All About Futsal

By Isaac Barrington

Introduction

Futsal is a growing sport, that more and more people are playing to date. I remember when I first played Futsal and sometimes there were only one or two people at the session, however now there can be up to 20 people! Many people who don't know and understand the game of futsal think that the growing game is just all about tricky flicks and silky tricks, but in fact it's quite the opposite. Futsal involves loads of short passes, tactics and pre-prepared moves, such as one-twos and parallel runs.

One of the main differences of futsal compared to football is the lightning quick pace of the game. Futsal is played on a smaller, indoor court which means that players have a lot less time on the ball than they do outside on an 11-a-side pitch. In futsal, each team has five players, four outfield and one goalkeeper. This means that teams cannot afford to leave players up the court and consequently, each of the 4 outfield players have to work extremely hard in attack and defence. The game runs extremely fast, and can sometimes produce as many as 15 goals!

Rules

The main rules of the game are as follows:

1. kick-ins are taken instead of throw-ins, and players have 4 seconds to restart the game from any dead ball situation

2. goalkeepers can only be in possession of the ball in their own half for four seconds

3. the goalkeeper can only be in possession of the ball once in each passage of play. When the opposing team has touched the ball a new passage will begin 

4. goalkeeper rules do not apply when he/she is in the attacking half

5. goalkeepers must restart play with a throw when (in football) it would be a goal-kick

6. each team may only commit 5 fouls per half, for each foul after they will concede a 1o meter penalty; the goalkeeper can come off his line, and is permitted to stand anywhere in his area

7. each team can make as many subs as they wish, and players who have been replaced may return to the court

8. if a player is issued with a red card, his team must play with 4 players for 2 minutes, or until the opposing team scores

9. the game is played in two halves of 2o minutes, and the official will stop the clock every time that the ball goes dead, this causes the match to run for approximately 1 and a half hours

10. Each team are entitled to a one minute time-out period each half

11. There is no offside rule in Futsal

12. Goals cannot be scored directly from a restart, except direct free-kicks and penalties

13. For each foul committed inside the penalty area, a six metre penalty will be awarded. Goalkeepers must remain on their line until the ball is kicked.

Tactics

The Fly Keeper is where teams play without their goalkeeper. Due to the rules about the goalkeeper in his own half, the fly keeper normally goes into the oppositions half. This is a big risk, that is sometimes (sometimes not) worth taking. An outfield player is often used as the fly keeper and he then charges off the pitch and the proper keeper runs back on. This is just another example of how futsal is so fast and lively. The fly Goalkeeper is mainly used in the final minutes of a match to try and grab a goal back, however the Kazakhstan national team commonly use the fly keeper to keep possession and run the clock down. 

The second post goal is often used in futsal. This is where a player makes a run to the back post and simply taps the ball home! This is a very simple way to score and is commonly used. For this to work, the player with the ball will need to have his head up, and looking for a pass (in this case the second post pass).

The 'diamond' formation is commonly used in futsal. This is shown in the picture below and all the players move as unit when this formation is used. The player at the front (striker) is called the pivot, and his job is to hold up and lay off the ball to his team-mates. The first touch is always vital in futsal, because of the little time that players have on the ball. Futsal players cannot afford to take a poor touch, as this may be costly and lead to the other team scoring. Players control the ball with their sole, because when the inside of the foot is used, the ball generally bounces off the foot. Another advantage of using the sole of the foot is that it is extremely easy to 'push the ball out of the feet' and prepare for the next pass. 

Another formation used in futsal is the 2,2 formation. Two players play at the back, and two in front. Normally when one of the two more defensive players is in possession, the other will cover him and give him another option for a pass. Movement off the ball is key in futsal, because if a player has no options for a pass, he is likely to concede the ball and put his side in trouble. Players are constantly over-lapping each other and showing for the ball. In the 2,2 formation, the outside channels and flanks are used often. Players will complete silky one-twos and see the ball returned for a simple goal. These are just a few examples of how futsal is more about sharp passing and moving, than rainbow flicks and rabona's. 

Set pieces such as corners and free-kicks often lead to goals in futsal. Personally, my favourite set-piece is one like this. Two players stand behind a free-kick positioned around the edge of the box. One player runs over the ball and blocks the view of the players in the wall, while another runs behind the wall and becomes un-marked behind the defence. This player then receives the ball, while the man who ran to the wall spins off his man and is easily set up for a tap-in on the back post. This free-kick obviously won't be pulled off every single time, but one of the best bits of futsal is all of the split-second decision changes that are made. For example, if the player who runs behind the wall is picked up by a defender, of course you wouldn't pass to him. Instead, the player in the wall may receive the ball, or the free-kick taker might just happily shoot! Many more well thought out set-plays are produced, but there just isn't time to go through them all. How about you get down to the Birmingham Futsal Arena or any other team near you in the national league to see these for yourself?

It all starts with futsal.

Many professional footballers who have made millions out of their careers say that their journey all started with futsal. The sport is so common in countries like Spain, Portugal and Brazil, and players from these nations will more likely than not know of, and played futsal at some stage of their life. A famous quote from Pele is this. "I played futsal growing up in baurd. In futsal you need to think quick and play quick so it's easier when you play outdoor football."

Defence

Because of the well-worked set pieces from the attacking side, the defence has to be spot on from the other. A corner is usually defended in a 'Y' shape, as this is found to be the best method. To use this method, the goalkeeper stands just in front of his line, covering the near post. Another player will stand about a yard in front of the keeper and towards the right. His job is to defend the passing line into the centre of the area. Another player will stand to the right of this man, forming the top of the 'Y'. This players use is to sprint out to the man with the ball on the edge of the box, if he receives it. He must not move early as this can open a clear passageway for the corner taker to play a ball through into the area. The other two men stand one behind the other to make the rest of the 'Y'. The role for these two player is to defend their 'zone'. The entire formation relies on every player being in the right position, and not stepping out of their position. One of my coaches called Neno once explained it me as like playing FIFA and having to stay in the circle around the player. He showed us using cones and each player couldn't leave their assigned area.

How are England as a country doing in futsal? 

Futsal is progressing quickly in England, but is still extremely small in proportion to other countries. As it stands, England are ranked 59th in the world, with Spain and Brazil occupying the top two spots. The league is divided into two sides, north and south. After a hard season has been played out, the best few teams from the two leagues meet at St George's Park in Burton. In a knock out format, the winner of the tournament will go on and represent England in Europe. London Baku United represented England last year, but many more strong teams such as Birmingham and Oxford will look to challenge for the title this time around. 

How did Futsal get its name?

The history of the word 'futsal' may fascinate you, like it did me. The Spanish word for 'football' is 'futbol' and the Spanish word for 'indoor' is 'Sala'. As you can see the 'fut' and the 'sal' from the two words are mixed together to make 'futsal'!