FUTSALBYTHENUMBERS

THEPOSITIONSOFFUTSAL

Futsal,muchliketraditionalsoccer,hasdesignatedplayerpositionsandnames.InFutsalhowever,thepositioningismoreofasuggestionandastartingpointratherthanahardandtrueposition.Bythis,wemeanthateachplayerispositionedtostartthematch,butasanopponent’ssystemchangesandthereisshiftingthroughoutthematch,positioningoftheplayersmustalsochange.Withonlyfiveindividualplayersperside,includingthegoalie,theformationisopentoandusuallydemandsmovementandrotation.Onthebestteams,everyplayercanexecutethefundamentaltechniquesandunderstandtherolesandresponsibilitiesofeachpositiononthecourt.Let’stakealookatthepositionsonthefloor.Winger(ENG),Ala(POR),Ala(ESP)Thewingersarepositionedontheoutsidesorflanksofthefield,adjacenttothetouchlines.Theseplayerscontinuallymoveforwardandbackbasedonthemovementoftheballandmostcloselyresembleanoutsidemidfielderinfullfieldsoccer.Wingersplaybothdefensepositionandoffensedependingonwhichteampossessestheball.Wingersareabletomoveaboutthecourtastheyfeelnecessarytopositivelyaffecttheplayofthematch.Mostwingersstartondesignatedsides,butthosepositionschangethroughoutthematchdependingonpassingneeds,rotationsandflowofplay.Target(ENG),Pivot(ENG),Pivo(POR),Pivote(ESP)Thetargetplayeristraditionallythemostforwardplayeronthecourt.Theyaremostcloselyrelatedtoacenteronthebasketballcourt.Thisplayeristhecenterofoffensiveattentionandiscomfortablewiththeirbacktotheopponent’sgoal.Thetargetplayerisnotexemptfromhelpinginthemidfieldorplayingdefensewhenhisteamlosestheball.Mostcoacheswillencouragethepivotplayertomaintainadeep‘post-up’position,butalsoencourageteamworkandrotationwhennecessaryforpositiveoutcomes.Defender(ENG),Fixo(POR),Ciera(ESP),Ultimo(ESP)Asthetitleinsinuates,thispositionisaplayerresponsibleforpreventingtheoppositionfromscoring.Theyaredenotedastheteam’slastmanandareusuallythelastlineofdefensebeforethegoalkeeper.Defendersarenotlimitedtothedefensivehalfhowever,especiallywiththefastpaceofFutsal.Dependingonthephilosophyofthecoach,manydefendersadvancetheballintotheattackinghalfandtakemanyshotsongoal.Thisiswhencommunicationiscrucial,asawingerorthetargetwillneedtoretreatandcoverthedefensivepositionduringthebreak.Goalkeeper(ENG),Goleiro(POR),Portero(ESP),Arquero(ESP)Thispositionrequiresacombinationofathleticism,bravado,quickreactionsanddecisionmakingabilities.Futsalgoalkeepersareprotectorsofthenetwiththeabilitytousetheirhandswithinthepenaltyarc,butalsogetinvolvedinthefastpacedfieldplay.Commandoftheballwiththefeet,communication,distributionskillsandthevisiontoanticipateoncomingattacksarealsoveryimportant.AllpositionswithinaFutsalteamarevital,buttheyarealsofairlyinterchangeable.Withthefieldofplaybeingconsiderablycondensed,itisimportantforeachplayertoknowwheretheirteammatesareonthefieldandtoreactaccordingly.Learninghowtorotateaboutthecourtbasedontheavailabilityofspaceandthepositioningofteammatesisanessentialskillforgreatplayers–andbroughttoyouinnatelybythewonderfulgameofFutsal.

*ExcerptstakenfromdefinitionsprovidedbyFutsalFocusAcademy