Futsal Glossary

http://www.dougreedfutsal.c
om/futsal-glossary
Here you will find some common terms used in futsal and a short explanation of their
meanings. Please leave a comment if you want any other terms explained.

Attacking System – The rules and principles of how a team attacks. The main systems use
the formations; 4-0, 3-1 and 2-2.

Back door cut – A feinting movement behind a defender, who is trying to anticipate, in
order to open a passing line.

Between the lines – An attacking action where the attacker occupies the space between
the opponent’s defensive lines.

Ball Time – Movement by the defender to close the ball carrier during the trajectory of a
pass rather than once the attacker is in possession.

Block – An attacking action where a player stands in the trajectory of a defender to impede
them from following their direct opponent.

Closed defence – A defence formed of a compact block that engages the attack deep in
their defensive half (Usually 10-12m from their own goal).

Counter-Attack – Attacking action after change of possession (transition) to arrive at the

opponent’s goal with speed, before the 4 defenders are in a position to defend (i.e. behind
the line of the ball). Generally, a 1/3 of all goals are scored from these situations and it is
the most efficient way to score of all the 3 types of attack.
 Counter attacks happen frequently in futsal
 

Defensive height – This is the position on the court where the defence engages the attack
(e.g. ¾ court, halfway line, 12m). This is a separate concept from defensive pressure as you
can have a high defensive height without putting pressure on the ball and vice versa.

Defensive line – This is an imaginary horizontal line that goes across the court at the
height of each defender. It is possible to have two or more defenders in the same line. So if
you are defending 1-1-2-1 (including the goalkeeper) you have 4 defensive lines and your
pivot is in the first defensive line. The more defensive lines you have the more defensive
cover you have.

Delaying – When a player acts to slow down the attack or defence to allow their teammates
to recover and take their correct positions.

Direct Opponent – Defender’s nearest opponent and player they are marking.

Defence with Exchanges – A positional defence that uses pressing and is individual but
utilises marking exchanges of opponents.

Exit the press – Pre-established rotation by the attacking team from a goal kick to escape
the pressing of the opponent’s defence.

Fast Attack – Last phase of attacking transition when you try to attack the opponent’s goal
with speed when all the opposition defenders are behind the ball but they are not
defensively organised.
Feint – When an attacker without the ball uses a sudden change of speed or direction to
lose their marker and gain space. Very important resource in futsal due to lack of space and
frequency of 1v1 situations.

Fly Goalkeeper – When the goalkeeper comes into the opponent’s half to take part in a
positional attack and create numerical superiority. Often used at the end of the game by the
losing team to try to make a comeback.

Barca using the fly goalkeeper

Isolation – Attacking situation where the team-mates of the ball carrier move away to
create a 1v1 situation without defensive cover.

Opening – First phase of attacking transition. This is the first pass after possession is
recuperated.

Man to Man Defence – A positional defence where each player is assigned responsibility
for an opponent and this is their main reference point for their positioning.

Numerical superiority/inferiority/equality – Whether in attack or defence, when we have

superior/inferior/equal numbers of players in a certain spatial area.
Passing Line – The lane between the ball carrier and a team-mate. If there is no defender
cutting this then it is an open passing line, otherwise it is a closed passing line. In attack we
want to open them and in defence to close them.

Parallel – A vertical (forward) straight pass on the wing that is usually of medium height to
prevent interception, facilitate a 1sttime shot and prevent the ball running out of play.
Pivot – Player who plays furthest forward. Often physically strong and good at playing with
their back to the opponent’s goal.

Pressure – Individual defensive action which relates to the distance between the defender
and the ball carrier. The closer the defender is the more space and passing lines they
cover.

Pressing – The collective action of a defence with aim to put pressure on the ball carrier,
their teammates and the passing lines. You can press in any part of the court, for example
full-court, ¾ court or ½ court.

Applying good ball pressure

Positional Attack – Attacking when all the opponent’s defenders are behind the ball and
organised defensively. Generally, a 1/3 of all goals are scored from these situations.

