A question that often gets asked and one which can produce a lot of different answers depending on opinion and the respondents experience with futsal.
We’ve put together the best information on futsal’s key benefits to Soccer players.
Is futsal Good for Soccer? Futsal has number of key benefits that make it an important part of Soccer development. Futsal does this by providing:
- More touches per game
- Quicker decision making
- Faster movement
- Improved passing and movement in tight spaces
- Better decision making
- Increased fitness
- Great during the off season to maintain skills
When playing futsal players will develop a well-rounded skill set, there can be limited “long balls” with a focus on passing and being creative in tight areas, players will be more effective on the soccer field.
Importance of Futsal for Youth Development
The importance of futsal in youth development cannot be understated, many countries across Europe and South America have a heavy emphasis on futsal in the early stages of a player’s Soccer journey, it’s often played in official settings and games can be found at local recreation centers with ease.
Getting a young player involved in futsal will ensure that they can gain better decision-making skills, become more confident in taking on opposition layers and develop a better skillset.
You can start a child in futsal from early ages with most competitions starting at 5 years old, you can take the child earlier and run them through some 1 on 1 drills at your local YMCA or recreation center, when it comes to futsal/soccer there never is an age that’s too early to get them involved so don’t worry too much about that.
Check out our post on futsal safety for kids here.
Futsal in The Off Season
You’ll be able to find futsal competitions that run all year round in most parts of the world, as it’s an indoor sport that isn’t affected by weather conditions.
Depending on where you are playing outdoor soccer, you may wish to take up futsal in the off season.
Futsal will ensure you maintain your fitness and you’ll head back to the outdoor world with a much better level of skill and techniques.
Improved Decision Making
Being involved in a fast-moving game like futsal will improve your decision making, touching the ball up to 6 times more than their outdoor counterparts and with a field the size of a basketball court players will be forced to think quickly or be caught out.
Imagine a full back who loves to pump long balls to the wingers in outdoor turning up for a game of futsal. Two things will happen:
- Initially the player would struggle to keep up with the pace of futsal, though his defending should come in handy
- If the player sticks around for a couple of seasons and really focuses on improving his or her futsal skills he will become better on the ball, able to make better decisions and return to the outdoor pitch a much-improved player
By removing the option for players to immediately relieve the pressure by playing the ball long as often done in outdoor it forces all players to think more and improves their ability to make decisions in restricted time and space.
Passing and Technique
As futsal court is much smaller than an outdoor field player is required to get better at passing as each pass must be more accurate and faster compared to outdoor, generally.
Players will also learn new techniques in controlling the ball that differ from outdoor soccer, teams will also employ new tactics compared to outdoor soccer.
These tactics, in formation, seem more related to basketball then futsal at times.
Participants can expect a definite increase in their ability across both aspects after a few seasons involved in futsal.
Better Goalkeepers
Nowadays goalkeepers need to be as good with their feet as they are with their hands, you only need to look to the top teams in outdoor soccer who rely heavily on the goalkeeper’s distribution to launch attacks and retain possession, enter futsal.
As with everything else in futsal, Goalkeepers are required to be heavily involved in the play, often required to abandon goalkeeper duties in times of desperation when seeking an equalizer or a way back into a one-sided game.
Due to the small size court Goalkeepers can be expected to be called into action far more often than their outfield counterparts with a high amount of shots to stop and back-passes to control and distribute.
Strength on The Ball
Players will be subjected to more attempts from other players to steal the ball from them, once players are exposed to this more and more, they will develop better-coping skills and core strength in order to keep possession and protect the ball.
Players will often be subjected to multiple challenges for the ball in tight spaces which will increase their work rate in order to retain the ball.
When futsal players are unleashed on the soccer field it is little wonder that those who are experienced in futsal often glide by players with ease creating space and opportunities that others might think possible.
New Control Techniques
Techniques that may be considered unorthodox or get you a dressing down on the soccer pitch are actively fostered on the futsal court, for example, players are encouraged to shoot with toes, called a toe poke, something that is actively discouraged in outdoor soccer.
However, don’t forget the 2002 World Cup toe poke by Ronaldo against Turkey in the semi final:
So, one may say the toe poke does have a place on both fields, eh?
Players will also get accustomed to stopping the ball in futsal using the sole of their boot, something once again that is not commonplace in soccer, it does however add an extra dynamic to the control and manipulation of the ball and will allow extra creativity to the players skill set.
Want Proof?
So, you might not be convinced yet, and that’s a good thing anyone can write a few words without backing it up with some real credible evidence, right?
Some of the world’s greatest players got their foundational skill from futsal, take Lionel Messi for example who was quoted on the Fifa website as saying: “As a little boy in Argentina, I played futsal on the streets and for my club. It was tremendous fun, and it really helped me become who I am today,”
What about Cristiano Ronaldo who had this to say: “During my childhood in Portugal, all we played was futsal,” he said. “The small playing area helped me improve my close control, and whenever I played futsal I felt free. If it wasn’t for futsal, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.”
You’ll find a long list of players of at Fifa who can vouch for futsals importance in development and how it’s helped them become the players they are today.
Don’t Forget Fun!
Whatever we do in life, we need to make sure it is fun and that we enjoy it, otherwise what’s the point? This is the same for futsal as any other sport.
Players will gain friends, improve their fitness and potentially make friends that they can keep for life.
