Futsal or some of us call it 5-aside football or even street football, is a game of football where you play in a smaller pitch and fewer players on each team. Some players might grow up in a different environment and culture, where they don’t really have access to a proper grass football pitch. So, the alternative for them is to play futsal where it would require fewer players and smaller spaces. Hence, the question that arises is it really beneficial to be translated to a real game? Here are things that can be developed through small-sided games:
Ball Control
As the game is played in a smaller space, it requires you to have a close almost glue-like ball control. In this case, it will definitely help you to play in a bigger and actual football pitch. You’ll have more time on the ball if you can get the ball in control comfortably. However, it cannot be applied to all situations. As sometimes in football, you’ll have a big space to exploit which will require you to take a bigger touch and drive to those spaces.
Awareness and Reaction
Beside technical abilities, playing futsal can actually help your game awareness and reaction to a certain extent. Knowing in mind that the game is played in a smaller space, the ball will move faster so it encourages you to always think what the next move is. A split second you switch off will cost you to lose the ball which you don’t want that to happen. By knowing what is happening around, you’ll have the information to actually react based on what currently happening during the game.
Game Fitness
It seems a bit controversial as the pitch is smaller. But it actually helps your fitness to a certain level. Again, due to its smaller pitch, you have to constantly jog, run or sprint. Because the ball is not going to be in one side of the pitch for long, you’ll be getting the ball again in no time. That’s why indirectly, it will help you gain the game fitness. Obviously, you still have to keep playing the proper 90 minutes of football to replicate the actual game. Use futsal as a tool to supplement your football. Because they are not precisely the same game but it can help each other to develop you as a player.
Role Model
A real-life example of professional footballers who played futsal when they were young was mostly found in Brazilians. Players like Ronaldinho, Neymar, Coutinho they grew up playing futsal. Even Iniesta also played futsal when he was younger. As a result, you can see their performance on the football pitch where they can produce creative and magic during the game. As stated in the FC Barcelona website, here what Iniesta says about his football development:
“I played futsal most because that was all we had. Fuentealbilla was a small town and just had the school court and not much more. All the children that liked football used to go there … But it is playing football that I have always liked most. I played futsal until I went to Albacete when I was eight and started playing 7-a-side. Although I started out on the school futsal court, I always wanted to be a footballer”.
Andres Iniesta
So, the takeaway from this is you can actually incorporate futsal to develop your game. In the meantime, make sure you also join an actual football team. It will help you to integrate your futsal abilities to 11-aside football and vice versa. Basically, the more you spend your time with a ball, the better player you can become. It is as simple as that. Keep ballin’!