Positional Superiority/Inferiority – Due to the position of the players there is an

advantage or disadvantage whether in attack or defence.

Recovery – It is the action of players running back to be in position to defend their goal
when their team loses possession.

Rotations – When the attacking team interchanges positions and makes movements into
space while maintaining positional balance. They are used during a positional attack with
the objective to create space through disorganising the opponent’s defence whilst
maintaining defensive balance in case possession is lost. These co-ordinated movements
can be pre-determined or improvised.
Russian Change – When four players are substituted for four others all at the same time.
Made famous by teams from Russia.

Screen – When an attacker cuts (runs) between the ball carrier and their direct opponent.
Used to relieve the pressure on the ball.

Set Plays/Set Pieces – Pre-rehearsed moves from a dead ball situation such as a corner,
kick-in, free-kick and kick-off. Generally, nearly a 1/3 of all goals are scored from these
situations.

Strong Side – The side of the court where the ball is and the defence is concentrated. The
weak side is the opposite side.

 Sweeper– Outfield player who plays closest to their own goal. Usually good reader of the
game and strong physically. Alternatively known simply as a defender.
Transition – The moment when possession changes from one team to another. Often a
counter attack occurs after this as the defending team is not in position.

Winger – Player who plays on the wings. Often fast and with good 1v1 dribbling abilities.

Zonal Defence – A positional defence where each player is responsible for defending a
spatial area (zone).
Futsal: The Philippines’ Next Big Sport
November 4, 2014 esportsadmin Featured

http://esports.ph/futsal-the-philippines-next-big-sport/

With football achieving national recognition in the Philippines, it’s only a matter of time before
futsal becomes the newest and biggest sports trend. In fact, it’s already beginning to gain traction
in Metro Manila. Students have begun to play the game in courts and parks after school, while
young professionals have been trekking to indoor courts during the weekend to compete in
matches and even train for international competitions. 

More and more young Filipinos are becoming interested in futsal.

There are a good number of men and women interested in futsal, however there is very little
information available online for Filipinos who want to try the sport and join a team. In this
article, we’re going to provide readers a brief background on this relatively new game and its
slow but hopeful development in the country.
Futsal: A Brief Background
 Futsal can be played almost anywhere.
Futsal is a variant of association football played on a smaller pitch. Created and developed in
Brazil and Uruguay during the 1930s and 1940s, the sport is played between two teams
composed of five players each, including the goalkeeper. There is a maximum of nine alternates
per team, with unlimited substitutions during the actual match. Similar to hockey, substitutes can
join the thick of the match as it is happening, but the previous player must be out of the court
before the substitute can start playing.
Unlike its popular cousin, football, the game is played on a hard surface defined by perimeter
lines. This makes it easy for people to try the game since a simple basketball or tennis court can
serve as an adequate match venue. The ball is also smaller and has less bounce, compared to
standard footballs.
Because it is played on a smaller space and players can constantly substitute during a match,
futsal is considered a more fast-paced sport, creating a more exhilarating game in the process.
The surface, ball and design of the sport also places a special emphasis on a blend of well-
executed strategies, improvisation, creativity and technique.
The Key Benefits of Futsal
 Futsal hones a lot of skills that can be used for other sports.
Futsal is an excellent sport all on its own. However, it’s also a stepping-stone to other sports, like
football or even basketball. Futsal requires precision, technical skills, quick reflexes and the
ability to make split-second decisions that may be vital to the outcome of the match.
The demands of the game also necessitate close ball control and the quick pass and move
technique, helping players master the difficult and intricate art of defense. This brain-meets-
brawn technique is also useful for other team sports, as a solid defense enables players to control
the flow of a game.
 On the health and wellness side of things, immersion in futsal also improves endurance, agility
and speed. It tones arms, legs and core muscles, while strengthening cardiovascular and
respiratory systems.
Futsal in the Philippines

The Philippine Muzangs

Futsal in the country remains relatively small, but its community is bursting with passion and
pride for the game. The Muzangs, the Philippine’s own Futsal team, has been active in the Asian
arena, training extensively in order to complete head to head with the fiercest teams around. The
team joined the recently concluded Asean Football Federation (AFF) Futsal Championship last
September and brilliantly held their own against Laos.

