Thoughts on futsal for current u12

[Anonymous]

Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Futsal is fun, let the kid have fun! Playing other sports is beneficial even when it's completely unrelated. The idea of specializing completely at 12 is short sighted.

[Anonymous]

Play futsal. Have fun. Don't ask for permission.

[Anonymous]

Futsal is great for practicing 1v1 skills and speeding up decision making. do it.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are dead on in your assessment. My U12 kid loves futsal and it is teaching him so much about movement and quick decision making.

It is unfortunate that so many US coaches and families are obsessed with rushing to 11v11. The game of 11v11 is filled with small sided games while the others are watching. You are doing the right thing having him at futsal. This summer, it you can take advantage of the 5v5soccer.com tournaments as well, do it. Grab a couple of kids, print a couple of t-shirts and enjoy yourself without so many formalities.

[Anonymous]

Play futsal. My DS preferred to play indoor soccer over the winter rather than futsal, but my DD played and loved it.

As others have said, the speed of the game has helped with decision making and 1v1 skills. Plus, it was fun to watch as parents too.

There's going to be plenty of situations, even when on a larger field, where skills learned in futsal would come in to play.

[Anonymous]

My son is U12 and we sought out futsal training outside of the club because they didn't have anything put together in time. He is still training outdoors 2-3 times per week, so not worried about not being ready for spring (also playing 11v11). He prefers regular soccer but knows futsal is beneficial for the type of things he needs to work on.

[Anonymous]

Futsal in the U.S. has largely become a money grab.

There are real developmental benefits, but they are acquired quickly. For most outdoor primary players, diminishing marginal returns kick in early and hard.

As with anything, context matters. Your level, position, and long term goals should dictate how much futsal actually helps. A lot of the marketing leans on “futsal made” narratives tied to elite Latin American players, but that framing is misleading. Small sided games have always been a cornerstone of player development. Professional clubs still use them daily in training.

Futsal is simply one version of small sided football, not a magic formula. And unlike mini field 6v6 models such as Cruyff Soccer, futsal has several highly specific constraints that do not scale cleanly to the outdoor game. These include more head down play, tighter and more compact movement patterns, and consistently shorter passing distances, among others.

Used limited and intentionally, futsal can be a useful tool. Used excessively or sold as a cure all, it becomes expensive repetition with limited transfer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Futsal in the U.S. has largely become a money grab.

There are real developmental benefits, but they are acquired quickly. For most outdoor primary players, diminishing marginal returns kick in early and hard.

As with anything, context matters. Your level, position, and long term goals should dictate how much futsal actually helps. A lot of the marketing leans on “futsal made” narratives tied to elite Latin American players, but that framing is misleading. Small sided games have always been a cornerstone of player development. Professional clubs still use them daily in training.

Futsal is simply one version of small sided football, not a magic formula. And unlike mini field 6v6 models such as Cruyff Soccer, futsal has several highly specific constraints that do not scale cleanly to the outdoor game. These include more head down play, tighter and more compact movement patterns, and consistently shorter passing distances, among others.

Used limited and intentionally, futsal can be a useful tool. Used excessively or sold as a cure all, it becomes expensive repetition with limited transfer.

Its a money grab because most of the "Futsal" programs are not actually playing or teaching real futsal. It is glorified skills training marketed as futsal. Futsal, when coached correctly, is the most powerful development tool players have access to until around U13/U14. Futsal when played at a high level requires exponentially more decisions (with AND WITHOUT the ball) than outdoor soccer. THIS is what makes futsal such a powerful development tool. The ball mastery and cone drills are gimmicky and often times do regress players by leading to "head down play". Real futsal does not. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

You cannot argue with the facts. Brazilian clubs are developing the worlds BEST talent. EVERY player in Brazil plays futsal either exclusively or primarily until the ages of 12 or 13. They are able to transfer seamlessly to the outdoor pitch between the ages of 12-15, depending on the players specific developmental needs. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

Can soccer players be successful without playing Futsal? Sure. But it is undeniably an incredibly beneficial tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Futsal in the U.S. has largely become a money grab.

There are real developmental benefits, but they are acquired quickly. For most outdoor primary players, diminishing marginal returns kick in early and hard.

As with anything, context matters. Your level, position, and long term goals should dictate how much futsal actually helps. A lot of the marketing leans on “futsal made” narratives tied to elite Latin American players, but that framing is misleading. Small sided games have always been a cornerstone of player development. Professional clubs still use them daily in training.

Futsal is simply one version of small sided football, not a magic formula. And unlike mini field 6v6 models such as Cruyff Soccer, futsal has several highly specific constraints that do not scale cleanly to the outdoor game. These include more head down play, tighter and more compact movement patterns, and consistently shorter passing distances, among others.

Used limited and intentionally, futsal can be a useful tool. Used excessively or sold as a cure all, it becomes expensive repetition with limited transfer.

