The best case for Futsal in support of Football I have heard in a while!

Sourced from http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/zelic-opinion-display/Surpassing-excellence/42494

A colleague in Football and Futsal drew my attention to this article. Ned Zelic is the author and he makes another insightful observation on the development of young players. 


I have watched a number of COE teams play over the last two weeks. We have some very good young players - girls and boys. They seem to be well coached. But one thing sticks out like a sore thumb as you watch them play - a few too many have a poor first touch and when they do get it right, make decisions far too slowly. These players arrived at these program with these deficiencies. Do they get fixed in the COE program or sent back to Clubs? And who is helping the Clubs, aside from the best endeavors by the volunteer coaches at Club? 


A further general observation - the COE Under 10 boys appeared to have a better grasp of the "basic core skills" than other age groups. Its no coincidence that this group has had a lot of technical training and their coach is the Capital Football Skills Acquisition Program Coach. Now its time for the Girls Under 10 program. More of this please, lots more.


As one Club coach pointed out to me as we watched play - how do you move the squad forward when their are a number of players who have significant technical deficiencies? Good question that one. Do you push forward and hope it gets better, devoting precious time to individual technical correction. Or do you slavishly follow the National Curriculum, ticking the "to do list" and in doing so ignoring the outstanding technical deficiencies, like an unreliable first touch and a lousy instep pass? How do you make the rest of their development work if the basics are left behind? How good is the team going to be at playing out from the back, building play from the back or retaining possession,  achieving passing sequences beyond  three passes, when  a few too many young players lack the technical ability to make to make it happen - to reliably receive and pass the ball. "Relaxed and comfortable" it is not! Well, the simple fact is you can't make it work. Makes you think. 


As a parent remarked to me: "Do you move on to integral calculus when you can't add, subtract, multiply and divide?" Well, not if you want pass pass Mathematics or become an Engineer. 


This started me thinking on this topic - again!  Do you ditch the players and going looking for better ones or persist with what you have and for how long? This is a big challenge for the COE and the requirement to follow the National Curriculum. The National Youth Championships always look as though they are getting closer and their never seems to be enough time. This is difficult terrain for Coaches.


Whenever we have a visiting Asian football team, and we have had a few in recent times, we all look aghast at the level of technical competences of the young players. They highlight not simply how far we have to go, but what we continue to perhaps ignore. Ned Zelic makes mention of the Koream teams in the Kanga Cup - always a thrill to watch.


So what is the Futsal connection? Simple! What game specifically and quickly enables these core technical skills to develop in our young players - its Futsal.  We need more Futsal at young age groups not less. Works for the Brazilians and the Spanish.  I watched the Boomerangs FS play this weekend in the Football NSW Futsal premier League, against the Campbelltown Quakers in the Under 12, under 14 and Uner 16 girls and boys age groups. It was fantastic. There were State reps evident in both Clubs' teams.  Fast footwork, sharp first touch, many touches on the ball, fast decision making an essential requirement and rapid transition. The capacity of Futsal to accelerate the learning process is unarguable. Futsal is Football steroids! We need all this as part of the foundation technical development of our players. We need Futsal, its good for Football.


  Ned Zelic observes:


"Football is made up of many components, along with all kinds of individual strengths and weaknesses varying from player to player. But a standout component in the game - is a player’s first-touch of the ball."


"The game is continuously getting quicker, teams are physically fitter, closing you down and getting behind the ball faster, which puts more focus on the speed of a player’s thinking process and the quality of the first-touch – a touch that will either open up a world of options, or end up being a lost opportunity."

Surpassing excellence

In late 1997, I was invited to play in a charity match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. 80,000 fans were in attendance to watch Eric Cantona, Hugo Sanchez, Fernando Hierro, Edgar Davids - to name but a few - participate in a wonderful event.

Later that night at the post-match dinner, I was lucky enough to be seated next to an absolute legend of the game – Eusebio - the Portuguese superstar.

Eusebio was polite, talkative and humorous. We discussed many things about football and life in general.

Before the night was over and everyone parted ways, I asked him a question - I wanted to know what he viewed as the most important factor in him becoming what he was - a true superstar of the game. “Always aiming for the next level” was his response. I didn’t dig further or ask him to go into detail - his answer hit the spot regardless.

It’s about pursuing and achieving excellence, then seeking ways to surpass it. It’s about scraping the limitations then breaking through them.

That was exactly Eusebio’s frame of mind, the frame of mind that is needed to improve as a player and continue improving. This mentality applies to all players, regardless of level of quality. The goal must be maximizing potential and then looking beyond - tackling, pursuing and achieving what may seem unachievable.

Football is made up of many components, along with all kinds of individual strengths and weaknesses varying from player to player. But a standout component in the game - is a player’s first-touch of the ball.

The first-touch sets a path, starts a story - depending on the quality - will either open a door or have it slammed shut in your face.