Futsal player Pat Bacobo scores a goal for the Philippines.

Unfortunately, the Muzangs’ campaign for victory came to a sudden halt when they faced
powerhouse teams Vietnam and Thailand, whose players have been immersed at the game for
years and whose players had competed in the World Cup. Regardless of this defeat, the Muzangs
have a promising future ahead, as more Filipinos become interested in the sport.
Schools have been active in the futsal community, with student teams joining local citywide
tournaments. Of notable interest is the Philippine Schools Futsal Championship, which
concluded last October 2014. The event saw more than a dozen schools compete in friendly
matches. The PFA-Laguna Youth Cup also demonstrates that there is a growing interest in the
game in other key cities as well.
Plans are underway to create more futsal courts in the country, adding to the Kick Off Indoor
Football Center and the UA&P Futsal Court, the first regulation court in the country, which we at
E-sports were proud to have worked on. Well-designed indoor sports courts, using arena tiles and
other high quality surfaces, enable people to try out new and different sports.
We look forward to working with more schools and institutions to design and build indoor multi-
purpose courts that help diversify the range of sports that Filipinos can play.
_____
Photo Credits
Photo by woodleywonderworks via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.
Photo by Norio Nakayama via Flickr. CC BY SA 2.0.
Photo by Kal Hendry via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.
Photo from aseanfootball.org.
 
History of Pilipinas Futsal Cup Winners Cup
Posted on July 12, 2011 | Leave a comment
HISTORY OF PILIPINAS FUTSAL CUP WINNERS CUP

/philippinefutsal.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/history-of-the-philippine-futsal-cup-winners-cup/

Conceptualized and Created on November 2010 by Xarex Velasquez, who saw a great potential in FUTSAL.
He saw that the 3rd Division players do not have an organized tournament to join in.  So he created a series of
1-day-futsal cups. Not only did the tournament called PFCWC (Pilipinas Futsal Cup Winners Cup) attract
beginners in futsal it also revived the thirst for fitness and love of the game for those former football players
who have since retired from any sporting activity .

Also, with the ULTIMATE GOAL of popularizing FUTSAL. He planned the PFCWC to be played on various
covered courts around Metro Manila inorder for more Filipinos to see the sport which a testament of its motto: 
PFCWC “Bringing Futsal Closer to Filipinos”.

The PFCWC was originally planned to be a tournament in Metro Manila only.  But with interest in areas as far
as Ilocos in the North and Cagayan de Oro in the South, it has now blossomed into a Nationwide Competition
with 2011 Tournament Legs in Naga, Bicol Region, Cebu and Davao. For 2012 they are planning to expand to
more provinces and with a proven formula for success in staging futsal tournaments, their provincial
coordinators are assured of a well organized tournament.

“The PFCWC is not just a futsal tournament”. as explained by Mr. Xarex Velasquez.  “We also want the
provinces to develop their futsal and add futsal as an alternative sport for the youth to be involved in, rather
than doing vices.  (“EDUCATING THE YOUTH THROUGH FUTSAL”)  We believe that sport teaches many
traits that is essential for success. (determination, respect for authority, goal oriented, camaraderie, integrity) 
In Fact, with the help of the local coordinator in Naga City , I was able to convince the Mayor to have an
annual Inter-Baranggay FUTSAL CUP. We will also be conducting Coaching & Refereeing courses there. 
And after just a month the various colleges in Naga have also included FUTSAL on their sports calendar”.

The PFCWC Committee is also proud to announce that they have just been accredited by an international
tournament based in Belgium. The PFCWC can send the champion teams, men & women, to represent the
Philippines and compete there.

“We are all doing this for the love of the game and we do believe that Futsal can also help in bettering the lives
of Filipinos”.

“TOGETHER WE WILL BUILD THE HOUSE OF FUTSAL IN THE PHILIPPINES”.

