What Is the Build-Out Line in Soccer? 7v7 Rules Explained

The build-out line is a line marked across each half of a 7v7 field that forces the defending team to back off whenever the goalkeeper has the ball. Under U.S. Soccer's small-sided standards it's used at U9 and U10, and it does two separate jobs: it gives young teams room to pass out of the back instead of hoofing it clear, and it replaces the halfway line as the offside boundary. It also comes with a rule that surprises every new 7v7 goalkeeper — no punting.

If your child has just moved up to 7v7, the build-out line is probably the first thing you noticed that doesn't exist in the professional game. A goal kick happens and the entire opposing team jogs backwards. The keeper catches a shot and everyone retreats. It looks strange, and almost nobody explains why.

Here's what the line actually does, the exact rules attached to it, and the handful of details that referees, coaches and parents get wrong most often.

What is the build-out line, and why does it exist?

The build-out line arrived with U.S. Soccer's Player Development Initiatives, the same package of changes that introduced small-sided formats and birth-year age groups. The stated purpose is simple. As U.S. Soccer puts it in its 7v7 Standards of Play, "the build out line promotes playing the ball out of the back in a less pressured setting."

The problem it solves is one every youth coach recognises. Put eight-year-olds on a field with no restrictions and the moment the goalkeeper gets the ball, three opponents swarm the six-yard box. The keeper panics and boots it as far as possible. Nobody learns anything — not the keeper, not the defenders who never receive a pass, not the attackers who never press with any structure.

The build-out line buys the goalkeeper's team a pocket of time and space. The defending team has to retreat, the ball gets played short, and young players actually get to practise the first phase of building an attack.

Where is the build-out line on the field?

There's one build-out line in each half. U.S. Soccer defines its position relationally rather than as a fixed measurement: it sits equidistant between the top of the penalty area and the halfway line.

That's worth emphasising, because you'll see specific yardages quoted online as though they were the rule. They aren't. U.S. Soccer's own 7v7 Standards of Play diagram gives no distance for the build-out line at all — it's defined purely by that midpoint. Since a 7v7 field runs roughly 55–65 yards long by 35–45 yards wide, the line typically ends up somewhere in the region of 14–20 yards from the goal line depending on the field, but the midpoint definition is what governs. If you want the full set of measurements for every format, our guide to youth soccer field dimensions by age lays them out.

Leagues also differ in how the line is physically marked. Some paint it, solid or dashed. Others use cones or markers placed just off the field near the touchline. Both are common, and neither changes how the rule is applied.

What are the build-out line rules at 7v7?

There are two triggers, and they behave slightly differently.

When the goalkeeper has the ball in their hands during play, the opposing team must move behind the build-out line until the ball is put back into play. The goalkeeper can then pass, throw or roll the ball out. Once the ball is in play, the opposition can cross the line and the game resumes normally.

On a goal kick, the same retreat applies — the opposing team must be behind the build-out line until the kick is taken.

One detail catches people out on goal kicks. Under the current IFAB Laws of the Game, the ball is in play "when it is kicked and clearly moves" — it does not have to leave the penalty area. That changed in 2019, but plenty of older league handouts and referee notes still say the ball must exit the box first. If your league's paperwork says that, it's out of date with the Laws.

Why can't goalkeepers punt in 7v7?

Because a punt undoes the entire point of the line. If the keeper can launch the ball 40 yards over everyone's head, the retreating defence achieves nothing and nobody plays out of the back.

So at U9 and U10, punts and drop kicks are not allowed. The goalkeeper's options are to pass along the ground, throw, or roll the ball — or put it down and play it with their feet. Volleys are treated the same way as punts, since they'd obviously circumvent the rule.

The sanction is specific: if a goalkeeper punts or drop-kicks, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the spot of the offence. If the punt happened inside the goal area, the free kick is taken on the goal area line, parallel to the goal line, at the nearest point to where it occurred.

For young keepers this is a genuine skill shift, not just a restriction — distribution becomes a decision rather than a reflex. Our guide to coaching youth goalkeepers covers how to train it.

How does the build-out line change offside?

This is the line's second job, and it's the one that confuses sidelines most.