Great players like Eusebio were and are continuously seeking ways to be on a new level, a level that enables you to be in command of a golden attribute in football - unpredictability.

Being unpredictable is the master-key to success, capable of bringing down any opponent, whereas predictability will never hurt or surprise anyone – predictability won’t conquer the opposition.

Brisbane’s Mitch Nichols, in the 7-1 demolition of Adelaide, used his first touch to get forward into a position of danger and win a penalty. His first-touch would have been a second for many others, many would have trapped the ball then taken a touch to attack the space - Nichols bypassed the trap - he was a step ahead, on another level.

Troy Hearfield’s first touch to set up a goal for the Mariners last weekend was another example of what the quality of the initial contact can do to the opposition. It was sublime and the catalyst for tearing apart the Wellington defence.

Jeremy Brockie and Dylan Macallister also both mirrored the damage and havoc that can be caused when electing to keep the ball "alive" and not "killing" it.

In a recent Champions League game, Bayern Munich’s Toni Kroos scored a sensational goal against Napoli. But forget the actual goal, it’s how he put himself into position to score with an outstanding example of bypassing a sequence of play.

Kroos turned his first-touch into the second phase - the next level of play - which completely caught the opposition defence off guard - and he did it at high speed. It was like Kroos flew from Sydney to London without stopping in Singapore - and made it. His touch was a super- jumbo jet that didn’t need refuelling.

These examples show what taking your first-touch to the next level can do – by bringing a factor of unpredictability into play - resulting in an absolute nightmare for opponents.

It’s about breathing life into a sequence of play, understanding the meaning of the first-touch, the importance, the magnitude, the damage it can cause to the opposition. Often, I think it’s taken for granted - a kind of “Let’s get the ball under control” mentality, “Then go from there”. It shouldn’t be.

German national team coach Joachim Low pointed out in an interview several weeks ago, that “Space on the pitch has become smaller, the time to act scarce” and continued by saying that, “Developing individual skill in training is more important than the system”.

I agree 100 per cent. The game is continuously getting quicker, teams are physically fitter, closing you down and getting behind the ball faster, which puts more focus on the speed of a player’s thinking process and the quality of the first-touch – a touch that will either open up a world of options, or end up being a lost opportunity.

In Praise of Futsal

Sourced from www.footy4kids.co.uk/

A soccer coaching article by Steve Sawtelle

"In a 40 minute Futsal match, a field player on a team using a dynamic system of play...will touch the ball once every 29.5 seconds . . . that's just over 80 possessions per player per match, if the player plays the entire match. This compares to only 30 to 40 possessions per player in a full 90 minute outdoor soccer match."

My goal in writing this article is to share some of the benefits my team and others have gained by adding futsal to our regular winter soccer program.
Futsal has been such an effective development tool that we have replaced the conventional US walled indoor soccer game with it this winter. Our soccer week follows a pattern of one formal skill session on Tuesday using the futsal format, outdoor pick-up games on Saturday, and organized league play in futsal on Sunday. We are not using the walled indoor soccer game to train players at all this winter. The cost of court time and available space makes this prohibitive. I believe that when given a choice for player development, futsal does it better and more economically.

Because of futsal's smaller pitch, touches and shots per minute are also increased. Possession and shots in futsal are more frequent. This playing time differential sells the game to kids.


One of the powerful attributes of this game is its accessibility. Any basketball gym will work. Any open warehouse space will do. You can even play futsal on grass or concrete!

Bottom line? Futsal is a great training tool for developing soccer players.

It is also a very fun and safe game to play and an excellent alternative to traditional 5 a side indoor soccer.
Futsal may be new to some coaches, so I'll describe it briefly here. This is a court soccer game. Its origins are credited to Uruguay some 30 years ago. This game is common in certain areas of Brazil where the shortage of open space encourages short-sided court games and beach soccer. Because of it's availability and small-sided format, Futsal has impacted on the early development of some of Brazil's finest football (soccer) players. It is also played in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and is the indoor game favoured by FIFA and the English FA.


Quick definition: the name 'Futsal' simply combines the Spanish words for ‘Hall’ – Sala and ‘Football’ – Futbol into Futsal. It is a five-a-side game, played with hockey sized goals and a smaller ball with a reduced bounce.


Futsal is played with a goalkeeper and four field players. The character of this game is outdoor soccer played indoors. It is played in soccer's fundamental shape, which the 4 vs. 4 format is so good at presenting. The futsal ball is smaller and heavier than the outdoor soccer ball and has dampened bounce. Players, U12 and under, play with a ball about the size of a No. 3 outdoor ball. U13 players and above, play with a ball approximating a No.4 outdoor ball. Since the court surface is usually fast and the space small, these modified balls scale the game to the size of the court remarkably well. The smaller circumference makes precision touch and the sweet spot on the ball more challenging to hit.