Arriba Futsalista !
Training with the Philippine
national women’s futsal
team
By: Celest R. Flores - @inquirerdotnet
INQUIRER.net / 10:45 PM August 18, 2011

Photo by Mark Giongco

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––
MANILA—There are reasons why, despite the fact that I’m a sportswriter
who loves covering any kind of sporting contest, I don’t play any sport.
One of those reasons made itself evident through my black San Francisco
Giants shirt just after the whistle blew to signal the start of the national
women’s futsal team training at the Rizal memorial Coliseum.

Merely walking to the other side of the makeshift futsal court on the
historic basketball hardwood was enough to make me sweat profusely. I
was more drenched than the members of the team, who were already
into back-breaking conditioning drills.
ADVERTISEMENT

Having been assigned to do a feature on the women’s team, I figured it

would be great to actually try and experience what our national athletes
go through as they prepare for the Southeast Asian Games this
November. After going through proper channels, I managed to book a
training slot with the girls.

As luck—or the unbelievably unfortunate lack of it—would have it

though, that slot fell on a Wednesday, which is strength and conditioning
day for the women’s futsal team.

I had little inkling of what lay in store for me at the onset. The evening
started harmlessly enough. I sat through a lecture on the new
amendments made by the AFC regarding futsal—which would be critical
in international play where the keen-eyed referees are more wary of the
little things.

Changes in the rules on the back-passes, four-second counts, the space

allowances for the goal keepers and the kick-ins, the substitutions, what
is illegal or not during goal clearance, among others where discussed.

It all sounded alien to me. I only started watching football last year
because of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and I’m still taking in the rules of
what I have discovered to be a very wonderful game.
Plus, I had only learned how different futsal is from football—from the
court, the pace of the game, and the mindset of the players. Although
most of the national team members—if not all—started playing football
before jumping to futsal.

After the lecture, national coach Esmaeil Sedigh, coach Esse to the team,
introduced me to the girls as their “new teammate.” In a few minutes
though, I would be revealed for what I really was: A saling kit-kit, a
sportswriter who can’t play any sport.
Because almost suddenly, I was thrust into one of the most intense
workouts I had in years. Close to 10 different ladder drills in one-minute
bursts. Thankfully, I was allowed extended rests in between.
ADVERTISEMENT

As if the workouts weren’t enough to

unveil the non-athlete in me, coach Esse tossed me into a scrimmage. My
first ever futsal game and I was playing with national team players. What
could go wrong?
For starters, everything.
We did three-a-side, with one neutral player. I teamed up with twinkly
five-foot-tall Iranian Nadia, who also was a guest trainee with the
national team like I was—but with a whole lot more talent.

The scrimmage started with a high-five—and hurried questions from me

about the proper way of passing and receiving the ball. Oh, and by the
way, I wasn’t even wearing proper futsal shoes, just worn-out Pumas I’d
been using since college.

The exercises were three minutes per game, and I probably got two
touches, which was understandable. If I were my own teammate, I
wouldn’t even let me near the ball.

But in one of those touches, I actually got a chance to score a goal. My

teammates set me up perfectly and I thought I really had a good angle.
But once I fired my kick, there was absolutely no power behind it. The
shot was easily gathered by the keeper—probably the easiest shot she’d
ever cleared.

Celest Flores (left) tries her best to stop a streaking Karla Pacificador, a
member of the Philippine women's futsal team, during their practice
Wednesday night. Photo by Mark Giongco

In basketball, I can at least put up what looks like defense on an

opponent. This time, I was utterly clueless. I don’t know the spacing, and I
even committed a cardinal mistake—I turned my back behind my
opponent, and Karla Pacificador, one of the sweetest girls I met in the
team, easily blew by me for a shot on goal.

I was thankful not to hear any harsh words from Coach Esse—he may be
very friendly and accommodating outside the court, but straddling the
sidelines, he is one disciplinarian. As the scrimmage wore on, he kept
stressing the importance of that extra pass before taking a shot. I was
simply worried about staying upright.

