Futsal Friday
Two futsal courts, kick-ins, rolling finishers and hardly any coach talk.
One of two futsal courts, a small goal at each end and at least 2 m clear to any wall; kick-ins from the line restart play.
Set up
- Mark two courts side by side with at least 2 m to any wall.
- Put a small goal at each end of each court.
- Keep spare futsal balls in a bag between the courts.
- Split children into 4 teams by random bib draw.
8 to 12 children. Two courts of about 20 m by 12 m (indoor hall or hard court), marked with discs or lines.
How to play
- Play 4v4 (or 3v3 plus a keeper) on each court.
- When the ball goes out, restart with a kick-in: sole it on the line and pass it in within 4 seconds.
- The keeper throws or rolls the ball out, never kicks it high.
- Finishers swap on the fly every 2 minutes at the halfway line, no stopping.
- Every 7 minutes, teams switch courts to face new opponents.
Keeping everyone moving
Two courts at once and rolling finishers swapped on the move. No shoot-outs, no knockouts.
Make it easier
- Allow dribble-ins instead of kick-ins.
- Make the court wider.
Make it harder
- Use sole-only control for the first touch.
- Goals only count after a pass from the kick-in.
Three things to say
- Children using the sole of the foot to control.
- Children moving to create a passing option.
- Children playing quickly in tight spaces.
Words that work: "Brave, taking them on in a tight space!", "Great work getting free!", "Love how you called for it!"
Colts habit
Finishers cheer their team from the halfway line.
Both feet
Kick-ins alternate between feet.
Heads up
Children must look up before every kick-in.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2020 to 2021
- Not the target group. If used, 3v3 with no keepers, and dribble-ins only.
- 2018 to 2019
- 4v4, kick-ins, size 3 ball.
- 2016 to 2017
- 4v4 plus keepers, 4-second kick-ins, size 4 ball.
Safety: Keep courts 2 m from walls. No slide tackles. Check the floor surface and footwear (indoor trainers). No heading: if the ball goes above shoulder height, restart with a kick-in.
Keeping score: Each child counts their own sole touches in a game and tries to beat last week's count.