The Benefits of Futsal

The Benefits of Futsal to Football

Although Futsal is very much a game in its own right, there are also a number of benefits for football by encouraging young people to play Futsal as part of a balanced training programme to improve their overall technical development. The game of futsal creates situations that allow young players to simulate and develop many skills that are transferable to football.

The small court of futsal provides a difficulty in finding space in such confined space, the smaller heavier ball which supports closer ball control and manipulation supports the technical development of young players.

Research indicates that individual’s playing Futsal receive the ball six times more often than they would do when they are playing 11-a-side football, allowing players to perform more individual techniques such as passes, controls, fakes, feints, dribbles and runs with the ball. As well as receiving the ball more often players will find themselves under pressure, developing confidence to take action on a play.

Futsal is a game that naturally brings one-to-one situations to the players, developing skills and quick decision making, also on how the players overcome on other scenarios; that could be either beating the opponent with skill or through clever passing to a team-mate. One of the core attributes of Futsal teaches young players is the importance of ball retention due to the threat of an immediate counter-attack.

Confidence on the ball, receiving a pass under pressure, decision-making in 1v1 situations, and ball retention are all important fundamental skills that we look to develop in young football players that are practiced regularly within a game environment in Futsal.