Futsal for Football

Futsal has been popular for decades in countries in South America and even other European countries; a sporting education consisting of a combination of futsal and football is what many great footballers were brought up with. Cristiano Ronaldo is just one proponent of futsal as a tool for the development of young players; he himself said that ‘all players should learn to play soccer by playing Futsal’, even saying that ‘Futsal will always be what I enjoy most’. Futsal is effectively football reduced down to a smaller scale, played on a hard court, with two teams of five players and a smaller, harder, low-bounce ball; but just why is it so useful as a tool for developing exceptional footballers?

Intelligence

The Liverpool John Moores University performed a study finding players had three times the amount of touches in a Futsal game than in a traditional full field Football match; this means that players must make far more decisions within a game of Futsal than in Football. The compressed spaces mean that spatial awareness takes far more importance within the game, and players will become more aware of where they and their teammates are on the pitch at all times. Exposure to decision making combined with the fast paced nature of the game will tangibly help players make the right decisions in a game of Football.

Quick Thinking

One reason is that the smaller pitch and faster paced game forces players to become sharper with their decision making. Players are constantly tightly marked and must act quickly in the game; this forces quick decision making and greater agency, qualities that will develop in Futsal and then be displayed on the football pitch. These sentiments are echoed by former Brazil forward Robinho; ‘I played Futsal for many years… there you don’t have time to think, you are always tightly marked, and you develop a sense for performing in small spaces’. 

Technical Ability

The nature of the game also forces players to improve their fundamental football skills. This is due to the quicker pace of the game, as players are forced to receive the ball under constant pressure and encouraged to take opponents on in 1v1 situations. Another key factor enhancing technical ability is the heavier ball, which demands greater technical control from players. Pele, widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, said that Futsal was ‘very, very important, no doubt … in helping my ball control, passing, dribbling, balance and concentration’.

Physicality

There are physical rewards to the game as players will receive the ball with far less space, and are forced to protect the ball with their bodies; skills like shielding the ball with the body are essential in both Futsal and Football and will be learnt quickly, enhancing a player’s physical development and intelligence surrounding how they use their strength.

The intensity of match play of futsal was shown to be higher than soccer, possibly as a direct consequence of the unlimited substitution rule during futsal. Professional futsal players cover 13.7% of their total distance at high-intensity (speed ≥15 km·h−1) and 8.9% sprinting (speed ≥25 km·h−1), with players performing 8.6 activities per minute of match play. In addition, players perform a low-intensity effort every 14 s, a medium-intensity effort every 37s, a high-intensity effort every 43s, a maximum-intensity effort every 56s, and change locomotor activities every 3.3s. From these findings it can be concluded that futsal is an anaerobic multiple-sprint sport in which high-intensity exercise constitutes a greater proportion of match time than in soccer and other multiple-sprint sports.

Confidence

Playing Futsal regularly has tangible effects on a player’s confidence in the 11 a side game. A player will have far more touches of the ball in a game of Futsal and will also have far more license to take on opponents in a 1v1 setting due to the compressed nature of the game. This forces a more active involvement in the game and agency among players; as players are forced to take more shots, make more passes and take on more players thus they become far more confident with the ball at their feet.

These five areas of improvement can help create outstanding players, and we at Bloomsbury Football Foundation are well equipped to utilise Futsal for youth development. Charlie Hyman not only has international Futsal playing experience but is also a UEFA B level Futsal coach; few, if any, other clubs in the area can offer this level of expertise. With our Academy offering weekly Futsal sessions, we are confident that our Academy can continue to produce top tier talent with the aid of Futsal.

What are your thoughts on using futsal to aid football development?