With the 2010 Soccer World Cup less than a year away, many people will be thinking about getting their own football out and having a "kick-around" with their friends. If you plan on doing this in your backyard and just for fun, then it is still fine to put a couple of jackets on the ground in place of goalposts! However, if you are putting an amateur team together, or playing in any kind of competitive way, you will certainly need to consider getting a pair of proper soccer goals. Luckily there is a whole variety from which to choose, from small-sized practice soccer goals to full-sized professional ones. Here are some ideas to help you decide what you may need.
Practice Soccer Goals
There are three things to consider before buying some goals: firstly, what are they going to be used for? In other words, will they be used for competitions or are they just for fun? The second thing to consider is who will be using them. Will these be for younger children or for children older than twelve? The third consideration, having addressed the other two, is of course the budget. How much do you want to spend? This will determine the type of materials your goals are constructed from.
Portable practice soccer goals are readily available, and are normally made out of plastic so they are not too heavy. Many of the practice goals are smaller than those used for competition matchplay, but are excellent for shooting practice. They usually have a tight, springy rebound net which bounces the ball back out to you after scoring a goal.
Soccer Goals for Competition Practice
For any type of soccer practice which involves more than just shooting at goal, or a little kick-around just for fun, it is advisable to think about using the more professional styles of goal.
Metal or plastic professional soccer goals are available in a variety of sizes. For children older than twelve, the full-sized goals need to be used. These are 8 feet high and 24 feet wide. Naturally the size of the pitch must reflect the size of the goals used, and so a good, full-sized soccer pitch would be 50 yards wide by 90 yards long. This also allows the players to get a full fitness workout as well as practising their soccer skills.
For younger children needing to practise for the junior leagues, smaller practice goals can be used - they can also play on smaller pitch areas. The smaller soccer goal sizes are variable to cater to all needs, but the following guidelines, or something close to them, should be the aim: for 8 to 11 year olds, the goals should be approximately 7 feet high by 21 feet wide. The pitch should be shorter, for example 70 yards. For 6 to 7 year olds aim to get practice goals that are roughly 6.5 feet high and 18 feet wide, and use a pitch area of approximately 30 yards wide by 50 yards long.
Plastic or Aluminum Goals?
The material of construction of the soccer goals depends on how serious you are about soccer. If you are a school or college team, you would probably be best advised to mark out permanent pitches and invest in aluminum goals, which are sturdy and long lasting, and reasonably weatherproof. However, if soccer is an occasional sport for you, or if you do not have room to mark out a permanent soccer pitch because the area is also used for other sports, then the cheaper portable plastic goals offer an ideal solution. You would simply need to set them up before practice, and then take them down and store them away afterwards.
Soccer Goal Safety Considerations
In any sport, safety is paramount, both to protect the players and also any spectators that come along to watch the game. When setting up soccer goals, either for practice or matchplay, always ensure that they are securely anchored. The heavier aluminum goals are usually sunk into the ground and held there firmly. However, the portable lightweight plastic goals can be blown over by strong gusts of wind, or knocked over by a strike from the ball or a player. So make certain especially with these plastic practice goals, that they are anchored or staked securely to prevent any mishaps or accidents.
Finally remember that practice makes perfect, and that all the hard work you put in now might see you become one of the soccer stars of the future, and maybe you will even get to play at a World Cup yourself one day!
