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I have always been involved with football, and when the chance arose to play futsal (a variant form of association football) at University I was very much enthusiastic. It was a sport I knew a little about at the time, and one I mistakenly believed to be essentially a version of 5-a-side.
This is probably the most common misconception about futsal, but an entirely understandable one. Aside from anything else, some of the rules of futsal differ from those governing the prevalent 11-a-side version of football. For example in futsal the rules regarding contact are far more stringent and balls coming from the keeper must either go over the half way line, or touch one of the opposing team’s players.
Aside from a rules based differentiation, it’s also clear that football is less technically demanding than futsal. Because of the shortage of space, skills and tricks that will give an extra yard have added importance in futsal. The shortage of space also necessitates extremely sharp interplay and movement, with far less regimented positions than seen in football.
Generally there are four roles in a futsal team: last man, second defender, second striker and the pivot. However there is a lot of swapping around when a team attacks so as to confuse the opposition and create the space for a pass or a run. This creates fluid attacks, where no one player sticks to a certain area and where each player must be comfortable with whatever position they find themselves in.
Very few football teams of course have such a liberal approach to positioning- the most notable example being the ‘total football’ Dutch side of the 1970s. Total football essentially came down to the idea of being comfortable in a range of different positions and situations on a football pitch. Its success was therefore dependent on having players who had the technical and physical ability to adapt to a number of different roles. The key player in the Dutch side in this era was Johan Cruyff, the legendary footballer who was nominally a centre forward but who would literally go wherever he wanted on the pitch. No teams play with quite the same approach in modern times, but thanks to Cruyff’s influence Barcelona follow several of the key elements of this footballing philosophy.
Futsal is a game that very few in this country seem aware of, almost ducking under the radar of popular sporting consciousness. Even amongst those who are aware of futsal, the reaction is somewhat mixed- the sporting equivalent of marmite if you will. I have always suspected myself that this stems from the nature of the English sporting psyche, with futsal perceived as too tippy-tappy for the average English observer. English fans want constant entertainment, and from observations made by friends who have tried the sport the slow pace of the game often seems to be a leading gripe.
Personally I feel playing futsal has been very beneficial to my game in the 11-a-side format. It helps to develop technical abilty, movement and spatial awareness in particular, and could provide a solution to the technical deficit obvious in English footballers when it comes to major tournaments. Futsal is never going to overwhelm football and this is where many of those who profess to disliking futsal have it wrong. It should be seen as a complementary game that helps develop the core skill set a modern footballer should possess. In Spain and Brazil futsal is ingrained in the footballing culture, especially amongst young players. This is something that is key to the footballing success of these nations, with players such as Ronaldinho having played futsal extensively when they were younger.
In contrast too much of English football is based on a kick and rush style of play that has its roots in the way young footballers start off. They are forced into full 11-a-side games at an age where most are too small to cover the ground quickly enough, meaning quicker, stronger players stand out and technical prowess is not adequately developed. It thus seems to me that futsal offers a way to improve the general quality of English football, and is a game that should be therefore promoted more and ignored less.
Great article. I completely agree that if we embedded futsal within the core training of our young footballers then we would be much better placed to compete against the likes of Spain and Brazil in major tournaments. Integration is the key thing, as you said. It's not about saying that physical attributes aren't important within football, but trying to develop the skill sets of our young players so that they have an enhanced set of footballing attributes rather than a one dimensional game. Futsal seems like the perfect way to do that, and it also seems like a game where integrating with team-mates is equally as important, which is another plus point to teach young footballers about the 11-a-side game.
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