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Coaching News & Updates
Relating
Futsal to the 11 on 11 game
Why is Futsal FIFA's official indoor soccer game?
Basic Coaching Principles and
Guidelines
Interview with
Jeff Agoos
Just Do It !!!
A
Philosophy of Winning
They're All Saying The Same Thing: Play Futsal
Results:
1998 National Futsal Championship
US
Futsal Team to play in Rio De Janeiro Tourn.
US National
Team Results: vs: Brazil
vs: Belgium
The Winning Edge (Nutrition
& Performance Info.) 
The Winning Edge (Drink Up!)
U.S. Youth Soccer Association
(USYSA) & U.S. Futsal (USFF): MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING
Relating Futsal to the 11 versus 11 Game
The basic framework of futsal is 4 vs. 4, plus a goalkeeper.
This framework should
offer some level of structure, and begin to formulate team shape as it pertains to
attacking and defending. The four field players in futsal are ideal
because players can solve the problems of width and depth. The structure can vary,
but the shape of a diamond is commonly used, and has found much success with the Dutch
vision of modified games. Apply this to the 11 vs. 11 game in terms of role
specifics. These four players might represent the striker at the front, wide
midfielders on either side and the defensive
midfielder (sweeper) furthest back. The goalie can also be used as a pivot player
in the field, and since the goalie in futsal must throw the ball into play, teams will be
encouraged to use their back defenders to work the ball up the field.
Why is Futsal FIFA's official indoor soccer game?
(copied from FIFA Magazine - October 1992)
With boards or without boards? Off the wall or out of play? That was the basic question central to FIFA's plans for a world indoor football championship in the 1980's. The strong pro-boards lobby pointed to the success of the indoor game especially in the United States, where indoor leagues at that time were outstripping the classic outdoor game in terms of public appeal. And most people had grown up playing the indoor game by bouncing the ball (and bodies!) off the walls of gymnasiums and improvised courts.
But there was a faction within FIFA of a different opinion. The precedent of another sport comparable in many ways to football, was often cited as a warning: handball, some decades ago a strictly outdoors sport played with skill and pace and featuring midfield as well as attack, was widely felt to have lost much of its character when transformed to an almost exclusively indoor game, with little or none of its earlier strategies and a concentration of legs and arms around the edge of the goal area.
That, said the football specialists, is not what we want to happen to football. If we are going indoors, then we want to take outdoor football with us, and make the indoor game a reduced version of the 11 - a - side standard, rather than create an entirely different sport. Fundamental to this thinking was to spurn the non-stop action of boards, and to retain the concept of the ball going out of play, over the touchlines or behind the goal. Players could no more beat an opponent by playing a one-two with the wall, than they could on a grass field. The need to keep the ball in play compelled players to be more accurate in their passing. And of course the risk of injury was reduced.
Basic Coaching Principles and Guidelines
SKILL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH REPETITION - skills and individual technique require thousands of repetitions and years of training for players to feel comfortable enough to use during a match. Players develop "muscle memory" through repetition of all skill techniques.
SMALL SIDED KEEP AWAY GAMES - keep away games simulate the game of soccer; small number of players (four or less) ensure that all players become actively involved.
ON THE MOVE ECONOMICAL TRAINING - defined as the combining of as many activities as possible into one training exercise (i.e. dribbling, passing and receiving, fitness) - Do everything with the ball! Maximum touches on the ball each training session. No activity should take place without a ball; make sure that there are enough balls (properly inflated) for everyone. " Since we meet with our teams once or twice a week, doesn't it make sense to have 100% of our players moving 100% of the time?" - while 100% of the players are actively involved 100% of the time!" Coaching soccer players without the formation of lines and circles. Lines and circles are not conducive to numerous ball touches and total involvement. Lines and circles are conducive to boredom, discipline problems, and a lot of wasted time!! Only on rare occasions should an activity involve lines. Consider every minute wasted multiplied by the number of players there!
COMPETITIVE TRAINING - players enjoy and thrive on competition and will best simulate game conditions. Vary degree of competitiveness according to age. Some feel that girls, more than boys, require competitive exercises incorporated into the training sessions.
GAME RELATED TRAINING - training exercises should attempt to simulate some aspect of soccer. Ask yourself: Does it look like soccer? i.e. all players dribbling at once in a grid avoiding collisions with other players and balls, rather than one player at a time, dribbling through a series of cones.
GET THEM PLAYING - adults - teachers, parents, bus drivers - have been talking to children all day. Don't talk too much; get them playing and get the practice going quickly (in less than a minute!)
Just Do It
!!!
