Dec, 2008

TEAM SHAPE FOR FUTSAL

If you are new to futsal, please start with our November 2007 article, Futsal, The Real Indoor Soccer.

Futsal as a Teaching Tool. Futsal is a great game, one that is well worth playing for the enjoyment and challenges of the futsal game itself. Futsal is also a valuable teaching tool for soccer. As a simplified version of the official outdoor game, futsal presents an accurate, only scaled down, environment for teaching important soccer concepts. One critical concept for players to understand, and that is made easier to learn in a futsal environment, is TEAM SHAPE. Many players (and coaches) have difficulty fully appreciating the consequences of actions on the field in the 8-aside and 11-aside formats. In futsal, with fewer players and a smaller space, the same mistakes, for instance, result in much more obvious harm to the team. Please keep in mind, therefore, that all of the points below can be applied to both futsal and the official outdoor game.

What is Team Shape? Team shape refers to the positions of players relative to one another other at any point during the match. Team shape is not the same as team formation. Formation is merely a frame of reference for players regarding general positional responsibilities. Team shape is the actual physical location of players on the field at any given moment. It is shape, not formation, that determines success and failure on the field.

General Concepts of Team Shape.

Shape must allow ability to ATTACK & DEFEND without major shape changes (transitions when losing the ball and when winning the ball)
Shape must accommodate POSITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES (goalkeeper, backs, midfielders, forwards)
Shape must provide for PROPER SPACING (length, width, depth, angles of support, coverage)
Shape must provide CENTRAL PRESENCE in the field
Shape must allow INVOLVEMENT OF ALL PLAYERS (all players have both attacking & defensive roles)

A Recommended Set-up for Futsal (1-2-1-1 Formation). The following set-up for futsal accommodates the incorporation of all of the important concepts of team shape, both the general concepts above and the more specific concepts related to attacking and defensive team shape below. (See diagram below)

Goalkeeper
2 Backs (we are careful not to call them defenders)
1 Midfielder (central midfield)
1 Forward or Target (we are careful not to call them attackers)

Elements of Attacking Shape. A team exhibits good shape in attack when its players are spaced to make the effective playing area big, and positioned to provide width, depth, length, and good support angles around the ball. (See points and diagram below)

LENGTH ahead of the ball in forward space (for outlet pass, for attacking/scoring, for possession) (Diagram Note - forward player is a scoring/assisting threat at all times)
DEPTH in the back of the team (for building from the back, for attacking from the back, for support of midfield, for possession, for drawing the opposition out vertically) (Diagram Note - goalkeeper and backs provide back passing options to keep possession and to draw opposing players out)
WIDTH across the field (for possession, for drawing the opposition out laterally, for attacking flanks) (Note - backs provide width in this set-up when building in the back and as they get forward to attack or support the attack)
CENTRAL PRESENCE (for possession, for support, for attacking) (Diagram Note - central presence from goalkeeper, midfielder, forward)
TRIANGULATION (for maximum options for angled passing) (Diagram Note - player on the ball has 4 passing options, including the goalkeeper)
STAGGERED POSITIONING (for passing to skip lines) (Diagram Note -midfielders positioning allows passing lane from back to forward)
TRANSITION TO DEFENDING (for when possession is lost) (Diagram Note - central position of midfielder even when team is in possession allows easy transition to defending)

Elements of Defensive Shape. A team exhibits good defensive shape when sufficient players are goal-side of the ball, and with 1-2 players providing pressure on the ball, and the rest providing cover, balance, and compactness in order to make the effective playing area small. (See points and diagram below)

COMPACTNESS (for making the playing area small) (Diagram Note - back 3 players form a compact defensive triangle in danger area)
PRESSURE, COVER, BALANCE (positioning based on position of ball, teammates and opposition) (Diagram Note - for example, forward pressures ball, midfielder covers space behind forward in case forward is beat on the dribble, and backs deal with players away from the ball)
CENTRAL PRESENCE (for controlling critical areas, for preventing opposing shots) (Diagram Note - all players make the central areas a priority when defending)
BALL MAGNET (Diagram Note - with proper positioning the ball will come to the midfielder)
CONTROL OF OPPOSITION (forcing play to specific area, making play predictable) (Diagram Note - forward pressures to prevent opposition from changing point of attack and to force passes that can be read and intercepted by players behind the ball)
LENGTH (for counterattack, and to force backs to reconsider joining the attack) (Diagram Note - forward, even when team is defending, should make the backs worry about them, rather than vice versa)
TRANSITION TO ATTACKING (for when possession is gained) (Diagram Note - again forward positioned high even when defending)

Loss of Team Shape. When team shape is maintained a team can defend, attack, and handle the transitions when the ball is won or given away. When shape is lost, both the ability to defend and the ability to attack are compromised.

Loss of Shape when Defending (See diagram below for an example)

Loss of Defensive Shape (if forward fails to prevent pass from opposing right back to left back, and midfielder comes out of central position to pressure ball, the defending team exposes themselves to an attack thru the danger area)
Loss of Attacking Shape (the same mistakes destroy angles of support, triangulation, staggered layers, length, etc. making transition to attack should the ball be won less effective)

Loss of Shape when Attacking (See diagram below for an example)

Loss of Attacking Shape (if midfielder supports wide for a pass from the left back, the path of her run takes away the passing lane from left back to forward, and her ability to combine with right back and forward is compromised; this movement may also force the forward into a right wing position becoming unavailable for a pass from the left back, and further destroying the team's ability to support, triangulate, etc.)
Loss of Defensive Shape (this same mistake clearly leaves the middle of the field exposed to counterattack from the opposing team should possession be lost)

Some Simple Dos and Don'ts for Players & Coaches

Don't part like the red sea, even when you have possession of the ball, b/c your support angles and options will be poor for keeping possession and attacking, and you'll get hurt in transition if possession is lost.
Don't get five players behind the ball, even when defending, b/c you won't have an outlet pass and may get stuck in your own half.
Don't get too many players ahead of the ball b/c your support options will be destroyed, and you will be vulnerable to counterattack.
Do consider what will happen in any given situation if the ball is given away.
Do consider what will happen in any given situation if the ball is won.

Considering Other Team Shapes. What are the issues with the set-ups in the diagrams below? Consider the various important concepts/elements of both Attacking Shape and Defensive Shape in making your judgments. Send me an email with your thoughts if you'd like - Tom Mitch

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