The rules of the game are similar to the outdoor game with some friendly modifications that fit the game to the smaller space. Throw-ins are replaced by kick-ins and the goal kick is replaced by a goal clearance. The goal clearance is a restart by the keeper using his hands to put the ball back in play with restrictions similar to those of the outdoor soccer goal kick. Substitutions are made on the fly, including the keeper. Most importantly, the game is played with touchlines and goal lines, with all the consequences that go with them. Simply put, a bad play with the ball may result in the ball leaving the field of play with the resulting loss of possession being the consequence. This game also emphasizes skill and control. Rough play is discouraged. Shoulder charges and slide tackles are forbidden. Fouls are tracked and teams penalized for playing too roughly. As in basketball, a sanction is placed on a team after 5 fouls have been assessed in each half. In futsal, this sanction takes the form of a revised free kick process. Only the goalkeeper may defend the goal during the taking of the kick. The offending team loses the privilege of their wall and the ball is spotted on the second penalty spot 10 meters from the goal. As you can see, this is a strong deterrent to rough play. I have rarely seen a game get to this point with young players. For more details about the rules, go to Futsal rules, OK?.

Futsal is great for young players. It provides numerous ball touches in a short period of time and it presents many of the fundamental tactical patterns of the big soccer game. The game contains many of the challenges faced in the final third of the field and provides repeated opportunities to finish. As a requirement of all teaching, futsal provides repetition and recognizable consequence for poor execution. Conversely, it also reinforces good play with tangible results, mostly shots and goals.

In most coach's training sessions, the 4 vs. 4 format is often used. Its effectiveness in teaching players both skill and tactics is widely recognized. The 4 vs. 4 game can present all the primary combination plays. It emphasizes both offensive and defensive support, but most importantly - immediate transition. Futsal can be a brutally honest game. It will isolate and expose your team's deficiencies. It will also showcase your teams strengths. The game is fast and numerous finishing opportunities are offered when played well. Technical and tactical speeds are emphasized. A bad touch or a slow recovery will almost always result with a loss of possession. Quite frequently the lesson is driven home with a goal scored by the opposition. These lessons learned hard are not easily forgotten. The satisfying thing about this game is that these lessons are quickly learned and that players readily adjust themselves to the game's demands.

Coaching clinicians have often stressed that the game is the best teacher. By putting players in learning situations, the results of the decisions and their technical execution will educate them with a minimum of coaching involvement. In futsal, you can see this happen.


When teaching young players, I think some coaches struggle with getting effective player movement off the ball. Players tend to feel that their work is done after they deliver the ball to a teammate or when a shot is taken. In this game, supporting movements and management of space are keys to success. Slow transition and lazy supporting play will result in turnovers and goals to the opposition. This game requires strong play in these areas.

If not shored up, the score can get ugly. Team success requires good spatial management, patience, and poise. Goalkeepers must be more than an obstacle standing in front of the goal, they must also play in the field and support the attack. A good futsal goalkeeper plays is a sweeper and a goalkeeper. Because of the speed of the game, communication and anticipation are necessary and are usually rewarded with ball possession and finishing opportunities. Finishing opportunities generate enthusiasm and reinforce quality decisions and execution. This is a position-less game (excluding the goalkeepers). Players must continually rotate between defensive positions in the back and attacking runs to the front. Players must organize themselves to maintain both defensive and attacking shape.


I think futsal's advantage over 5 a side is that it naturally teaches good habits. My experience with 5 a side is that it doesn't punish bad play or bad decisions. In some cases, a bad decision can turn into an assist with a lucky carom off the wall. Since the ball is kept in play by the boards, players don't have a consequence for a misplayed ball or for bad tactics. A player in trouble can be redeemed with a kick off the wall that sometimes results in an accidental assist or an opportunity to maintain possession. I have watched my young player's movement and work rate diminish steadily over a 9-week season in walled soccer. Sometimes the game declines into a long kick and chase game where possession and control lose importance. Futsal demands play to feet or to playable space. Players learn good possession habits, how to make space, and how to attack space.

Futsal's most powerful selling point to players is that they get more playing time, more touches on the ball and shots on goal.

CEO Vikings Futsal Talks Futsal 2011 - Part 2

This program will be broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday 1 March 2011 across the Australian Community Radio Network.

We begin the program with something for the Coaches as we navigate the pre-season (sourced from the ASC). A short description of the physiology of the athlete and how that must be considered in preparing a player(s) and as the season progresses, how to maintain peak fitness and performance. Gone are the days of run around the outside of the oval and don't worry about the footballs till later. If you have a coach doing this rubbish, get another coach or a new club.

Then its on to Part 2 of our interview with CEO Vikings Futsal, Alasdair Miller. The CEO talks a ittle more about the business model used by Vikings Futsal, the need for Futsal to secure its own playing facilities and a fascinating update on the impact of the floods/cyclone in Queensland and Victoria on Vikings Futsal operations. They got hit hard, but the game goes on! Nothing much stops the Vikings Futsal mob for long. The CEO just talks plain sense. Its refreshing. Wish others could do the same! For those that have asked whether Vikings have considered coming into the ACT - the CEO answers that question in this part of the interview.