(courtesy of Frank Schmidt, Head Coach, Sachem Boys Varsity)
1. Play to the BIG
FIELD
2. Play the way you are facing.
3. Support ball back of square.
4. Support is 15-20 yards (not 10 yards)
5. Quickly get through the midfield third
6. By pass the midfield third
7. Play two touch or one touch through the midfield third
8. Sneak a peak before you receive (know
your options)
9. Open up, Open up, Open up
10. Nearpost run is the most important run
11.Nearpost run is at top speed
12. Attack near post, far post and top of 18
13.Cut the ball back-bend it away from keeper
14. Early cross behind a flat defense
15. Quick switch at midfield -quick - quicker - quickest
16.Weakside back is second sweeper
17. Weakside back is deeper than sweeper
18. Weakside midfielder fills the center
19. Strikers go to defender first - defender first!
20. Striker takes the defenders long
21. Striker marks the sweeper - occupies the sweeper
22. Twin strikers stay connected -
I leave, you fill
23. Backs play ball to window
24. Diagonal dribble at midfield w/penetration (not flat)
25. Wait for second runner - be patient - be patient!
26. Ask for ball
when teammate has clear possession
27. Quick restarts, quicker restarts, immediate restarts!
28. Throw in to second runner
29. Outside midfielder's run determined by striker's pos.
30. Outside back's run determined by outside mid's
pos.
31. Stopper's run determined by center mid's position
32. Sweeper fills when
stopper attacks
33. Outside back covers space when sweeper steps up
34. No turn !!! Defender does not let opponent
turn
35. Defender tackles hard when opponent is half turned
36. Know your opponents habits and adjust
accordingly
A PHILOSOPHY OF WINNING - A WINNING PHILOSOPHY
From Successful Coaching, (Updated Second Edition) by Rainer Marten Copyright 1997 by Rainer Martens. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. Available in bookstores or by calling 1-800-747-4457 $19.95 plus shipping/handling http://www.humankinetics.com
No single decision is more important in determining how you coach than your priority for these objectives - especially the significance you give to winning.
... consider the following objective as the cornerstone for your coaching philosophy. It is an objective that many national organizations, experienced and successful coaches at all levels, professional educators, and physicians endorse. It is an objective that I hope you will endorse as well, and more importantly, one you will put into practice! The objective is this:
Athletes First,
Winning SecondWhat I mean by this is quite simple: Every decision you make and every behavior you display is based first on what you judge is best for you athletes and second on what may improve the athlete's or team's chances of winning.
Athletes First, Winning Second is an objective simple to state, but not simple to implement. Today many sport organizations are led by administrators who demand that coaches reverse this objective - Winning First, Athletes Second - either because winning is their personal objective or because these administrators are pressured by others.
Having Athletes First, Winning Second, does not mean that winning is unimportant. The immediate short-term objective of any contest is to win. Striving to win should be the objective of every athlete and coach. Striving to win is essential to enjoyable competition.
Keeping Winning in Perspective
Striving to win is important in sport. That process can bring out the best in young people - in their performance, commitment, and moral development. For sport to provide these benefits, you must maintain a proper perspective on winning: Athletes First, Winning Second. When winning is kept in perspective, sport programs produce young people who enjoy sports, who strive for excellence, who dare to risk error in order to learn, and who grow with both praise and constructive criticism. When winning is kept in perspective, there is room for fun in the pursuit of victory - or, more accurately, the pursuit of victory is fun. With proper leadership, sport programs produce young people who accept responsibilities, who accept others, and most of all accept themselves.
The Winning Edge
A series of Handouts for Athletes focusing on the relationship between good nutrition and physical performance
(courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Association of Oswego County)What you eat before competition can influence your performance. Five things need to be considered when choosing your pre-competition meal: (1) Timing (2) Amount (3) Composition of meal (4) Physical and emotional stress (5) Individual variation
Time and Amount - Schedule the pre-composition meal 2 to 5 hours prior to the event. This will alow time for food to move out of the stomach. You may want to try eating a fairly light meal 2-3 hours before competition or a large meal 4-5 hours prior to competition. Experiment to find the meal pattern that works best for you.
Composition of Meal - The best pre-competition meal is mainly carbohydrate foods with some protein and a small amount of fat. Foods containing carbohydrates empty from the stomach more quickly than foods containing fat and protein.
Physical and Emotional Stress - During periods of physical and emotional stress blood flow to the stomach and small intestine is reduced, slowing the digestive process. Consequently, food eaten before competition may take longer to digest and cause a heavy feeling in the stomach.
Individual Variation - The optimal time, size, and composition of the pre-competition meal will vary considerably from one athlete to another. You need to find a meal pattern that works best for you. However, there are some general recommendations that you follow
Sample Pre-competition Meals
1. Breakfast 2. Lunch 3. Dinner
Fruit juice 1/2 cup Turkey sandwich or small hamburger one Spaghetti w/ tomato sauce 1 cup
Ready - to - eat cereal 1 oz. (no mayonaise)
Skim Milk 1 cup Fruit juice 1/2 cup Skim milk 1 cup
Wheat bread 2 slices Skim milk 1 cup Green salad w/ 2tsp. oil/vinegar dressing
Margarine 2 tsp. Cookies 2 medium French bread roll one
Apple 1 medium Fruit salad 1 cup
After competition and as soon as appetite permits, eat a meal rich in complex carbohydrates to help replinish glycogen stores.The Winning Edge
A series of Handouts for Athletes focusing on the relationship between good nutrition and physical performance
(courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Association of Oswego County)
A lack of water can have drastic effects on your physical performance. Dehydration decreases the amount of oxygen available to your muscles and interferes with your temperature regulating mechanisms. As little as 6% weight loss due to dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion or potentially fatal heat stroke. Take steps to keep your athletic performance top notch by regularly drinking water.
