“Futsal is how I really got started. When you come to play normal soccer, it’s easy if you have come from Futsal”
Neymar (Brazil)
Pro Football Training implements the use of futsals and indoor courts as part of our training program and coaching philosophy because:
- Lords Sports Club has a spring loaded floor which makes it better for the body and reduces the risk of injuries.
- Tight Areas encourage quick movement, decision making, inventive play, creativity and improvisation
- More touches on the ball (six times more per minute than conventional football)
- If it is good enough for the Brazilians then it is good enough for us….
Many young foreign players play Futsal, as its dynamics promote greater technical and tactical expertise. In Brazil Futsal is a major part of youth development and is credited for nurturing great players. At a young age, Brazilian children are playing small sided football in parks and shanty towns and by the time they are 9 or 10 are introduced to organised Futsal at local clubs and play up to the ages of 16 before moving into football. Former Brazilian National Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira claims the youth development program in Brazil is essential to the success of Brazilian players.
A fundamental aspect that players learn from Futsal is the ability to defend and attack. As teams consist of just 4 outfield players, each one defends and attacks as there are no predetermined positions. This allows players to develop both defensive and attacking mentalities.
The use of Futsal in Pro Football Training encourages players to play out from the back, or in tight areas. During our time in Perth over the last 14 years many players who started playing Futsal at 6 and 7 have gone onto represent their country at Youth Level and progressed into the Professional game in Australia and abroad.
As former players and now coaches we understand why the likes of Neymar and Coutinho learn to execute complex skills in pressure situations. One reason is Futsal, because a smaller ball with 30% less bounce forces players to work on technique to control and move the ball quickly on the ground, rather than rely on the bounce of a ball even Pele and Maradona, the greatest players of all time, developed their lightening reflexes and incredible skills playing Futsal.
“I started playing Futsal when I was four years old and most of the moves I use on the pitch come from playing Futsal. Playing Futsal as a young child really helps to develop ball skills, it’s easy to learn and develop skills through Futsal. I found I could transfer my Futsal skills to the outdoor pitch very easily because I played Futsal until thirteen or fourteen years of age before I began playing outdoor football.”
Ronaldo, Former Brazilian Legend