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Two-player moves in futsal

Tim Bamber
Two-player moves in futsal

Little-known fact: 

In top-level futsal, around 50% of goals involve a two-player move in the build-up. Combining with a teammate can also help a player to keep possession – or provide support if another member of their team is on the ball.  

Clearly, two-player moves are important. How they happen and what they look like depends on the context of your game. Some influencing factors include the location of a player, their teammates and their opposition.  

Examples of two-player moves  

  • Diagonal pass, straight run 

  • Straight pass, diagonal run 

  • Wall pass

  • Lending pass

  • Overlap

  • Screen

  • Block

  • Pass and follow

Note: all two-player moves require your team to be familiar with our attacking and defending core skills.  

How to defend against two-player moves 

As two-player moves often result in a goal, it’s important that your players know how to defend against them. Here are some simple tips that will help your team deal with most moves. 

1. Encourage your players to press their opponent and prevent any forward passes.  

2. When marking or tracking a run, encourage your team to:  

  • position themselves side-on – this makes it easier to move backwards and forwards 
  • identify when their teammates are applying pressure to the ball (and to what extent) 
  • take a step back and put their arm into the chest of the opponent 
  • anticipate when the opposition may make a forward run and remain goal side. 

Ok, so what about three-player moves?

Parents
    1. What stories or 'lies' can you spot a player telling their defender while they have the ball, before the safe pass, which is different to their actions or movement after that first safe pass?
    2. What is the distance like between that first player with the ball and their defender, when they give the safe pass? Could or should they have given it earlier?
    3. After the safe pass, what is the player’s movement like and what are they doing to deceive their defender? Is there an increase or decrease in intensity? Do the change speed or angles of runs? Are there any ‘check’ or ‘double movements’
    4. The player that receives the safe pass. How does the positioning and distance to their defender influence their choice or options? Could they have also played a (parallel/diagonal/lending/overlap/pass and follow?)
    5. What was the context of the wider unit and team – 4 or 5 players that led to this option? Would another option (parallel/diagonal/lending/overlap/pass and follow) have worked?
    6. How was the communication between the two players? With all of the lies and deception from Player 1 – did they ever fool Player 2? What ways can they communicate where that second pass and run might end up?
    7. Football – a game within a game. Where, when and why might some of these combinations be appropriate, or not, on a football pitch of 11 v 11 (or your youth team context eg 7v7?)
  • in reply to Matthew Fejos - Futsal coach mentor

    In the parallel pass example at the top Doug Reed waits for his defender to engage and step towards him, this has the effect of  drawing a second defender to cover opening the safe pass even more.

  • in reply to David Edmondson

    He then plays the safe pass, the second defender goes to close the safe pass receiver opening space to run into and Doug runs away from the space then cuts in. The defender with Doug now decides to cover his team mate leaving Doug open to receive. 

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