The rest of the night was spent on a one-one-one session with the team’s
physical therapist and conditioning coach, Vicent Pagaoa, a BS Sports
Science grad from the University of Santo Tomas who, aside from
committing himself to tech me the sport, also vowed to help me lose
weight.

Coach Vincent also said that I could challenge “ate” Kat Aguda, who is
also trying to lose weight, to a contest to see who sheds off excess pounds
faster. Like I stand a chance against one of the team’s certified leaders—I
even heard Karla call her mommy—and someone who once played
football for the University of the Philippines.

After practice, Kat asked coach Vincent to let her run around the court for
30 more minutes. God, I envy her commitment.

I thought my night was over then, but we were back to non-stop, and I
mean non-stop this time, ladder drills which finally zapped the wind out
of me.

The coaches had fun at my expense, good-naturedly teasing me: “So that’s
how that drill looks in slow motion.”

And when coach Vincent was kind enough to let me sit while resting,
coach Esse would call me out.
While tiring myself to the hilt, I took the chance to ask coach Vincent a
little about the team’s preparations for the SEA Games. He said one of the
main problems right now was injuries. Most of the girls were playing
through chronic injuries.

True enough, before the night ended, Richelle Placencia—one of the

many players from Rizal Technological University—suffered what looked
to me like a mild ankle sprain.

Stamina was another thing too, he said. Some girls were complaining that
they tire out easily during drills (believe me, it’s understandable). So
coach Vincent included bursts and more running, to help the team adjust
to the breakneck pace of futsal.

I don’t know how they do it. But they were actually looking forward to
more drills. Me? I was beat up. Running on empty. Wasted. And yet, I
could not help but offer a smile and a nod when the girls called me as I
dragged my weary self out of the gym and shouted: “Balik ka ha? (Come
back, will you?)”

I definitely will be back.

(The men’s and women’s national futsal teams train at Rizal Memorial Coliseum every Monday, Wednesday
and Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Despite the tone of conviction at the end of the story above, the author
doesn’t promise she’ll actually be back regularly for the thrice-a-weeks. She does promise, though, to finish
her story on the women’s national team once she’s fully recovered from her “ordeal.”)

READ NEXT
PFL takes futsal to greater heights
 News and features about 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
from August 19-30. Visit http://inq.news/seagames.

Don't miss out on the latest news and information.  

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles,
share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social
media. Call 896 6000.
RECOMMENDED


Have a place in Marikina City? Earn money by hosting holidaymakersBooking.com

Take A Peek At This Insane Super YachtMansion Global

Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/12353/training-with-the-national-women
%e2%80%99s-futsal-team#ixzz5QfJNdHrA 
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
HE HISTORY OF FUTSAL
HTTP://WWW.THEFA.COM/GET-
INVOLVED/PLAYER/FUTSAL/HISTOR
Y-OF-FUTSAL
From South American origins to the modern day
 

0 Shares

Expand
Futsal
Take a look back at the origins of this small sided game that has taken on a global following -
Keen to emphasise the South American roots of a sport that the likes of Ronaldo, Denilson and
Roberto Carlos all grew up playing, Futsal was the name chosen by FIFA for the only version of
five-aside football that it supports, when it took over as the governing body of the sport in 1989.

After the first FIFA Futsal World Championships that took place in the Netherlands in the same
year, Futsal began to increase in stature as more and more Associations began to adopt the sport,
keen to take advantage of its benefits in developing players for the bigger game. Individual close
ball skills are developed through an increased number of touches during the game, whilst players
are nearly always placed in reduced space situations and are constantly forced to make decisions
demanding speed of thought and quick reflexes.

Essentially 5-aside but with some twists on how the game is currently played across most of
England, Futsal has been designed to provide a high paced, energetic, fast flowing game for
spectators at the same time as allowing players to be at their most creative by protecting those
showing attacking flair.

The end-to-end, non-stop, goalmouth action has proven a hit with the fans as the number of
professional leagues in the world game grows every year. Russia, Portugal, Italy, Brazil and
Argentina all have professional leagues along with Spain, the current World Champions, whose
league regularly attracts over thirty thousand spectators a week to its games.

