If you want to improve your game, then these futsal tips will come in handy. The truth is that becoming a proficient player requires persistence, dedication, practice, and the right mindset. You should first see yourself becoming a better player and then aim to achieve this. You will find lots of tips and strategies out there to help you get there. However, you need to understand that it takes time and patience to become a good futsal player. Fortunately, with regular practice, you will eventually become skillful. The following are the 15 best futsal tips on how to improve futsal skills:

 

Tip 1. Control The Ball Using The Sole Of The Foot

Have you ever observed the great futsal players? If you have, then you probably noticed that they spend a good part of their time on the court controlling the ball with the sole of the foot. In fact, many will use the sole to stop a fast ball. Research shows that using this part of the foot for ball control is very effective and gives you many options. You can move in any direction, start dribbling, shoot, or hold on to the ball. A good way to improve ball control is by finding a wall or a partner and passing the ball to him/her or kicking it against the wall. You should aim at passing the ball accurately without it straying too far from your target trajectory.

 

Tip 2. Get Good At Passing The Ball

It may look pretty simple from the sidelines but, once you get to try it out, you’ll realize it’s not that easy. Actually, at times, the ball seems to have a mind of its own and will go in a different direction than intended. You should strive to learn how to pass the ball with precision. The force should be right, for it to reach the target and the kick should be precisely placed for the recipient to catch it easy enough. Our tip for getting better at passing the ball is to get two cones and place them near a wall leaving a small space in between them. You can also work with a friend. Your goal is for the ball to hit the wall in between those cones. Rinse and repeat. As time progresses and you get better, make the distance between the cones smaller and smaller in order to improve pass-precision.

 

Tip 3. Know Your Role

If you want to learn how to play futsal better, you should know and master your role. As a goalie, what does the team, coach or spectators expect from you? As a field player, what role will you be holding in the pitch? It’s common to witness lots of confusion on the pitch just because the players aren’t fully aware of their roles. The player on the left wing will at times moves to the right side leaving his zone exposed. A goalkeeper will stand at his goal-line even when he would be more valuable if he went to the other goal side and helped his team score during the final minutes of the match. And so on. Know what you are supposed to do, when to do it, and how to be focused and aware of your position in the game.

 

Tip 4. Have A System

There are different team formations in futsal and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Square and Diamond are among the most popular. While many people will know these formations and try them out during training sessions, they will find it hard to actually stick to them on the pitch. And because of this, they will leave areas exposed and undefended. It’s crucial for the entire team, including the substitutes, to fully understand the formations and to stick to them. You don’t want situations where no one is attacking when they should, or no one is defending when they should be doing it. Try different systems to help identify the most effective one and have the team stick to in the long run. Structure will lead to success in futsal.

 

Tip 5. Master Kicking The Ball

In futsal, you will be kicking the ball all the time, and it’s therefore important to master how to kick it right. You should know how to kick it hard enough that the opponent can’t easily intercept it. But also, you shouldn’t kick so hard that your teammate struggles to reach it, since that will increase the odds of losing possession. When kicking, you need to use just about the right force and be precise.

In addition to this, you need to master kicking the ball in order to score a goal. Power is very important, but so too is precision. For passes and precision, practice by kicking the ball against a wall or to a friend while varying the distance and force. This helps you to feel the amount of force you need at various distances. Switching between the right and left leg helps to make you an all rounded player. You should also practice shooting the ball at the goal. Get a friend to be the goalie and knock yourself out. Shoot the ball with the outside of your foot, with the inside, alternate legs #and power and see what works. Practice makes perfect!

 

Tip 6. Know Your Next Move

When you get the ball, in which direction will you move? Many people don’t think ahead. Well, you should. Avoid spending precious seconds trying to figure out the next move. Be aware of others positions at all time. According to great futsal and indoor football players, it’s essential to have an idea of your next course of action even before the ball reaches you. Will you dribble first or try to cut into the defense? Is it better to pass the ball to your teammate or go for the goal? Have you noticed any gaps or open spaces? These are but a few of the questions that will influence your next move. Try it even in practice. Watch what goes on around you intently. Don’t simply be reactive, when you receive a pass, but rather have a plan already in your mind. Be proactive and make the other team have to react to your game-play and initiative, rather then you doing that. I can’t stress enough the importance of practicing to always be aware.

 

Tip 7. Futsal Is A Team Sport So Know How To Play As A Team

The secret to winning is playing as a solid unit. In football or soccer where you have defenders, strikers/attackers, and midfield, they don’t move uniformly. The defender may be left a little behind while the strikers try to score. However, in futsal, you all have to operate as a single unit just like in basketball. You’ll all attack when it’s time to attack, and defend when under attack. No player should stay too far behind and neither should you linger too far ahead in the offense. By working as a unitary “block”, chances of losing ball possession, the opponent’s penetrating your defense, or getting caught off guard are minimal.

 

Tip 8. Become Good At Dribbling

Great players will have good dribbling skills. It allows you to get out of tight situations when surrounded by the opponents or when you wish to pass their defense. And when combined with swerving and dodging techniques, you stand a better chance of scoring a goal. Nevertheless, you need to put in lots of work to become a good dribbler. Over time, it will come naturally. You should get to a level where you are able to control the ball while looking ahead, and not staring at it. You can practice the skills on your own, with a friend, or with teammates. And if you have a bubbly dog that is always chasing balls, then he/she can make a good practice partner, too. More on how to improve your skills at futsal here.

