Have you got a game plan? Mark Laughton Column

Get the basics right and build from there: I was coached in football from an early age to “Keep it simple”, “Play the easy ball”, “Pass and move” and other such classic sayings. Having a formation and game plan is all part of the foundation for playing fast and competitive futsal.

For those who have played futsal with me will know how frustrated I get if the team does not talk about where people need to be and who is going to do what! I need a starting point, but I understand that once the game starts things change very quickly. However, there are 2 basic formations for small-sided football everyone should be aware of: they are the “Diamond 1-1-2-1” and the “Square 1-2-2” (see diagram below- Diamond formation on the left; square on the right).

1 Futsal formations

FUTSAL FORMATIONS

 

I recommend each player should know which position of the formation they are starting in. Naturally you change and cover one another as you play. And don’t forget to plan your substitutions! (Woe betide any team that doesn’t bring a sub for futsal). Another frustration for me whilst playing was players who thought they were too good to be “subbed”! 40 minutes of futsal needs everyone to take a break to rest, but also take time to actually see how the teams are playing…

Now you have an idea about your formation what is your game plan? Do you remember the sayings “the best form of attack is defence!” and “build from the back”. Since starting to coach futsal I have seen how effective the following tactic can be for all teams new to the game or established futsal clubs: it is the “drop back defence”. Basically when your side loses possession of the ball you all drop back into your own half and defend until you get the ball back- IT IS VERY EFFECTIVE! (it also preserves energy and frustrates the opposition).

Lose the ball drop back defence

Lose the ball drop back defence

 Remember not to drop back too far, otherwise you may give the opposition chance to shoot.

 The next tactic is for all but one of your team to drop back and defend. This can be called the “one man press” (see diagram below). Here is when one player closes down the player with the ball. Obviously If one team member does all of the chasing all of the time they will get very tired, so you can change the person doing the chasing or even expect the player closest to the ball to do the closing down. By soaking up the pressure your team gets a breather and chance to regroup.

4 One player press

One player press

 

 

 

 

 

From everyone dropping back we now look at everyone marking ‘man to man’ or what Kevin Bryant calls the ‘full press’. Clearly this strategy means all of the outfield players stay close to a chosen opposition player to pressure the passing and their first touch. Wherever the opposition player goes you go!

5 Full press

I hope that none of the above is too new to any players or coaches, but “failing to plan is planning to fail”. Teams that concede a lot of goals in futsal tend to be teams that are new to the game and leagues. By using the above formations and tactics will help tighten up the scorelines, and by switching tactics during a game opposing teams are often put off their stride.

If you watched the final to this year’s Confederations Cup you might have noticed how Brazil disrupted Spain’s passing game by closing the Spanish down quickly (they used the ‘full press’ strategy). Both countries’ players grow up with futsal, and it was an amazing game in my opinion.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23093784  for more details of the game

Futsal is the present and future for English football! Tell your clubs and schools or we will never get another World Cup star!