Futsal uses 10 core skills   

Five of them focus on attacking and five of them focus on defending. If players don’t master these skills, it’s harder for them to play the game.  

Futsal’s defensive core skills are:  

• marking 
• pressing 
• intercepting 
• challenging 
• covering/recovering. 

To see these in action, watch the video below.   

To help your players improve their game, here are some handy tips for each skill.  

Marking 

1. Encourage players to position themselves so they can see the ball and their opponent. They should also try to protect the middle of the court. 

2. Encourage players to track their opponents and position themselves between their opponents and the goal. They may need to use their arms to help them do this. 

Pressing 

1. Encourage your players to get low. This makes it easier for them to change direction quickly.  

2. Encourage your players to be ‘tough to beat’. This helps stop the other team playing forwards. A great tactic is to press in a way which forces the opponent to use their weaker foot. 

Intercepting 

1. Encourage your players to keep looking at the ball – and their opponent. This will help them decide when to pounce. 

2. Encourage your players to get their body across the attacker. Using their arms can help. 

Challenging 

1. Give players the opportunity to practice challenging with their front foot and their back foot. 

2. If your player is chasing an opponent, encourage them to match their stride and step across their path. 

Covering/recovering 

1. Explain that marking an opponent ‘loosely’ can make it easier for players to cover their teammate if needed. 

2. Encourage your players to consider how much pressure is on the ball. For example, if their teammate is pressing hard and in control of the attacker, they need less cover. 

Let's move on to the next part to see how we master these skills and become a skilful futsal player.