Soccer Challenge rules
| Ages | 9 to 14 on September 1 (Sept 1, 2026 this season), boys and girls apart: 12 divisions |
|---|---|
| Kicks | 3 practice kicks, then 15 in a row at council, 25 at district, regional and state or province |
| Line and ball | Ages 9-11 from 10 yards, size 4 ball. Ages 12-14 from 12 yards, size 5 ball |
| Points | Upper corner 20, lower corner 10, center 5, miss 0 |
| Ties | 3 kicks each from 3 yards behind the age line, repeated until there is a clear winner |
| Who goes on | The winner of each division; 2nd place stands in |
Running the day with this page
- Pick the level. The age date follows your contest date.
- Add each child with a birth date. You see their age on September 1, their division, and anyone too young or too old.
- On Scoring, pick a division, draw the order if you like, and tap the zone of the goal for every kick, or Miss.
- When a tie decides a place, only the tied players are called up for three more kicks, until the places are settled.
- Print the score sheets, the results with each winner's 20s, 10s and 5s for the entry form, and a certificate for every child.
Scoring on paper instead? Print the score sheets by division before kickoff, then type each player's 20s, 10s and 5s in afterwards and the page still finds the ties.
Questions organizers ask
What are the age groups for the Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge?
Boys and girls aged 9 to 14, using their age on September 1. Each age competes on its own, so there are twelve divisions: boys 9 through 14 and girls 9 through 14. For contests in the 2026-27 season that is the age on September 1, 2026. The 2026 Summer Soccer Challenge used the age on the day of the contest.
How is the Soccer Challenge scored?
Each kick scores by the zone of the goal it passes through: 20 points in an upper corner, 10 in a lower corner, 5 in the center and nothing for a miss. The playbook's example: 5, 10, 20, 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 5, 20, 5, 10, 5, 5 makes 125.
How many kicks does each player get?
Three practice kicks, then 15 in a row at the council contest and 25 at district, regional and state or province level. Ages 9 to 11 kick a size 4 ball from 10 yards, ages 12 to 14 a size 5 ball from 12 yards.
How do you mark the scoring zones on the goal?
Tie a rope across each corner of the 8 by 24 foot goal: the upper ropes from 4 feet down each post to 8 feet along the crossbar, the lower ones from 4 feet up each post to 8 feet along the ground, staked down. The playbook says 6½ to 7 feet of rope, but that diagonal is nearly 9 feet, so bring longer pieces.
What if the ball hits the post or a rope?
The playbook doesn't say. Points go by the zone the ball passes through, normal penalty kick rules apply, any touch of the ball counts as a kick, and the judges have the final say. Tap the zone the judge calls.
How are ties broken?
Only the tied players kick again: three kicks each from 3 yards behind their age line, and more rounds of three until there is a clear winner. Some state councils move later rounds farther back. This page calls up exactly the players still level and keeps every round on the score sheet.
Who goes on if a winner can't make the next level?
The second-place kicker represents the area for that age group. The rules only describe a shoot-off for the top score, so this page also shoots off a tie for second unless you set it to decide the winner only.
Can I use this instead of the official entry form?
No. Each winner's entry form and score sheet (#4578), signed by a parent, goes with them to every level. Run the day here, then copy each winner's 20s, 10s and 5s onto the form from the results printout.
Rules from the Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge Playbook (#4576), entry form and score sheet (#4578) and 2026 Summer Soccer Challenge Score Sheet (#11964), checked in October 2026. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Knights of Columbus. Your program director's rules come first. Running a basketball contest? Use the free throw contest score sheet.