Futsal for football development

This seems like the right part of the forum to chuck this thread in, although no one seems to have posted here for a while...

So there's been a bit of talk for a few years now about how futsal helps develop youngsters into better players, and here's another one: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jul/05/futsal-england-next-generation

I've played a wee bit of futsal and I agree that it forces you to play a more technical, quick style of play, and I've also heard arguments made that small-sided games on small pitches in general really help youngsters develop a better touch and passing and dribbling skills.  A few years ago now me and some mates coached a team of average 13-14 year olds (not reps or anything) and we really spent a lot of time getting them to play 5-a-side, in various forms such as 2 touch and even a mandatory 5 touch so they were forced to develop the ability to control and  shield the ball and not just hack it away, and as a coaching technique it seemed to work well. Our lads played much better football than most of their opponents and went from getting thumped at the start of the season to being dominant against the same teams by the end. Now I know that's a stupidly small sample so you can't read much into it but I do think there is something to the idea that young players should learn technical skills and spend as much time with the ball at their feet as they can.

Given that New Zealand is facing a sports-ground shortage (http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/7160554/Pitched-battle-for-sports-grounds) maybe we should do away with outdoor, 11-a-side football for say, under-11s and replace it with futsal played in school halls? Parents and kids wouldn't have to be out in the wet and cold, games would never get called off, and most importantly young players would get to spend much more time with the ball on a flat smooth surface where their ballskills can develop. Then once they are 12 or 13 they can switch to outdoor 11-a-side if they want and develop the skills that they haven't so far, such as long balls, crossing, longshots, throwins, etc. Also the clearing out of fields would allow more older players to play on the weekends. Finally, futsal could be played year-round so young kids don't spend 6-months off a year missing out on the chance to develop their games.

What do other people think about this? Could futsal be implemented for youngsters in NZ? Would parents want their kids to play 11-a-side outdoors because that's what they are used to? Would kids want to switch to playing 11-a-side when they were old enough or would they just want to stick with futsal? Would NZ football and local federations want to do this? Would futsal really help player development that much?

You are definitiely onto something with this one, it's an approach that  is reflected overseas and that is supported by an absolute tonne of research. My study career is in coaching and the lads I deal with ( I coach seniors) have benefited immensley from a games/problem solving approach. In terms of futsal I would agree with your ideas to a certain level, I think the perfect middle ground would be for kids to play futsal as a midweek sport in combination with football training  in small sided game situations. There does need to be a combination of both, as more variety of situations and experiences is ideal in educating the kids quickly. 

 

Unfortunately too many coaches just pull drills of the internet..... NZF would  be far better off teaching new coaches how to design effective training games and how to facilitate a problem solving approach..... not just what games to play. Although having attended the Senior Level 2 course this does seem to be changing rather quickly.

 

So in short, yes futsal should play a major role in  educating our young footballers, but not at the expense of outdoors. There should be a combination of both.

I've been involved for a couple of years now and I'm a fan: the kids get more touches, more often, have to make their plays in tight spaces, requiring quick skills and quick thinking (problem solving). All up it is often a better 45 minutes for their development than an equivalent outdoor training session with a squad of 14. I've seen my kids go to another level. I was in Wellington on the weekend for the National Youth Futsal Championships and the skill on show from the top teams (at all ages) was something than can only be good for football.

BZ, I know the Spanish model is to play only SSGs up to age 12 (and Brazil something similar) then switch to 11 a side/outdoor but I think, culturally, we need a middle ground as No9 suggests.

In Chch, many of the best football players are playing futsal. Or many futsal players are also the best outdoor players. Coincidence?

I'm a fan of futsal as a concept; SSG, decent pace and all about technique and option taking.

In saying that I've been coaching for a while now and over the years have found quite often that kids who play futsal struggle to go back to outdoor and make the most of their new skills. Instead of sending the easy ball to release a team mate in to space they take the futsal approach which seems to be get flashy and try take on 4 or 5 players at a time (and then lose the ball in the process).