Download Podcast here:

Boomerangs FS Victorious!

Boomerangs FS - king of the mountain. Great stuff!

The Boomerangs FS contested several Grand Finals of the NSW Supa League Futsal Championships. Season 2010 / 2011 has been a fantastic journey for all the Boomerangs teams and parents.

The Grand Finals were contested yesterday and the Boomerangs FS were victorious in the following grades:

1. Under 14 Boys
2. Under 14 Girls
3. Under 16 Boys
4. Youth Mens

I cannot emphasise just how significant the scope of the Boomerangs FS competitive efforts have been this season. All nine teams into the finals, won the Club Championship, had more of their teams in fianls than any other single club, were victorious in four Grand Finals and now are most likely to be eleveated to the top futsal competitive level in NSW (and there is none better in Australia). Wow!

Please, tell me one football or futsal achievement in recent years that comes close to the scope of this competitive effort by any ACT Club or representative program.

The Boomerangs FS was and is all about giving our young Futsal players a chance to be challenged at a higher level of Futsal. The Boomerangs FS underpinning philosophy was spot on, right from the start, the players responded and the rest speaks for itself.

The Boomerangs FS have demonstrated beyond any doubt that our young players, boys and girls, young men and women can compete effectively in the highly comeptitive competition run in metropolitan NSW.

The most remarkable thing about the success of the Boomernags FS is that it is the energy and determination of two local people (Senatore and Collins), together with parents and players who rose to the challenge, to whom all praise must go. This was not a Captial Football inspired or underwritten venture and the CF Futsal Standing COmmittee is nowhere to sighted. So it can be done!

The atmosphere and collaboration between families and players as they campaigned the season is like nothing I have seen in Futsal in the ACT, except perhaps sometimes in the Nationals. A terrific atmosphere. Its that good.

Next season, it is most likely that Boomerangs FS will be elevated to the NSW Premier League. The competitive bar will be lifted again.

Boomerangs FS is the place to be for the best Futsal on offer in the ACT. Get in contact with them for the next season. Its never too early.

Images provided by Boomerangs FS parents - many thanks.

If You Want Something Done In The ACT - Start Demanding More of Capital Football and the FFA! - And Be Prepared to Do Something About It Yourself

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), across the Asutralian Community Radio Network on Tuesday 15 Febriary 2011 at 7:00PM.

Tonight’s program begins with the Boomerangs FS, that Canberra Futsal Club that is campaigning so successfully in the NSW Futsal Supa League. They have won the club championship, got all 9 teams in the final series and have 4 teams in the Grand Finals this weekend in Sydney.


Boomerangs FS is the best futsal experience for players and families in the ACT, including probably the Nationals. The esprit de corps among the players of all ages and parents is fantastic. The remarkable thing is that Capital Football nor the Futsal Standing Committee had anything worth recording, to do with this most substantial achievement in Futsal in the ACT in many years. Makes you think!

Boomerangs FS is a private initiative by two football / futsal people. They simply took matters into their own hands and demonstrated to all that where there is a will there is a way. We need more of this in ACT Football and Futsal.

Boomerangs FS are now probably one of the most available and rewarding marketing opportunities for business in the ACT, among all our sports clubs / teams in the ACT. Sponsors take note and contact the Boomerangs, you will not be disappointed.

Tonights theme – getting off your backside, demanding more, much more of our peak body Capital Football, doing a little more where you can for the Club your child plays for or the one you support, getting to games, putting your hand in your pocket for a few dollars to help the clubs help young players.

Importantly, make your voice heard with your local MLA and ensure the ACT Government take our very, very large Football / Futsal constituency seriously. You should do it because we are not getting anywhere near enough raw, uncompromising effort from the CF Board. When was the last time you saw some fire and brimstone in support of Football on the CF website, or the CF Board giving a press conference to push the future needs of Football or Futsal in the ACT? We are so meek and mild we at present just what we deserve from the ACT Government. It’s as embarrassing as it is crippling for our game(s).

Capital Football’s strategic document is called “Going For Goals”. How many big ones have we kicked this year and did it factor in the possibility that the ACT Government would liberate $26 million over ten years? Did they go hunting for it? Now that is one big "own goal" for sure. The  failure of the “A League For Canberra” bid, a study in betrayal by the FFA, only served to lead the ACT Government towards AFL.

We want something akin to the $26 million over ten years the Minister shelled out to the AFL for a new AFL franchise club in western Sydney, a place where the FFA failed to mobilise a very much larger Football and Futsal constituency. Rest assured the AFL will be in Canberra in force, because they are real good at mobilising AFL clubs to make connections with communities. We haven’t got an A league Club that reckons we are worth the effort.

