The name kind of says it all about what five-a-side football is. Yes, it is football but the rules are a bit different, each team can only have five players on the field including the goalkeeper, the pitch is smaller than the one used for regular football and the game duration is also reduced. We all want to be on the winning team side, don’t we? Before you gather the team to play a 5 aside football game you should better take these suggestions into consideration if you want to be sure that you are the team that is going to get the 1st place.
Make a strategy
Sport is a lot about instincts and how well-trained you are but you also need a strong strategy for everyone to know what exactly are the responsibilities they have during the match. If you do not want to keep bumping into each other on the field, each of you should better know where they are placed and what kind of approach should have on the field. You already know that one of you is going to play the goalkeeper role, but remember you also need to decide which one of you will attack and who is going to defend.
Work as a team
There is no place for individualism on the game field, 5 Aside Football is not a single player sport after all. So, remember that you are not the only one playing against the opponent team. You need to be a strong-bounded team in order to make your strategy be efficient and win the game. Good communication and empathy are the success keys to understand what are the next moves of your teammates.
Keep the ball moving
You may not have so many opportunities to shoot the ball at the football gate but this does not mean that you should hold the ball still. Keep it moving, pass it to your teammates until a good opportunity appears. Do not shoot if you know that the chances to score are too low or if you are too far away from the gate, do not shoot. All of you will want to get points for their team and be the hero of the day, but if you do not play smart you might lose the ball and the focus and give the other team the opportunity to score at your gate.
Having a good goalkeeper is crucial
All teams that play at 5 aside football leagues in London know that almost half of the success of the team is represented by a well-trained goalkeeper. Because of the smaller dimension of the pitch, the chances for a goalkeeper to have to block are considerably increased. If you want the other team to have no chance to score at your gate, you need to be sure that your goalkeeper has the set with all the skills required for this type of football.
Respect the referee
You might not always agree with his decisions to punish some of your teammates or even you or you would feel like the referee is favorizing the other team. If you find yourself in such a situation you have to remember that arguing with him or her will only make things worse. If he or she is on the pitch it is because they are authorized to judge and punish whatever happens during the game. Showing how intrigued you are with the decisions of the referee will only mean wasting time and losing the focus because since they have decided you cannot change it with complaining.
Motivation
Phycologists say that if you dream long enough and work hard to achieve your goal you will eventually do. Set your goal to win deep in your mind and follow it until your team is the one rising the trophy. Motivation is the one that will keep you running after the ball even if you feel like your legs are in such pain.
Do not underestimate/overestimate your opponent
This is a mistake that many teams do before a game in order to grow their self-confidence and eventually cost them a lot. Rumors about your opponent team or your personal beliefs have no place in this equation so do not listen to them. You can only know how good is the other team on the field while you start playing. However, overestimation is also a crucial mistake, you can end up in and demotivated team before the game even started and that will make you lose all your concentration and most probably the game too.
Get fit
Since the pitch is smaller than regular you might think that there should be no problem for anyone to play a game there. But no one realizes that this actually means a more intense game because of the constant movements and frequent changing of the direction. So, if you do not want to lose your breath while playing, you should better get fit and come with a lot of energy and a lot of muscle mass to be able to finish the game in good conditions.
Enjoy it
Usually, 5 aside football is played in a very informal way and the competition is not so tough. After all, it is not like you are going to war against the opponent team and it is a life-or -death situation, it is a game that should be enjoyed by both the teams and especially by the spectators that came there to support their favorite team. So, do not forget to have fun. Even if the other team proves to play better than you and is the one that wins remember the importance of fair play in sports and congratulate them with an honest smile. Leave the stress for when you are going to work, this should be about having fun and doing the simple things in the right way will surely bring you the victory.