Futsal is also set to explode onto the football scene in Asia with Iran already boasting a
professional league and countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Thailand all keen to follow. Chinese
Taipei hosted the fifth FIFA World Championships in December 2004, which saw almost 90
associations take part in the qualifying stages, an increase on the 64 that took part in the
qualifying for the 2000 Championships held in Guatemala.

Futsal fever is currently encapsulating most of the globe but it owes a great deal of its success
and all of its appeal to the streets and playgrounds of South America were the game was first
conceived.

South American Origins…

Futsal has its origins in the South American countries of Uruguay and Brazil where, in the
1930’s, two versions of small sided football were being played in the cities of Montevideo and
Sao Paulo respectively.

In Montevideo, the Argentinean coach Juan Carlos Ceriani developed an indoor version of the 11
aside game that could be played in youth competitions in the local YMCA’s.

Meanwhile in Brazil, a version began to develop on the streets of Sao Paulo, leading to the
publishing of the first rules of the game in 1936 from the country that would soon become the
masters of the game. 

The sport began to spread from the South American continent and with its growing popularity
came the need for a governing body and a World Championships. The International Federation
for Futebol de Sala, FIFUSA, was officially founded in Brazil in 1971 and the first FIFUSA
world championships were held in Sao Paulo with the hosts taking first place ahead of Paraguay
and Uruguay. The Brazilians fielded stars from their 11-aside game that had been brought up
playing the sport with amongst others Pele, Rivelino, Falcao and Zico demonstrating their skills
as Futsal players.

The game continued to grow under FIFUSA with even more countries participating in the second
world championships that took place in 1985, this time hosted in Madrid. 

FIFA Takes Control…

It was becoming clear that the sport was beginning to outgrow FIFUSA and in 1989 FIFA took
over as the governing body, abbreviating Futebol de Sala to ‘Futsal’ and organising the first
FIFA Futsal World Championship held in the Netherlands in the same year.

Under FIFA’s control new rules were introduced aimed at improving the technical and aspects of
the game for players and spectators alike. The ball was made slightly larger (increased to a size
4) but still weighted to reduce bounce, the linesmen were replaced with the second referee and
unlimited substitutions were introduced.
FIFA’s relationships with its member associations enabled more and more countries to gain
access to futsal knowledge and resources. This was no doubt a major factor in the increase in the
number of participating nations in the fourth FIFA world championships held in Gautamala City
in 2000, in which Spain ended the dominance of Brazil in world Futsal beating them in the final.
This was the crowning glory on an excellent performance by all the UEFA Associations taking
part.

UEFA Dominance…

The dominance of UEFA associations at the Guatemala finals did not come out of blue and was
the result of a development plan that began in 1996 when UEFA, recognising the growth in
Futsal across the continent in the early 1990’s, arranged a European tournament for national
teams in Cordoba, Spain, which was eventually won by the hosts.

UEFA continued to build on the growing popularity of the game, organising the first European
Championships back in Spain but this time in Granada, which the Russians won after a penalty
shoot out. The tournament attracted record number of crowds and convinced UEFA to carry on
with the development of the game, encouraging even more of its member associations to take
part in the qualifying rounds of the second UEFA Championships held in Moscow in 2001.

In the same year, encouraged by the growth in stature of the domestic leagues in Europe, UEFA
created the official European competition for futsal clubs – the UEFA Futsal Cup, with teams
from member associations earning their right to play in the competition by winning the National
League or Championship organised by their own association.

The UEFA Futsal Cup continued into its third year with the 2003-04 competition again being
dominated by the Spanish clubs. It was however, a landmark season for English Futsal as it was
the first year that a team from England participated in the competition, having previously been
noticeable by their absence from European Futsal.
Today, Futsal’s appeal holds no boundaries and it has become a truly global sport embraced by
an increasing number of football associations and federations. The recent 2012 UEFA European
Futsal Championships in Croatia and the upcoming 2012 FIFA World Futsal Cup in Thailand
will demonstrate the increasing viewing figures from fans of Futsal at both at major tournaments
and the global broadcasting of this exciting format of the game.