Very recently, the SBS World Game began a Community Forum in Sydney, one of a number they intend to conduct around Australia. ( http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/videos/18/Experts ) They started in Sydney, the subjects revolved around the A league problems. I have selected some of Craig Foster’s comments to illustrate the underlying issues in our football community. He makes a lot of sense, oozes passion for the game, doesn't "admire" problems and tells it just the way he sees it. Doesn't get any better. And thank goodness for the SBS World Game! You can translate the same themes Foster speaks on in this forum to our ACT Football environment. The key word is “community”. I am still knocked out by Fosters project to establish the Asia Pacific Football Institute, which  he makes mention of in the forum.

I hope the SBS World Game forum comes to the Canberra. We need a “forum”. We are the most disabused Football community by the FFA in Australia. I reckon our forum would make fantastic television.

When was the last time you attended a community consultation run by Capital Football? I can tell you - when the CEO and Technical Director of the day lauched the new HPP. It was probably the best thing they did on that subject, then the CF Board got involved. I guess that would dampen anyone's enthusiasm.

When did either Mens’ , Women’s’, Junior Football or Futsal standing committees hold public forums to discuss the game in the ACT?

We should do it. Why don’t the Zone Reps get it organised and invited the CF Board to attend? I’m not fussed about the format as long as the public can attend and participate. What are they scared of??
The CF Board’s response to the Ron Smith HPP review should be explained and discussed with the football community and not at arm’s length through the new Technical Director, Club or Zone reps. The report is now available on the CF Website in the “Library” section, but nothing else.
We just seem to be going not much of anywhere in the bigger picture in either Football or Futsal in the ACT. We are doing what we have always done, which in some respects is fine, but not the full story, surely?

The CF AGM will be held shortly and some Board positions will spill (3). Time people who are not happy at the present time (and there are plenty of them in all the Clubs) got moving and looking for alternative candidates among the many smart and enterprising people in the football community.

Download Podast here:

Futsal - Positions, Formations, Player Characteristics and Consistency

Sourced from Buffulo Futsal at http://www.bflofutsal.com/talkfutsal/

A very useful basic discussion about Futsal.

Reflections on the ACT Performance at the 2011 FFA Futsal Nationals by Capital Football Futsal Technical Manager, Roger Cua

This program is broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3 mhz) through the Australian Community Radio Network, Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 7:00PM.

The 2011 FFA Futsal Nationals have concluded. The overall performance of the ACT teams is an improvement on 2010.

However, NSW increased their dominance with 15 finals wins from a total of 17 finals contested at the Nationals.

Whatever we are doing to improve Futsal, we need to remember that NSW is not standing still and admiring past performance.

Roger Cua joined Capital Football in the latter half of 2010 as the Futsal Technical Manager. The changes he made tidied up some loose ends and that made a difference to the overall results. Roger speaks candidly to the NPL about the Nationals, the ACT performance, what makes NSW strong at the Nationals, talented identification, selection, the need give all squad players sufficient game time in the Nationals at the junior / youth levels to ensure development, the need to regenerate the Open Mens' team, an ACT Futsal State team competition, increasing the scope of the ACT Premier League, futsal coaching clinics during the Football season, Coach education and a good deal more about Futsal as it affects the ACT.

Roger has a three year plan and he has made a good start.

Download Podcast here:

Boomerangs FS Lead the Way in the NSW Futsal Super League

The ACT based Boomerangs FS is the only Futsal or Football team from the ACT competing in higher level competition within Football NSW - in this case the Football NSW's Futsal Super League.

Go to this link http://www.boomerangsfs.com.au/

Boomerangs FS has established a solid pathway beyond the ACT into a higher level of week to week competition for our serious Futsal players, than is possible is the ACT competitions. In doing so, the Boomerangs FS make a tremdous contribution to the technical and competitive development of our young players. The follow on effect is enable many of our players to become more competitive at the FFA Futsal Nationals.

Boomerangs FS is a first rate piece of work by local Futsal and Football people - Eddie Senatore and Kristian Collins. They don't just talk about doing something - they have done it! More power to both of them and to the parents and players that comprise Bommerangs FS. The Boomerangs FS are further supported by a solid group of Futsal coaches, a number of whom coach ACT age teams at the FFA Futsal Nationals.

When they play in Canberra its a gala day of Futsal and well worth the time to go and watch. They play on the international size courts, which is just fantastic.

If we put our minds to it, we can bridge this dreadful Football and Futsal development gap in the ACT. No sense in just "admiring the problem"!

This is the current standing for the Boomerangs FS in the NSW Super League. Very impressive and only their second year at this level of competition. If they secure first place in the Club Championship, Boomerangs FS will be elevated to the prestigious NSW Premier League. Now what keen young Futsal player wouldn't want to be part of that experience? Wow!

Capital Football Futsal Technical Assistant, Roger Cua Talks Futsal

This program is broadcast on 2xxfm, Tuesday 9 November 2010 at 7:00PM through the Australian Community Radio network.

