The importance of 2v2 futsal practices for player development in football

Practice | Activities | Mike Skubala | 26.08.2021 

Former England futsal head coach, Mike Skubala, explains why 2v2 futsal practices can help make football and futsal players more effective. Image credit: Barcroft media.

Learning: 

-        Why 2v2 is a ‘threshold concept’ in both futsal and football

-          Why there is ‘no such thing as a 1v1’ in futsal or football

-          The importance of ‘the game within the game’ in 11v11 football

Learning how to be successful in 2v2 attacking and defending scenarios is key to player development in both football and futsal, says former England futsal head coach, Mike Skubala.

“In any invasion game you have to be good at an individual tactic, a pairs tactic and a threes tactic,” explains Skubala who was England futsal head coach between 2016 – 2021.

“You can argue that before you can be a world class player, you have to be good at these things. And the more of these things that you can be good at the better player you could be.”

Skubala’s futsal player development pyramid (below) outlines his beliefs on how individual and small-unit work should be prioritised in club and international football and 2v2s are key to his thinking.

“I think the ‘sweet spot’ that futsal gives back to football, but also makes futsal players better, is 2v2 and then touches 3v3,” explains Skubala, who was Head of football and futsal at Loughborough University before leading England’s futsal programme.