 

Tip 9. Become All-Rounded

Futsal includes a lot of things. You will be required to sprint, dodge the opponent, control a fast moving ball, and make accurate passes, pass the ball to the right or left wing and much more. Being good is some areas and not-so-good in others doesn’t cut it. In fact, it will affect your overall performance. It’s not enough to be good with your right foot, you should also be proficient with your left. Otherwise, you will be limited when using a different wing and having to stop and control a ball that lands on your not-so-favorite foot. As a famous futsal player said, futsal is like war. You need all the defenses – air force, army, ground troops and more, to win. You can’t have a weak side and still, expect to win. As a player, you should aim at being all rounded. At the beginning, you won’t be. But work on it actively and you will get there.

 

Tip 10. Be Creative

It’s a fact that futsal is very tactical. You should always anticipate your next move and try to simulate actions during practice. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean you should become a robot. Yes, it may be the best strategy to learn the routine. But at times, it’s not applicable due to some unforeseen changes. For instance, you’ll know that when you receive the ball, you’ll shoot it towards goal with your right leg. But what happens when it gets deflected and it lands on your weaker left foot? Of course, you won’t be in a good position to shoot. By using your creative mind, you may decide to calm down the game and re-strategize, or even pass it back to your teammate and have him/her play the ball back to you. Learn how to improvise on the go. How? Well with regular futsal practice and drills.

 

Tip 11. Work On Your Substitution

As we know, substitutions in futsal are done on the fly and in a pre-defined spot on the pitch. It means that the match will continue as you make your way out of the court and as the other player enters. You also have just 4 seconds to return the ball into play. Now imagine if you spend too much time to make a substitution or two players both decide to enter the court at the same time? Such issues are bests avoided by practicing substitutions beforehand. During practice, you should at times simulate the real game and make substitutions. So that the players get accustomed to the works. This will help minimize the time spent making the exchanges in real games where every second counts. The sub should also know exactly what his role is once he gets on the court and what he/ she is required to do. Working on subbing during practice times, before actual official games, will clear up all the possible confusions.

 

Tip 12. Be Confident

Futsal is more than just a physical act. It’s also mental and this is what differentiates a winning team from a losing one. Upsets occur when the weaker side has stronger willpower than the dominant team. Enter the court with a mindset that you have already won and just aim at actualizing it. The lack of confidence will reflect when you try to control the ball, and you’ll end up making poor passes, easily lose possession and keep making errors. They are not better than you! And even if they are, they don’t have as much heart as you do! Learn to always have that mentality. Building confidence doesn’t start from the field but before the game. It’s important for the entire team to have self-belief. You also shouldn’t beat yourself too much when you make mistakes at the beginning of the game. You, however, need to settle down in the early minutes.

 

Tip 13. Stay On Your Feet, Use Appropriate Footwear

This tip is about balance. In futsal, you need to be on your feet more-often-than-not. In fact, a good player rarely goes down unless he has been fouled. The kind of shoes you wear will greatly influence how often you will be on your feet. Generally, you should go for shoes that are recommended for futsal. They come with a soft firm grip sole that delivers good traction on the court. Most top shoes will work on different courts without a problem and are also effective on wet surfaces. Other than providing a nice grip, the right shoes will ensure you are comfortable throughout. The interior will be ultra-soft and smooth and should have good ventilation to prevent excessive sweating. Before choosing a shoe, it helps to go through reviews. Here is a list of the best futsal shoes.

 

Tip 14. Keep Moving

If you’ve ever played futsal, you know that you’ll always be up and about. The only times you will take a break is the substitution which happens fairly fast. You need to keep the ball moving considering you aren’t allowed to hang on to it for long. Passing and moving the ball is the way to go. If you check out the professionals, you’ll notice that they rarely exceed three touches of the ball before they pass it ahead. Usually, they stop it then pass it or stop, dribble, then pass. Prior to passing it, they already know where the ball is going and in case of unforeseen changes they use their creativity to make another move.

 

Tip 15. Have Fun

Futsal can be demanding, especially when playing for a trophy or championship. You’ll find yourself overworking, your nerves feeling the pressure, or even clashing with the opponents. But what good is it if you are not enjoying yourself? While it’s important to win, you should always aim at having fun too. You should leave the pitch happier than when you stepped on it. Yes, you might lose the match sometimes, which obviously isn’t what you were aiming for. But that shouldn’t ruin your entire day or week. If you discover that you are never having fun or feel too edgy then you should sit down and analyze the situation.

 

Conclusion

There you have it – 15 best futsal tips to help you improve your skills. You will notice that they are pretty basic but follow them and you will feel an immediate improvement in the way you play the game. Futsal is no different from other games. It’s all about practice, practice, and more practice. You should be prepared to make it routine, strive to do it even when you feel a bit lazy, and always aim to learn and get better. With the right strategies, tactics, and tips on how to play futsal better, you will soon join the ranks of world-class players!