Roger Cua is a new addition to the Capital Football staff. He is well credentialed in Futsal and his brief manage the preparation of the ACT Teams that will contest the Nationals in early January 2011. Roger is also very concerned for the standard of coach education in Futsal and plans to do something about it.

Roger has a lot of very interesting things to say in this extended interview, particularly for those that coach the game.

Download the Podcast here:

Viking World Champs to be Streamed Live

Sourced from http://futsal4all.com/

Another jump forward for Futsal on the web

After testing the system at the Australasian School Futsal Championships the Live Streaming Crew will be in Kuala Lumpur from October 26th streaming games from the 2010 Vikings World Futsal Championships.Games will be streamed at www.futsaltv.org and when the draw becomes available you will be able to follow the Kiwi’s live.NZFA CEO Paul Wadsworth has been involved in the setting up of Futsal TV and was in Brisbane for it’s lauch earlier this month. “The streaming now means our futsal fans and supporters can just go online and watch all the games”. “The only limitation is the upload speed of the internet connection in Kuala Lumpur but have been informed all is good, I expect large numbers from NZ to follow the men and women”.

5500 tuned in to watch the Australasian School Championships and it is expected many thousand more from around the world will take the chance to follow the games online.
To view the games go to http://www.futsaltv.org/

Futsal - The Tricks! Gotta Love it!

Lots of good control of the ball under the sole of the foot. Tricks and flicks. More of it the better.

Boomerangs FS to represent ACT in National Club Championships

Boomerangs FS will represent Capital Football in the National Club Championships to be held in Dural next weekend.

Futsal Grassroots Coaching Seminar

This really is a good initiative. If you are coaching a team in the local South or North competitions, do your best to get to this seminar.

FUTSAL GRASSROOTS COACHING SEMINAR

 

 

 

Date: Friday October 15
Time: 6.00pm-8.00pm
Location: ANU Sports Hall
Fee: $25.00
Registration: Register and make Payment Online Now

This seminar has been designed to provide the beginner Futsal coach/Parent with some basic information in regards to coaching Futsal. (Fifa 5-a-side Football).

 

Topics covered will include:

• Practical Session on Basic Laws of the game.
• Theory Session on Basic Team Tactics (Formations, Positions, Individual roles and responsibilities)
• Practical Exercises for the development of players aged 8-14.
• Practical Exercises for team warmups
• Practical Session on appropriate Coach Behaviour

 

NPL Classic - Interview with the CEO Vikings Futsal - Part 1

By popular request we have Part 1 of the interview the NPL did with CEO Vikings Futsal, Alastair Miller. This guy really thinks big and he and his organisation deliver the goods. This is one Futsal organistion, no, make that one sports orgainsation that really knows how to get itself organised and promote it's game to people. As a business model, Capital Football Board may wish to take a close look, get a few tips and do something truly inspirational for Football and Futsal in the ACT!

Download Podcast here:

Futsal, Futsal, Futsal - Capital Football Futsal League Manager Tells Us How It Will All Work For The 2010 / 2011 Season

In this program we speak to David Lee, the Capital Football League Manager, about the full range of competition Futsal to be held in the ACT in the forthcoming 2010 / 2011 season (including the Nationals).

If you want to know how Futsal is organised this season, all the way from Under 5's to ACT Rep Teams for the Nationals, this interview is an absolute must!

I think you will be surprised to learnjust how quickly Futsal has grown in the last five years in the ACT. I asked David how many players participated last season and how many he anticipated would play this season. The Answer:  6,000 (+) players of all ages, no problem! Capital Football manages these competitions directly or through the orgainsing bodies, North and South Canberra Futsal Clubs. A massive task.

This is just enormous! Makes you think. Surely we have some real political clout if you take Football and Futsal as a whole. We dwarf every other sport. Surely there is real good reason for the ACT Government to get moving on new and additional faciltites for both games. Why are we so tame? What is the Capital Football Board doing to advance the cause, or are we going to spend another five years standing around admiring Hawker Enclosed or wishing we had something like the Mpower Dome? Get cracking you lot!

And let's not forget the one Futsal club from the ACT that gained entry to and competed in the NSW Supa League and did outstandingly well - Boomerangs FS. The experience for many of the Boomerangs players that gained selection in ACT Rep teams for the Nationals (and there were a lot of them!) helped their performances at Nationals enormously. There is no doubt that this is the club to join if you want to experience Futsal to a higher competition standard than is available week to week in the ACT.

Futsal is a big game that's getting big quickly!

Registration documentation can be obtained by reference to the following websites:

Capital Football run competitions and Nationals - http://www.capitalfootball.com.au/site/comp_futsal.php
Junior Futsal competition in the North of Canberra - http://northcanberrafutsal.com.au/public/default.asp
Junior Futsal competition in the South of Canberra - http://www.scf.asn.au/aboutus.html

Boomerangs FS for higher level competition in the NSW Supa League and local Premier League competition - http://www.boomerangsfs.com.au/index.html


Download Podcast here:

CEO Capital Football Talks Futsal, The Problems of Not Enough Grounds for Football and the Demands on Talented Players for the NYC / ACTAS / Australian School Sports

This program is broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday at 7:00PM across the Australian Community Radio Network.