Its a money grab because most of the "Futsal" programs are not actually playing or teaching real futsal. It is glorified skills training marketed as futsal. Futsal, when coached correctly, is the most powerful development tool players have access to until around U13/U14. Futsal when played at a high level requires exponentially more decisions (with AND WITHOUT the ball) than outdoor soccer. THIS is what makes futsal such a powerful development tool. The ball mastery and cone drills are gimmicky and often times do regress players by leading to "head down play". Real futsal does not. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

You cannot argue with the facts. Brazilian clubs are developing the worlds BEST talent. EVERY player in Brazil plays futsal either exclusively or primarily until the ages of 12 or 13. They are able to transfer seamlessly to the outdoor pitch between the ages of 12-15, depending on the players specific developmental needs. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

Can soccer players be successful without playing Futsal? Sure. But it is undeniably an incredibly beneficial tool.

this 100%

[Anonymous]

If you're playing futsal with your head down, you're not playing futsal correctly. Promotes off the ball movement, understanding of space, quick decision-making, and speed of play. The streets know that if you see an outdoor guy roll the ball with the sole of his foot, he's a baller!

See article in The Athletic about Bruno Guimaraes: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4138378/2023/01/31/bruno-guimaraes-brazil-newcastle/

Guimaraes, like many Brazilians before him, credits futsal — Brazil’s version of five-a-side, played on squeaky indoor courts using a small ball — with shaping the way he plays today. Which is fine, but a little vague. So we asked his former coaches for a bit more granular detail.

Mario Jorge: “Bruno always used the sole of his foot to control the ball. In 11-a-side, you don’t use that technique a lot because sometimes the ball is wet and it can be slippery. But he always did that a lot.”

Gabriel Barreiro: “It taught him quick decision-making in small spaces. He likes doing these little dribbles, even as a midfielder. Even when he is under pressure, he knows how to escape. That comes from playing futsal.”

Tiago Nunes: “The nutmegs are from futsal. The one he loves is when you control the ball with the sole of your foot and just nudge it. He always did that. It’s also typical of players from Rio. He’s an expressive guy, a joker and he likes to bring that onto the pitch with him. He likes to mess with his opponent, to get in his head.”

Mario Jorge: “Futsal is responsible for his decision-making and the dynamism he brings to the game. He had to work out a way to escape pressure from boys who were stronger and taller than him. It made him develop an intelligence which is very visible. When I see him playing today for the national team, I still see that nine-year-old on the futsal court. It’s obvious that the action is much quicker, but I used to see him do the same things.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.

This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.

If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.

If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.

Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Futsal in the U.S. has largely become a money grab.

There are real developmental benefits, but they are acquired quickly. For most outdoor primary players, diminishing marginal returns kick in early and hard.

As with anything, context matters. Your level, position, and long term goals should dictate how much futsal actually helps. A lot of the marketing leans on “futsal made” narratives tied to elite Latin American players, but that framing is misleading. Small sided games have always been a cornerstone of player development. Professional clubs still use them daily in training.

Futsal is simply one version of small sided football, not a magic formula. And unlike mini field 6v6 models such as Cruyff Soccer, futsal has several highly specific constraints that do not scale cleanly to the outdoor game. These include more head down play, tighter and more compact movement patterns, and consistently shorter passing distances, among others.

Used limited and intentionally, futsal can be a useful tool. Used excessively or sold as a cure all, it becomes expensive repetition with limited transfer.

Its a money grab because most of the "Futsal" programs are not actually playing or teaching real futsal. It is glorified skills training marketed as futsal. Futsal, when coached correctly, is the most powerful development tool players have access to until around U13/U14. Futsal when played at a high level requires exponentially more decisions (with AND WITHOUT the ball) than outdoor soccer. THIS is what makes futsal such a powerful development tool. The ball mastery and cone drills are gimmicky and often times do regress players by leading to "head down play". Real futsal does not. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

You cannot argue with the facts. Brazilian clubs are developing the worlds BEST talent. EVERY player in Brazil plays futsal either exclusively or primarily until the ages of 12 or 13. They are able to transfer seamlessly to the outdoor pitch between the ages of 12-15, depending on the players specific developmental needs. Small sided pickup games of any kind are the key ingredient of individual quality and creativity, but Futsal is what develops game understanding.

Can soccer players be successful without playing Futsal? Sure. But it is undeniably an incredibly beneficial tool.

These aren’t the facts you think they are…let me guess…you coach futsal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.

This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.

If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.

If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.

Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.

I think that you will find all of the elite U12 players in the DMV are playing structured futsal on teams in very structured tournaments. This is a comment made with zero experience and very foolish. Do not listen to this “advice”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.

This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.

If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.

If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.

Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.

I think that you will find all of the elite U12 players in the DMV are playing structured futsal on teams in very structured tournaments. This is a comment made with zero experience and very foolish. Do not listen to this “advice”.

I think your definition of elite is too local and broad, D1 ain’t it. You do you.