English Schools' Football Association

Pupils from Shenfield parade National Futsal Trophies with Sir Trevor Brooking

School Sport Magazine Article

Words by Mike Naylor at Shenfield High School, members of Chelmsford & Mid Essex Schools’ Football Association.

What do Messi, Xavi, iniesta, Fabregas, Ronaldo and Neymar all have in common? They all played futsal.

Since 2008 Shenfield High School has been on a mission to promote futsal to boys and girls in the school. After initially being invited to a county tournament the sport is now well and truly embedded into the already packed extra-curricular programme. Teams are now run at under 12, under 14 and under 16 level for boys and girls and it seems to be having a good effect on the quality of football being played by all the students involved in any form of football at the school. After a few years of development the school were rewarded with two national titles in 2010, two 5^th placed national finishes and a runners-up medal in 2011.

What is futsal?

Futsal is a variation on 5-a-side football, played indoors using hockey-sized goals and a size four ball with reduced bounce. It is quick and dynamic and places high demands on fitness. The pitch is a similar size to a basketball court and unlike traditional 5-a-side football the players can venture anywhere whilst the ball can be kicked out and overhead height. With players often placed in tight, pressure situations it requires the basics to be well learned and also promotes creativity.

What the teacher thinks (Mike Naylor – Shenfield High School)?

Along with requiring the obvious skills related to football, there are also elements of all invasion games particularly basketball and hockey. At Shenfield, basketball is hugely popular and successful too so I have managed to steal a few ideas from the teachers who specialise in basketball and modify them to suit what we are trying to achieve from futsal ie – disciplined set defences, good spatial awareness, quickness of thought and tact during set plays. I can definitely see why nations such as Spain, Italy Portugal and Brazil favour teaching their young footballers this format before moving on to 11-a-side. The heavier ball allows for closer control and early successful experiences. Additionally, due to the smaller space short, quick passes are required. As there is more pressure on the ball carrier sooner they have less time so when playing 11-a-side the futsal players tend to make their decisions quicker. It is also really useful when teaching lower ability PE groups as the even surface of a sports hall and heavier ball means the starting blocks of developing ball control are more easily achieved.

Although we did ok in the county rounds it was initially seen as just another way of giving the children another extra-curricular experience. Since then though we have stuck with it and put it fully into our football programme and are really reaping the rewards. Making the national finals for two year in a row, firstly with two age groups and then with three,  has really been a source of inspiration as we got to play at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield and last year at the National Futsal Arena in Birmingham. Also, the nationals are not just open to schools, we get to play against futsal specific clubs which I have learned a lot from. Although it is still emerging nationally the level of competition is still high and to make the national finals you have to progress through county and regional qualifiers. To get to a national final in the previous two years, we have had to play between 15 and 20 games in a three tournament period beforehand so the demands are high. However, even if you don’t make it passed the county rounds you can still be guaranteed five or six games – more than it takes to win a county title at 11-a-side and all within a 3 hour period!

I would definitely recommend futsal to any school wanting to develop football in both the curriculum and extra-curricular programme. We are very lucky to have a very proactive County Football Association in the Essex FA but I am sure local competitions could happen at any school with a sports hall.

For more information of getting your school involved in Fustal click here