Developing talent identification and scouting for beach soccer and futsal

 

What to look for in specific positions

In beach soccer and in futsal, each and every position has their unique physical and technical skills.

 

Defensive players, most commonly referred to as ’Fixos’, are players that have a stronger skillset at winning the ball in 50/50 and 1v1 situations. 

 

Technically, they are players that have tight ball control and are very precise, accurate short and long-range passing. Tactically, they are often part of the initial play making and must have good vision, knowledge of the rhythm of the game and also move in transitions of play.

 

Midfield players, most commonly referred to as ’Alas’, are players who usually have a good level of transitional speed and endurance as they move the most freely on the court.

 

Technically, these players often have quick ball control with several parts of their feet depending on the surface (court/sand). In beach soccer, these players are often aerial and can move with the ball on their thigh and can score with volleys and even bicycle kicks.

 

Forward players, most commonly referred to as ’Pivos’, are players that execute finishing and are focused on finding the back of the net.

 

A solid Pivo is a player who has extremely good foot skills, can hold a ball close to their body and manipulate that ball to score or to combine an attacking play. A player in this position has explosive speed and maintains strength to beat defensive players.

 

Goalkeepers are essential in both modalities, setting the initial rhythm and able to  assist with the start of plays. They must have quick reactions, a presence of strength and confidence, exceptionally accurate distribution with feet and hands, and they are often an important line of defence.

 

Overall, important features for any position within these modalities is maintaining a high level of strength and physical fitness as well as good technical control. Since they are both considered small-sided games, each player must be able to move fluidly and at ease and will often be in positions required to attack and defend in certain phases of the game.

 

How culture and confidence impact talent recognition in girls and how coaches can mitigate against this

Culture and confidence can have major impacts on talent recognition because it is often the player’s mental state in performance that can be difficult to truly ID players.

 

Coaches can help to mitigate against this by doing mental training with their players in order to ingrain this as part of their football culture.

 

Using data and tech in female talent ID

Technology in football is currently widely used and will continue to be so. There are different forms of tracking devices for movement patterns, tactical awareness and video analysis in beach soccer and futsal. Technology helps to track development over time to see development and growth.

 

The most common challenges with data and tech are cost and accessibility. There are multiple other tools that can be used at the grassroots level, including smart phones, partnering with local universities in their sport science department, and keeping player evaluations as a means to monitor their development over time.

 

 

Beach soccer and futsal are both growing and evolving modalities of football; they are more than just off-season gap-fillers in football, they are a haven for some amazing female footballers. For scouts in futsal and beach soccer, they must go beyond traditional frameworks, these formats unlock deeper insights into a player’s technical skill, adaptability, intelligence, and resilience.

 

By embracing these non-traditional modalities, reducing bias, and building inclusive long-term frameworks, we can ensure that the next generation of female stars in beach soccer and in futsal will be found!