Due to the growing popularity of soccer at the grassroots level and in an attempt to catch up with international standards, new rule changes will result in games in the Taiwan Youth League (TYL) featuring teams of eight rather than seven players this autumn.
Organized by the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA), TYL is the national youth soccer program with five age categories — under-18, under-15, under-12, under-10 and under-8.
“The change from seven to eight players for youth soccer will help better develop the game in Taiwan. We found in the past that players had trouble adapting to the 11-a-side format, which is the standard for advanced age categories,” CTFA secretary-general Wang Sheau-shiun (王筱薰) said. “We have consulted on this with South Korea and Japan. They implemented eight-a-side some years ago and have reaped the rewards.”
Photo: Courtesy of the Chinese Taipei Football Association
Wang was speaking following the conclusion of a CTFA review meeting held on Wednesday at Chang Jung Christian University in Greater Tainan, which was attended by youth soccer coaches and managers.
The TYL is divided into two halves, a Spring League and an Autumn League. The teams are either from schools or local amateur soccer organizations and they play regular TYL games in their home city or county. There is also a national championship for each age category at the end of the spring and autumn leagues.
Another change will be the introduction of relegation and promotion due to increasing number of teams wishing to join the TYL.
Wang said starting this autumn, when there will be more than 10 teams signed up in each region in the different age categories, each league will be divided into two groups.
At the end of Autumn League, the bottom-placed team in Group A will be relegated to Group B, while the top team in Group B will be promoted, he said.
“This way the teams will be closer with regard to the players’ skills and the overall skill level, and it will provide more competitive games within both Group A and Group B, enhancing our youth soccer development,” Wang said.
ANFIELD BLUES: Kylian Mbappe arrived at Anfield on a run of 21 goals in 17 games, but he managed just three attempts in the match, none of them hitting the target Kylian Mbappe has been nearly unstoppable this season, but he hit a roadblock in their UEFA Champions League match at Anfield on Tuesday. For the second year running, the Real Madrid forward had a night to forget at Merseyside as Liverpool won 1-0. Mbappe looked a shadow of the player who has been tearing defenses apart all season. “We were lacking that threat in the final third,” said Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, without naming Mbappe individually. The FIFA World Cup winner for France rarely looked capable of finding a breakthrough against a Liverpool team who have been so defensively fragile for much of the
LOCAL SUCCESS: In the doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in straight sets Elena Rybakina on Monday punched her ticket to the WTA Finals last four with an impressive 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over second seed Iga Swiatek in round-robin play in Riyadh. After cruising past Amanda Anisimova in her opener on Saturday, Rybakina claimed her second win of the week to guarantee herself top spot in the Serena Williams Group. Anisimova on Monday rallied back from a set and a break down to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her all-American battle with seventh seed Madison Keys, who has been eliminated from the competition. “Madi was playing so well, it was quite a battle out there,”
Erling Haaland on Sunday scored twice to propel Manchester City up to second in the English Premier League with a 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries started the day in second thanks to the longest unbeaten run in the English top flight, but Andoni Iraola’s side were undone by the scintillating form of the Norwegian striker, who took his tally to 13 Premier League goals in 10 games. Haaland’s relentless streak is maintaining City’s title challenge as they reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal back to six points and edged one point ahead of Liverpool, who they face at the weekend. “Important
Yesterday morning in Japan began with a palpable buzz after the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Shohei Ohtani would start Game 7 of the World Series. By the time countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered the final out, Tokyo was erupting with joy. “I am so proud today to be Japanese,” said cab driver Seiichiro Okada, who pulled his car to the side of the road to watch the ending. “To be able to watch these legends in real time is something else.” Ohtani had two hits and also pitched, while Yamamoto earned World Series Most Valuable Player after yet another stellar pitching performance as the
RSS