The CEO Captial Football talks about the major impediment to the development of Football as a whole of the year sport - insufficient exclusively controlled quality playing surfaces. Then it's an update on Futsal for the 2010 / 2011 season (including selection for the Nationals) and the Futsal landscape is certainly going to change in the ACT. We close with a very interesting perspective on the conflciting demands on our talented players and of course, the appalling cost that is incurred by parents with talented players. The National Youth Champonship tournaments for U15G, U17G, U14B and U15B is already a concern - the number of games to be played is too small in number for the cost and time away, and significantly, the Technical Asssessment compenent that featured so prominently and sucessfully in the U13G and U13B earlier this year (and also the NTC Challenge), was scrapped (for lack of interests??????) by the FFA for the U15G and U17G held recently. If its reinstated, what does that say about Womens' Football - that the FFA thinks its second rate? Is that it? Shame on them if it is. There is no excuse good enough!

We close with a short description by Clive Mackillop, ACT State Coach of Referees, on the difference between "Serious Foul Play" and "Violent Conduct".

Next week the NPL will do a "Futsal Special", including an interview with Capital Football Futsal League Manager, David Lee. Don't miss it!

Download the Podcast here:

Summary of 2010 Changes to Futsal Laws of the Game

This is a must read for all Futsal players and Coaches!

Capital Football advise the following:
Summary of 2010 Changes to Futsal Laws of the Game

This document is aimed at providing a quick reference guide for players, coaches, team officials and venue managers with regard to the changes made to the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game – 2010, based on the 2008.
Many of the changes bring some of the philosophy of football to futsal. This should enable football players to more easily adapt when moving to futsal. This document was created by NSW Futsal Referees Association (Scott Kidson) and endorsed by the Futsal National Coach, Geoff McGuiness.

MAJOR CHANGES

1. The match is now allowed to start when both teams have three or more players

LAW 3 - THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Players
A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than three players.

To have the Futsal Laws of the Game consistent with those of football a match can be started with the minimum number of players required to continue a match. Should a team have less than three fit players at any time during the match, the match is abandoned.

2. The sliding tackle has been made legal

This means that a sliding tackle is assessed in the same way as any other challenge. If a sliding tackle is careless, reckless, or carried out with excessive force, it is a direct free kick (and disciplinary sanction where appropriate). Any tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent should be sanctioned as serious foul play.

It is always good to remind players that "getting the ball" alone is not enough for a tackle (any type of tackle) to be considered safe. The referee is obliged to assess if the way in which the tackle was carried out, including actions that follow contact with the ball. If an on-ball tackle is followed up with the player continuing on through the opponent, the referee can consider the challenge to be careless, reckless or excessively forceful.

3. The ball crossing half-way does not allow the goalkeeper to touch it again now

LAW 12 - FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
Fouls penalised with an indirect free kick
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper commits any of the following four offences:
• controls the ball with his hands or feet in his own half of the pitch for more than four seconds
• touches the ball again in his own half of the pitch after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it
• touches the ball with his hands inside his own penalty area after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
• touches the ball with his hands inside his own penalty area after he has received it directly from a kick-in taken by a team-mate

LAW 16 - THE GOAL CLEARANCE
Infringements and sanctions
If the ball is in play and the goalkeeper touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched an opponent (except if it has accidentally touched another player in his team):
• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)

The goalkeeper cannot receive the ball back in his own half, in general play or after a goal clearance, unless it has touched an opponent. It is allowed for the goalkeeper to receive the ball deliberately in the opponent’s half before it has been touched by an opposing player.

The Futsal Premier League 2010

The Capital Football "JOMA FUTSAL PREMIER LEAGUE 2010" competition is not far away and Capital Football are calling for Clubs to register teams and players for the forthcoming season. Registration open on 1August and close on 31 August 2010. Get moving!

You can get all the information you need on the Capital Football website at:
 http://www.capitalfootball.com.au/userfiles/file/Futsal/Senior%20Premier%20League%20Registration%20Pack%20-%202010(1).pdf

The following extracts from the Capital Football documentation are a useful start point. The scope of the competition is expanding to Mens and Womens Youth teams. Just fantastic!

"Introduction
Capital Football extends an invitation to new and continuing Futsal Premier League (FPL) club teams to apply for the upcoming 2010 FPL.

Capital Football is again releasing the Information and Registration pack early to ensure teams are given every possibility to meet each of the criteria set in the application process.