WHEN THE WEATHER IS RELATIVELY COOL:
Two hours before exercise: drink 2 - 2 1/2 cups of water. Also consume plenty of fluid with the pre-competition meal.
15 minutes prior to exercise: drink 1 cup of water
Avoid alcohol and caffeine since they both encourage water loss through the urine
Periodically check the color of your urine. A clear, light yellow, odorless urine indicates that you are drinking enough liquids. Dark color and infrequent urination are clues that more fluids need to be consumed. These signs are not reliable if certain medications or excessive vitamin/mineral supplements are used since these substances can accumulate in the urine.
Drink plain water. Sport drinks, which contain carbohydrates and electrolytes are only needed if you engage in intense endurance exercise for more than 60-90 minutes.
Drink after the event. Fruit juice and lowfat milk are excellent choices to replace fluid and electrolyte losses.
WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT AND HUMID follow the above recommendations, plus:
Do not rely on thrist. Force yourself to drink, even if you don't feel thirsty, when it is warm.
Use a drinking schedule. Drink 1/2 - 1 cup of fluid every 15-20 minutes of exercise.
Monitor fluid losses through changes in body weight. Weigh yourself (nude) before and after practice or competition. Drink two cups of water for each pound lost.
Do not use salt tablets. The small amount of sodium lost through normal practices or competition is easily replaced by common foods. Salt tablets inhibit the body's ability to absorb water. However, if you are participating in two - a - day drills in hot and humid weather, you may want to lightly salt your food (1-2 shakes).
Do not take potassium supplements without a physician's approval. High levels of potassium may lead to irregular heart beats and/or kidney damage. Eating four or five servings of fruits and vegetables will provide more than enough potassium to replace that lost in sweat.
USYSA & USFF Memorandum of
Understanding
June 3, 1995
Whereas, U.S. Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) is responsible for the enhancement and promotion of soccer for youth players in the United States. and
Whereas, U.S. Futsal Federation (USFF) is recognized as the National Governing Body for the FIFA recognized sport of FUTSAL (five a side). and
Whereas, State Youth Soccer Associations are responsible for the enhancement and promotion of soccer players in their respective State Association. and
Whereas, Futsal State Associations are responsible for the enhancement and promotion of Futsal in their respective State Associations. and
- Whereas, a close organizational alliance between USFF and the USYSA can significantly
develop Futsal in all States.
THEREFORE:
- The respective State Youth Soccer Associations shall recognize the respective State Futsal Association as the only organization with the responsibility to develop and promote all aspects of Futsal within their State, under their umbrella.
- State Futsal Associations are autonomous association, affiliated to USFF, responsible for all aspects of Futsal, and will develop programs in accordance with the By-Laws of USFF and the respective State Youth Soccer Associations.
1. Organizational Considerations
The governing board of the State Futsal Associations shall consist of:
President
2 Vice Presidents
Executive Treasurer
Executive Secretary
State Youth Soccer Representative
Referee Representative
Coach Representative
League Representative/District Representative
Other members as determined by State Futsal Constitution and By-Laws
This organization will have the full and final authority to develop policies, procedures and programs to develop all aspects of Futsal in their State
2. Program Considerations(a) State Futsal Associations, under the umbrella of the State Youth Associations, or the State Soccer Association where both amateur and youth play are governed by a single State Association, shall be responsible to carry out the policies, procedures and programs of U.S. Futsal
(b) U.S. Futsal shall configure its State Associations to conform with the boundaries of the U.S. Soccer National State Associations.
(c) In case of disputes between the two State Associations (Futsal & Youth), the first body of arbitration shall be the Board of the State Youth Soccer Association.
(d) State Youth Soccer Association players shall be players registered for all non-Futsal soccer play. State Futsal Association players shall be players registered for Futsal play. Players may play either outdoor or Futsal or both.
(e) Suspended players from State Youth Soccer Associations (more than 4 weeks), may not play in State Futsal Association teams, and suspended players from State Futsal Association may not play in State Youth Soccer Association teams.HOWEVER:
(a) State Futsal Association will register player for Futsal play.
(b) National State Youth Soccer Association will register players for state youth soccer play.
(c) U.S. Futsal referees will be used for Futsal games.
(d) U.S. Soccer referees will be used for state youth soccer play.
(e) To the extent possible registration procedures will be established to avoid duplicate collection of insurance fees from players registered with both State Futsal Association and the National State Youth Soccer Association. Actual registration procedures will be determined by the individual states, pursuant to guidelines established by the U.S. Youth Soccer Association and the U.S. Futsal Federation.3. It is the intention of USYSA and USFF to encourage changing the appropriate State Association Constitution and By-Laws as soon as possible so that the President of each State Association will be a member of the others BOD.
This agreement is the full and complete agreement between United States Soccer Association (USYSA) and the United States Futsal Federation (USFF).
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