World Cup winning nations play Futsal year round, and players all around the world grow up with this game. Futsal is organized street soccer. 15 years ago it was new to Pittsburgh but now many local clubs are joining the winter sessions to do the same: play Futsal. This game has tremendous benefits to the players. Its pace, size of the playing field, number of players, modified rules all demand a much higher level of concentration by the mind and quicker execution by the feet. In Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany and many other soccer nations (small or big) kids grow up playing Futsal on a continuous basis. Growing up, we also played it on the streets and parks (organized by us!), and in our club within a league. Its impact on the individual’s foot skills and tactical awareness is invaluable. In the following I’ll break it down why Futsal is a key ingredient in a player’s soccer development. (My list is far from exhaustive.)

Touches on the ball – giving only 4+GK on the field enables the players to touch the ball much more often than in a regular 11v11. Players will find the ball at their feet more often than ever before and will have just a split second to deal with it. ...and it’s going on non-stop.

Foot skills – instead of touching the ball less than ten times in a 30 minutes outdoor half, during a Futsal game, players will be able to touch the ball close to a hundred times in each half. Their foot skills will develop rapidly: it is a constant passing game spiced up with some individual flair of dribbling skills.

Finishing and GK training – shots are fired and saves being made in every ten seconds!

Additional GK training – it will allow the goal keeper to be an active part of the team both in attacking and defending without any break. He/she won’t have the chance to “zone out” and take a mental break.

Quick thinking – the ball and the players are moving fast. The minimal time to process the information presented by the actual situation demands quick execution. Also, at every restart the ball has to be released in less than 4 seconds.

Reading and anticipating the flow of the game – quicker thinking and responding will enhance the player’s ability to read the flow of the game better and ahead of time. Playing proactively rather than just reacting to the game will bring success on the Futsal court, and will transfer over to the soccer field.

Transition – teams attack and defend together. In soccer (in the 11v11 game also!) once we lose the ball we are all defenders, when we win the ball back now we are all attackers. Given the small number of players and the tight space provided, in Futsal this is more emphasized. Winning and losing possession of the ball will happen quickly; hence changing gears from defense to attack and attack to defense require super fast execution in the mind and in the feet.

Small sided environment – the players will be exposed to numerous 1v1, 1v2, 2v1, 2v2 situations. These are key elements of the 11v11 game also. If a team and its players are not good in 1v1 and 2v2 situations, and if they can not perform efficiently and successfully in those small fragments of the game, then they won’t be able to perform successfully on the big field when they play the 11v11 game. It is like a big puzzle that is missing small pieces (isn’t it frustrating?). The outdoor game is never an 11v11 fight. It is a 1v1, 2v1, 3v2 battle (e.g.: right wing vs. left back, etc.).

The field of play – is small and the floor is a fast paced hardwood or PVC surface. Players who are efficient and successful within this limited space and quick surface, will be very efficient and very successful during the outdoor games, and will be ahead of the game compared to those who don’t play Futsal.

Tactical awareness – being so close to the ball and having the chance to make an impact in the game will present unlimited amount of decision making opportunities to the players. Tactics is decision making. We all can teach kids how to control and turn with the ball, how to chip over the GK, how to pass in short or long range, etc.; but we can not teach decision making. In practices we can only create the environment that is conducive to learning and facilitate activities where options are presented to the players. This way they will not need to rely on us coaches to think for them and be their “mental crutch”. Players don’t need the coach “joy-sticking” them from the sideline. Not making and carrying out those decisions on their own would greatly hinder their development.

Whole body workout - from the mind (visualizing and hearing, information processing and deciding, then quickly acting upon) through the body (movements such as twisting, turning, jumping, running, dribbling, passing, shooting, diving carried out constantly; and sweating a whole lot) to the spirit (experiencing excitement, fulfilled with the joy of playing in a non-stop fashion) – the whole person is involved in an intense, challenging and fun experience. . . . There is no comparison!

Team bonding experience – playing in such environment will bring up lots of emotions. The players will experience lots of joys together and will have the chance to deal with frustration sometimes as a team also. It will be a great supplement toward building their unity.

Opportunity to develop self discipline – officials are strictly enforcing the modified rules of Futsal. It is a game of finesse with quick mind and quick feet. Similar to basketball, in Futsal teams can collect one too many foul and they will be penalized. A penalty kick will be awarded against them.

Expressing one’s personality through the game – it is Joga Bonito: Play Beautiful! Speak with your feet, not with your mouth!

At last, some food for thought - How is it that Netherland is smaller than Pennsylvania, still they are producing world class players on a regular basis since the 1970s? . . .

.................Csaba Feher