Futsal: Essential Rules, Tactics, and Systems Explained
Basic Futsal Principles
Objectives
Get the ball into the opposing goal. The team with more goals wins.
Playing Field
The dimensions are identical to those of field handball: 40m x 20m.
Material
The ball has a diameter of 61-63 cm and weighs between 410 and 430g.
Duration
Two halves of 20 minutes with a 10-minute rest period.
Players
The team consists of five field players (four outfield players and a goalkeeper). Each has a specific place on the field:
- Pivot: The most advanced player, who must be strong and fast.
- Ends: Playing on the wings. They are the fastest and most hardworking.
- Defense (Fix): The last player. They are the most defensive.
- Goalkeeper: Has characteristics similar to a handball goalkeeper: fast and flexible.
Major Fouls
- Technical Fouls: Result in a shot from the place where the foul was committed. These include: kicking or attempting to kick an opponent, bringing down an opponent, grabbing an opponent from behind, and touching or deflecting the ball with a hand.
- Personal Fouls: Punished with a throw-in. These include: the goalkeeper taking more than 5 seconds to make a play, a bench player touching the ball, or a player passing the ball back to the goalkeeper.
- Penalties: Penalties are imposed with a shot from the 6m penalty spot. At the time of the kick, the goalkeeper must be on the goal line.
- Cumulative Fouls: Each team can commit five fouls per period with the right to a defensive barrier. From the sixth team foul onwards, a double penalty is awarded, i.e., a shot without a defensive wall from approximately 12m.
Futsal Actions and Tactics
Attack Actions
Hitting the Ball
This is the most widely used resource in futsal, as we move forward on the field. This hit can be executed with different body parts:
- With the foot: instep, inside of the foot, outside of the foot, heel, and toe.
- With the head: side, front, and top. From the following positions: standing, running, jumping, or diving.
Pass
An action that allows the exchange of the ball between two players. A pass allows you to move the ball in the shortest time possible and pass it to the player who is better positioned.
Shoot
Sending the ball with the aim of scoring a goal. This shot depends on the area in which the player is located and the player’s angle to the goal, and can be: at ground level, lobbed, high, effective, volley, heel, or toe.
Dribbling
Used to move the ball from one place to another without losing control. Usually done with the feet.
Dodging
An integrated action involving all those movements that are performed by touching the ball to beat a rival. To carry out a dribble, it is very important to move the body and the ball with velocity and anticipation.
Defense Actions
Marking
A defensive action on an attacking player that tries to prevent the attacking team from advancing.
Interception
An action that cuts the line of a pass.
Tackling
An action by a player to grab the ball when the opponent has possession.
Defensive and Offensive Futsal Systems
Defensive Systems
Based on the orderly arrangement of players according to the position of the ball.
Defensive Withdrawal
The system used to defend against the opposing team’s counterattack. It allows us to reposition the team neatly in one of the above systems after losing the ball.
Offensive Systems
Counterattack
A quick action to attack the opponent’s goal before they can organize their defense.
Attack Against Zone Defense
Refers to the positioning of the players in front of each type of zone defense.