In any sport, movement is the key to creating options. When players don't move or move in easily predictable ways they become easy to defend. The fewer players that are involved in the game, the more important movement becomes. With only four field players, Futsal places a high demand on player movement to pull the defense out of position and create openings to attack.
I attending the recent US Youth Futsal National Level 3 course in Gardner, KS. It was conducted by US Youth Futsal Technical Director Keith Tozer. The 20-hour course covered the basic techniques and advanced tactics of futsal. A lot of time was devoted to patterns of movement and combination plays designed to create space and breakdown the defense.
There are different movement patterns that are effective depending on the formation the team is playing. Many youth teams play with a basic 2 - 2 formation because it is strong defensively and easy for young players to understand. Coach Tozer covered three different runs from this formation. The patterns are shown here without defenders for clarity.
Diagonal Check for Give-and-Go
When the ball is rolled out the forward (pivot in Futsal terminology) on the opposite side checks into the middle to show for the ball. The pivot on the ball-side moves wide to show for the ball down the line. The other defender, or fixo, slides to the middle to provide cover and support for the ball because it can not be passed back to the goalkeeper in this example.
If the give-and-go is completed then the remaining pivot moves to the other side of the court to create space for the new pivot to dribble into. The fixos would then move up to support the attack.
'V' Run
With this run the ball is switched from one fixo to the other. The passer then shows into the middle. If they don't receive the ball then they run forward to become a pivot and the pivot on that side slides back to become a fixo.
The same pattern could begin from the other side but this time the checking fixo is open and receives a return pass. If he can turn he will create a dangerous 3 v 1 or 3 v 2 situation going forward.
'J' Run
This is two runs in one. After passing to the other fixo the player runs at the defender who has moved to pressure the player on the ball. One option is for the players to complete a give-and-go. But if the defender moves to cut off the middle, has he has in this example. Then the run continues by turning up the field to receive a pass played down the line, also called a 'parallel pass'.
[wpsharely id="6889"] [/wpsharely]Futsal is a fluid, fast paced game that is also about using creativity and skill to create options. But by teaching your team some basic movement patterns you will give them ideas on how they can move for their teammates as well.
Have a great day!
Tom
