Futsal World Cup success boosts interest in national youth futsal championships

By Warren Olson

Women’s futsal hopes to capitalise on the national team’s first-ever qualification for the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup at the nationwide Youth Futsal Championships being held in Wellington.

By beating Fiji 7-1 in August in Honiara, the Futsal Ferns lifted the inaugural OFC Futsal Women’s Nations Cup, booked their place at the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup in the Philippines next year, and moved into the top 20 of the FIFA rankings.

READ MORE: Futsal Ferns beat Fiji to qualify for next year’s FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup >>>>

READ MORE: FIFA world rankings revised for Futsal Ferns and Futsal Whites >>>>

This year, the Futsal Whites reached their first men’s World Cup, competing in Uzbekistan.

The youth champs at the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie from Saturday until next Tuesday feature a mix of federation teams and club sides.

Palmerston North Marist, Auckland City and the Phoenix Academy will join Canterbury Pride, Waikato Rapids, Bay of Plenty Surge, Hawke’s Bay Futsal and Capital for the girls’ U-15, U-17 and U-19 grades.

The Wellington Phoenix will contest the event for the first time with a team in the U-15 grade, as well as entering two boys’ teams.

The Waikato Rapids celebrate winning the 2023 U-15 girls’ title at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre, Wellington. Photo credit: Masanori Udagawa / www.photosport.nz.

Waikato Rapids will be the team to beat after dominating the 2023 tournament, winning the boys’ U-17 and U-15 classes, and the girls’ U-15.

Central Futsal claimed the boys’ U-19, Capital Futsal lifted the girls’ U-19 title, and Auckland City were girls’ U-17 champions.

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Draw and results

You can follow results at the tournament here >>>>

New to futsal?

While many consider futsal to be football’s indoor version, futsal is being increasingly viewed separately, with different skill sets required to the 11-a-side game.

Many top New Zealand footballers began their adventures playing futsal but would now find that speed, ball control skills, and ability are essential attributes for the five-a-side game.

In futsal, a pivot is the equivalent to a No.10, who is able to hold a ball up while looking to link up with teammates making runs.

Those runs inevitably come from the two flankers. Being quick enough to get forward to receive a pass while able to immediately sprint back to defend is exhausting and can make the rolling sub feature a welcome rule for them especially.

*Futsal is fast, exhausting and requires players to develop ball skills. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.*

The rearguard of the court set-up is known as the fixo — in football terms a centre-back. Having a full view of the court, the fixo looks for runs the flankers are making or to see if the pivot is in the clear.

A four-second rule for goalkeeper throws and kick-ins from the sidelines further enhance the speed of games.

Games comprise two 20-minute halves with a stop-clock used when the ball is out of play or the action on the court has stopped. This does not apply to U-15 games which are played on a half court.

Current Football Ferns Macey Fraser, Grace Jale and MacKenzie Barry are among those who played futsal in their youth and there will undoubtedly be many players this weekend who will go on to emulate their success at senior level.