I'm not sure whether this is because they're used to tighter marking and defending in futsal and *have* to go around a player to make headway or because the futsal grade isnt as competitive as their saturday football grade and they're used to dominating.

Can I just say that SSG, lots of touches etc, can be achieved without futsal.

I 100% agree, but at the same time if kids are involved in a sport which *should* help their development on top of their football then thats brilliant

You do need both. Personally,after a summer of playing indoor,futsal and twilight football (5 a side) I struggle with coming back to 11 a side. It is hugely different. 

However,there is massive benefit that you do get from it,for all the reasons mentioned above. 2B is right,of a coach does it right,all of these can be achieved on the training pitch etc. but there is no harm at all in encouraging kids to also play futsal on another night

I think the thing as I see it is that most coaches of really young kids, say 10 and under, are often just parents who might not even know much about coaching or football in general. Playing futsal helps the kids to develop these skills regardless of the coach's ability or knowledge because the game itself forces these skills to develop - quick feet, good touch, being comfortable on the ball. Yes, it also can lead to more selfish players who don't understand the dynamics of the game as well but how many 9 year olds are tactical geniuses anyway? Positioning, decisionmaking, and general tactical knowledge can be learnt as a teenager but if you already have good ball skills by then you've got a huge advantage. Given the sportsground shortage I mentioned originally too, having the really young kids playing futsal can free up space for more teens to play football.

Gings, what age are you coaching? I'm just curious to know given that you were talking about them having difficulties adjusting from futsal.

Yeah I can't argue with that but its a lot harder to do on boggy muddy pitches in the rain than on a covered basketball court. Part of the reason I was suggesting futsal was because of the lack of quality grounds for much of the winter in many places

If a player is trying to beat 4-5 players he has no idea about winning Futsal. The most common Futsal goal is easy pass (often to back post) & easy tap in. Gings come to bishopdale on a Sunday afternoon and you'll see how the good Futsal players are doing it. Re the grounds issue we all lose most council grounds to cricket in summer. Futsal can be played year round, which keeps skills going year round. In chch we play all 4 terms. Issue for us is court avails post EQ!

enjoyed the 2 games I watched yesterday. Speed of decision making is vital and as there is much more on the ball contact the assumption is the players touch will improve.

 

The cat who wrote "The Talent Code" sure endorses futsal

It should also be noted that in Wellington at least an 11yo doesn't play 11-a-side football.  In the main they play 8 or 9-a-side on a maximum 2/3rd size pitch.  Full 11-a-side is for players turning 13 and I think the plan is to drop that to 3/4 once Whole of Football is further entrenched.

Not that I'm advocating that as a replacement for futsal, but small-sided and smaller pitches is pretty much where football is at competitively for most junior age groups, although there is some suggestion that the 9th grade could do with moving smaller.

Futsal alongside this should be the aim for me, rather than as a replacement.

 

Sorry just remembered this thread. I've worked with kids from 8th up to 19th grade and while some kids have thrived after a bit of futsal I've seen others head the wrong way - too fancy on the ball etc. The ones who play in a futsal grade appropriate to their skill are the ones who come out better off IMO. If its too easy for them its detrimental to their football

Tom Rogic of Central Coast Mariners. Futsalroo and now Socceroo.

Rohan Ali of Dunedin signs contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle - see Young Kiwis in UK thread

could be the answer to the "style" issue facing the Nix? 

:P

I hear futsal is part of the Fed Talent Centre programme in some regions now - gotta be good.

Welnix, first and foremost, is a business. It would take a long-sighted approach to invest in closer futsal ties but guarantee it would pay off in "entertainment" value. A South American or Spanish Nix coach would help though ;)

Daniel was quite involved with it, wasn't he? Shame he left, maybe once his career is over he might come back to Wellington.

Yes Daniel and Diego were involved with futsal and set-up the Samba Futsal Academy in Wellington. I know a South American coach who applied for the assistant coaches position at Phoenix before it was given to Greenacre and he is still waiting on a reply from the club!

Football is football and futsal is futsal. For me two different sports. I agree futsal can help in the development of young players and should be encouraged but a tactically its a different game especially for outdoor coaches to grasp.