August 1, 2017 marked the beginning of the mandatory implementation of US Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives, one of which is the “build-out line” at the U9 and U10 age groups. The build-out line is a designated distance to where the opponent (defending team) must retreat when the goalkeeper has the ball. The opponent cannot encroach the area behind the build-out line until the goalkeeper plays the ball. However, once the ball is released from the goalkeeper, the defendi