At 7v7, the build-out line — not the halfway line — is the offside boundary. Specifically:

• Players cannot be penalised for offside between the halfway line and the build-out line.
• Players can be penalised for offside between the build-out line and the goal line.

In practice that means a U9 attacker can roam most of the field without any risk of an offside flag. The rule only switches on in the final zone near goal, where it teaches something useful about timing a run. At 9v9 the build-out line disappears entirely and offside reverts to the normal halfway-line version. We cover the full progression in the offside rule in youth soccer.

Does the goalkeeper have to wait for everyone to retreat?

No — and this is the single most misunderstood point.

U.S. Soccer's referee guidance is explicit that a goalkeeper "may choose to play the ball from his or her hands before the opponent has retreated behind the Build-Out Line." The retreat is an obligation on the defending team, not a delay imposed on the keeper. A quick, brave keeper who spots a free teammate can release immediately and gain an advantage from it.

Where it matters is the goalkeeper's holding count. U.S. Soccer's guidance says that if a keeper is clearly waiting for the opposition to retreat, the count should start only once they've retreated — so a keeper isn't punished for a delay the rule itself created.

Note that the underlying Law changed recently. That guidance was written when goalkeepers had six seconds to release the ball; under the Laws of the Game 2025/26, a goalkeeper controlling the ball for longer than eight seconds now concedes a corner kick rather than an indirect free kick, with the referee giving a visual five-second countdown. The build-out line principle carries over to the eight-second count, but if your league is strict about it, it's worth confirming how they're applying the two together.

How should coaches actually use the build-out line?

The rule creates the space. What you do with it is the coaching.

• Spread the back line wide. The retreat is only useful if there are angles to pass into. Two defenders hugging the keeper is wasted space.
• Give the keeper a genuine option, not an obligation. Playing short is the default, not a rule. If the press is set and nothing's on, rolling it to a full-back who can turn is better than forcing a pass through traffic.
• Teach the receiving touch, not just the pass. Most build-out sequences break down on the first touch of the receiver, not the keeper's delivery.
• Don't punish mistakes here. Kids will concede goals playing out of the back. That's the cost of the rule doing its job. Coaches who react badly to one turnover get keepers who quietly go back to booting it.

It's the same design philosophy behind the youth soccer heading rules by age — the small-sided formats deliberately trade realism for development, then hand the full game back once players can handle it.

Building the composure to receive under pressure takes reps well beyond two team practices a week. FlickTec's structured home sessions — built by a UEFA Pro Licence coach — focus on the first touch and ball mastery that make playing out of the back actually work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the build-out line in soccer?

It's a line marked across each half of a 7v7 field, positioned equidistant between the top of the penalty area and the halfway line. When the goalkeeper has the ball or takes a goal kick, the opposing team must retreat behind it until the ball is in play. It also serves as the offside boundary at 7v7.

What age is the build-out line used?

It's used in 7v7 play, which under U.S. Soccer's small-sided standards covers the U9 and U10 age groups. There's no build-out line at 4v4 (U6–U8), which has no goalkeepers, and it disappears at 9v9 (U11–U12) when offside reverts to the halfway line.

Can goalkeepers punt the ball at 7v7?

No. Punts and drop kicks are not allowed at U9 and U10. The goalkeeper can pass along the ground, throw, or roll the ball out, or place it down and play with their feet. If a keeper punts, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot of the offence.

Does the goalkeeper have to wait for the other team to retreat behind the build-out line?

No. U.S. Soccer's guidance states a goalkeeper may play the ball before opponents have retreated. The retreat is an obligation on the defending team, not a requirement for the keeper to pause. If the keeper is clearly waiting, the holding-time count should only begin once opponents are behind the line.

Is there offside before the build-out line?

No. At 7v7 a player cannot be penalised for offside between the halfway line and the build-out line. Offside can only be called between the build-out line and the goal line.

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The build-out line looks like an odd bit of youth-soccer bureaucracy until you watch what happens without it: a goalkeeper under siege, a long clearance, and twelve kids chasing a bouncing ball. Learn the two triggers, remember that punting is off the table, and remember that the line moves the offside boundary too — and you'll follow a 7v7 game better than most of the sideline.