Elkhorn Soccer Club 2012/2013 Futsal Leagues

The Elkhorn Soccer Club will be hosting another season of futsal for U8-U11 teams. Games will be played in Elkhorn at the Elkhorn Cafetorium on Saturdays.

Session I

Schedule

November 3 - December 8
No games will be played on November 24.
Cost per team: $200.00
Deadline to register: October 15
Schedules will be posted by October 25.

Session II

January 12 - February 23
No games will be played January 26.
Cost per team: $250.00
Deadline to register: December 17
Schedules will be posted by January 7.

Save $50.00 by registering for both sessions now!

Individual player registrations are not accepted for futsal. If your child is interested in playing futsal but their current team is not participating contact some of their friends and start your own futsal team! Seven to eight players is all you need!

What is Futsal?
Futsal is FIFA's official indoor soccer game which is a scaled down version of outdoor soccer played indoors. It is played on a smaller field with a smaller low-bounce ball. This special ball forces players to use their skills rather than the ball’s bounce to propel it. Futsal is played with touchline boundaries instead of walls. This is the game that soccer players around the globe play when they are indoors to practice and maintain their control skills and touch.

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Why Futsal?

The mode and method for children's play has changed substantially. The sandlot and playgrounds which allowed for free play have been replaced by organized sport associations and leagues which are instead governed by adults. As a result, these leagues reflect what adults believe the game of soccer should be like for kids.

The by-product of this is often overcoaching and the investing of an abundance of money and resources on uniforms. warm-ups, and equipment. There is always the likelihood that parents and coaches become too involved in the game during "the game".

Teaching Futsal to children requires that the information provided to them is appropriate for their maturity level through some means (THE GAME) that makes sense to them. The environment for play must, essentially, meet the needs of players.

Reducing the number of players to 5 per team allows for all of the components that are present in the 11 v. 11 game: the ball, teammates and opponents, realistic pressure, appropriate space, guidelines (rules), direction of play (attacking and defending), and the combination of length and width in the game (team shape), and shooting on goal.

Information from www.futsal.com.

Benefits of Futsal to Player Development

The priority of Futsal is to motivate players in an environment that is conducive to learning.  The more pleasure kids derive from their participation, the more they wish to play and practice on their own. While their instinct to play is natural, their affection and appreciation for soccer must be cultivated.  Futsal is the foundation to such goals because it:

• Allows players to frequently touch the one "toy" on the field, the ball.
• Presents many opportunities to score goals and score goals often.
• Encourages regaining possession of the ball as a productive, fun and rewarding part of the game (defending).
• Maximizes active participation and minimizes inactivity and boredom.
• Provides a well organized playing environment with improvised fields.
• Reflects the philosophy of player development expressed in state and national coaching schools.
• Eliminates complicated rules such as off-sides that may hinder youngsters from "playing".
• Allows the game to be the teacher!

What is developed?

Motor ability: balance, agility, and coordination.

Perception: insight and awareness.

Vision.

Problem solving: choices and decisions.

Physical Fitness.

Psychological domain: fun, enjoyment, and competition.

Learning by discovery, trial and error, playing!!

Developing by Repetition

This is perhaps the single most important aspect over the long term process of developing soccer playing ability. On the playgrounds and sandlots this naturally occurs...No lines, no waiting, participation is maximized!!

Young players recognize differing situations that are constantly repeated. Repitition influences: SKILL required to play the game (dribbling, passing, shooting, etc.). DECISIONS and choices that occur during the game.

Information from www.futsal.com.

The Role of the Coach

In Futsal, the role of the coach is that of a facilitator. The coach sets up the game and the conditions for learning, provides some supervision and allows the game to teach.

The primary objective for youth players is the development of technical skill. This is due, in part, to the nature of children and their willingness to experiment to find their own way to execute technical skill.

Coaches need to ensure that the playing/practicing environment is conducive to development and is favorable for learning to take place. They also need to ensure that the three main areas of the game occur in this environment:

1. When the team is in possession of the ball (attacking).
2. When the team is trying to regain possession of the ball (defending).
3. When the ball changes possession (transition).

Futsal provides a much clearer environment to analyze the match and its components. The coach can observe:

• If players are comfortable and confident playing against an opponent individually (dribbling).
• If players are capable of maintaining possession of the ball both as individuals and as a group.
• If players can create opportunities to score goals both individually and as a group.
• If players are successful at scoring goals.
• If players are composed while trying to regain possession of the ball (defending).
• If players can adapt to the unexpected and adjust their behavior and improvise appropriately.

Information from www.futsal.com.

Rules

Futsal is similar to regular outdoor soccer rules with just a few adjustments. 

Number Of Players

Futsal games are 5v5. Five players on the field consisting of four field players and a keeper.

Substitutions can be made on the fly or during a dead ball situation.

Length of Games

Games are 40 minutes, consisting of two twenty minute halves. There is no real halftime in futsal, players will have about 2 minutes to get a drink and be back on the court ready to play.

Play

During the kick off opposing team must be 5 yards from the ball until the ball is touched. A goal cannot be scored directly from the kickoff.

If the ball hits the ceiling the game is restarted by an indirect kick awarded to the opposing team. The kick is taken from the 2nd penalty mark from the opposing team's offensive half of the field.

When the ball COMPLETELY crosses over the touchline it shall be kicked back into the game. The ball must be stationary on the touchline where it went out of bounds. The players on the opposing team must be at least 5 yards away from the spot of the kick in. Players making the kick in must do so within 4 seconds of possessing the ball.

A goal cannot be scored  directly from a kick in. However, when a kick in is performed and touched by any player including the goalie and it goes into the net, it shall be counted as a goal.

The player taking the kick in must have part of each foot either on the touchline or on the ground outside the touchline. An indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team if this rule is not observed.

When the whole of the ball completely crosses the end line, the goalkeeper, standing within his/her own penalty area, shall only throw it back into play (no drop kick or goal kick) and the ball has to touch any player on the goalkeepers half of the court before it crosses the halfway line of the court.

If the goalkeeper blocks a shot, the goalkeeper must also throw it back into play within four seconds and again, it must touch a player on the goalkeeper's half of the court before it crosses the halfway line. Failure to do so will result in an indirect kick from the 2nd penalty spot.

When a player is taking a free kick, whether direct or indirect, all of the opposing players and the defending wall must be at least 5 yards from the ball and the wall can not moveuntil the ball has been put into play. If a player of the opposing team encroaches within 5 yards of the ball, the free kick will be retaken. 

A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick. Players from the opposing team shall not encroach within 5 yards of the ball until it is in play.

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