Following a similar format to 2009, Capital Football’s FPL will be staged at Australia’s Premier Sporting Facility, the AIS, with Mens games being held on Thursday evenings, while the Womens league will continue on Friday evenings. An international sized court for all games will reflect FFA National Championship standards, while the leagues again will be used by selectors as the principal means to identify potential players for mens and womens ACT squads to compete at the National Futsal Championships. Note that due to the unavailability of the AIS on some dates, some rounds for both mens and womens competitions will be scheduled on Wednesday evenings.

In 2010 Capital Football will also offer an underpinning youth category (u’19) for mens and womens divisions, with the aim to create an improved pathway between high level junior and senior competitions. Youth leagues are scheduled for Sunday afternoons but are subject to change pending nomination numbers across all divisions.

The 2010 Futsal Premier League will again emphasise the requirement for entities to apply within the framework of Capital Football Member Clubs, but in addition, support will be provided to parties interested in formalising an affiliate Capital Football member Futsal Club.

Capital Football also takes this opportunity to welcome back Joma as an official FPL partner for 2010."
 
Competition Overview
 
FPL Women - 24 September – 17 December - 6:00pm – 10:00pm Fridays - AIS, Bruce.
FPL Men - 23 September – 16 December - 6:00pm – 10:00pm Thursdays - AIS, Bruce.
FPL Youth Women (Years 1991 and younger) - 10 October – 27 February - 6:00pm – 08:00pm Sundays - Gold Creek High School.
FPL Youth Men (Years 1991 and younger) - 10 October – 27 February - 6:00pm – 08:00pm Sundays - Gold Creek High School.

A Fascinating Piece of Research and Analysis on Futsal and Futsal Players At the Elite and Sub Elite Levels In Australia

Capital Football Futsal League Manager forwarded an excellent piece of research recently undertaken by Sera Dogramaci, who advises that:

"A few years ago I conducted a study on the match demands of futsal in Australia as part of my Honours year at University. This study has now been published as a journal article, which I have attached for you to use and distribute to futsal coaches/players across ACT. I also submitted my doctoral thesis this year which is currently being marked by my examiners. My PhD study included a comparison of the match demands of Brazilian, Spanish and Australian futsal players."

Outstanding work! Should be more of it! Makes you think! Very generous of the author to share her work with the football and futsal community. Should be more of that as well!

The following is the Abstract of the article referred to by Sera and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association

TIME-MOTION ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL FUTSAL
SERA N. DOGRAMACI, MARK L. WATSFORD, AND ARON J. MURPHY
School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, University of Technology, Sydney, Kuring-Gai Campus, Lindfield, New South Wales,Australia

ABSTRACT


Dogramaci, SN, Watsford, ML, and Murphy, AJ. Time-motion analysis of international and national level futsal. J Strength Cond Res 24(x): 000–000, 2010—Futsal is the Fe´de´ ration de Internationale Football Association’s officially recognized five-a- side indoor soccer, which although increasing in popularity worldwide, lacks the Australian or other English language research necessary to enable the growth of the sport. The purpose of this study was to establish a comprehensive overview of the demands of futsal by a time-motion analysis on 8 Australian National Team players and 10 State League Team players over 4 futsal matches. The study analyzed 6 locomotor activity categories, focusing on total distance covered, total duration of activities, total frequency of activities, effort distance, and effort duration. The national team covered a 42% greater overall distance than the state league team. In terms of relative data normalized for match duration, only the standing duration value was significantly different between the teams. Furthermore, futsal players of elite and subelite level in Australia perform a change in activity every 8–9 seconds on the court, and the national team athletes attained a higher, yet nonsignificant, average match-play velocity. This may be because of the national futsal athletes participating in an extended game duration, potentially suggesting that higher levels of competition facilitate a higher intensity of match play and greater physiological demands on individual players. Apart from the differences in timing structure and overall metabolic work, there was no real difference between the levels of competition within the Australian futsal analysis, although at higher levels of competition, there may be a need for more recovery because of the elevated intensity of the match. When comparing the data with other countries, however, Australian futsal players produce less distance and duration than Spanish futsal players.

KEY WORDS indoor soccer, effort profile, team sport performance, intermittent exercise

Some Good News For Futsal In the ACT Region

Capital Football advise the following:

National Futsal Club Championships in October


The inaugural National Futsal Club Championships are due to be held 2-4 October 2010 at Dural Sports and Leisure Centre in Sydney.
It’s anticipated that representatives from ACT, Victoria, Queensland and the host state, NSW, will compete in the men’s competition with the ACT joining the NSW Premier League and Super League champions in the Women’s competition across the October long weekend competing for the title of ‘National Futsal Club Champion’.
The venue at the Dural Sports and Leisure Centre has spectator sitting for 400 meaning that the atmosphere for the championships should be excellent.
Local club sides Boomerangs FS and Belconnen United have been invited to attend the competition as representatives of the ACT with both Futsal teams in with an excellent chance of seeing their name carved on the first trophy.
This is the first small step towards a National Futsal League with the FFA keeping an eye on the success of the championships.
Further news will appear here when confirmed.