the keeper to wait and hold the ball until the opposing team has built up a defense rather than look for the best opportunity and method to distribute the ball. Quick and accurate distribution of the ball to the most well positioned players is one of the primary functions of the keeper in real soccer.
2. It eliminates the threat of a long-ball by prohibiting punts and drop-kicks, allowing the defending team to push their entire team up to the build-out line to trap the ball in the back third and provide a high pressure defense that quickly turns over into offense in a dangerous area. The reason the defending team can build up to the build-out line is because they don’t have to worry about a long ball. The basic concept of tactics is to tune your action to the situation. Tactically, if you think there’s no long ball possibility, you can put all the players on front-line defense. The proper response to that tactic by the offense is actually … the long ball. A game-theoretic correct response is therefore to figure out a hack around the rule prohibiting punts… Namely drop the ball to a fullback and have him punt it. Or take a “goal kick” type kick from the top of the box, neither of which are prohibited, but both of which are completely artificial.
3. The build-out line is also used as the line past which offside can be called, allowing a team to cherry-pick goals by leaving players essentially a few yards above the top of the box, or for players to sprint ahead on breaks and receive passes well into the defending side’s half without being called offside.

All of these tactics were immediately figured out as soon as this rule was put in place, as you can see in the comment section on ussoccer

For example Ryan Gilbert says:

I am a coach of U9 soccer in NJ. Firstly, congratulations on creating a entirely new game at your board meeting. Yesterday was our first game of the season and it was full of penalties and free kicks in front of goal due to this so called ‘build-out line’. 30 mins of our 50 min game were actually soccer and all the goals on both teams came from attack taking advantage of the new ‘build-out’ rules. What a total calamity you’ve created, a travesty to the beautiful game

…

All the opposition needs to do is flood the build-out line and to exert maximum pressure on their defense and the ball never leaves the half way line. I don’t know what game this is you’ve created but it’s not soccer. This season is now a farce and it must be scrapped as soon as possible.