It is not every day that you come across people playing indoor soccer because of the obvious reasons; it is mostly considered an outdoor sport. Well, in this article, we burst the bubble of this notion to get an overview of the sport. With this variation of soccer gaining more popularity by the day, more and more people are embracing indoor soccer and there is need to shed some light on the sport and what it entails. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to get started on the game.
Master The Rules
First and foremost, you need to learn the ropes. While there isn’t much difference between outdoor soccer and indoor soccer, there are a few rules that you need to master in order to excel at indoor soccer. For instance, the time/duration of the game differs from that of outdoor soccer. Indoor soccer takes 60 minutes with quarterly breaks of 3 minutes in between.
Get The Right Gear
Just like any game, playing indoor soccer require that you get the right gear. Pretty much the same as outdoor soccer, you will need a pair of long socks and shin guards. The only difference comes in the type of shoes. Unlike outdoor soccer cleats, indoor soccer shoes do not have studs at the outsoles. This makes it easier to move about because most indoor soccer fields are made of a different kind of turf. Just like in traditional soccer, inddor soccer shoes may be suited for different type of feet. For example – wide feet, narrow feet, small feet.
Make Use Of The Walls
With indoor soccer, you are playing within the boundaries of walls and you could use this to your advantage. You can lead your opponent away from the goals by cornering them against the walls and leading them further away from their teammates. Additionally, you can use the walls to make nifty passes when your teammates are out of reach and confuse your opponent while at it.
Adapt Speed
This is one of the most important things to consider when playing indoor soccer because of many factors such as space and the number of players. Space because there isn’t much distance to work around so the ball will most likely get back to you sooner than you think. It also means that your opponent is much closer to the goal and any delay will cost you. The number of players is fewer and so; again, the ball will come back to you before you can blink. Therefore, you need to work and think first and fast to have an edge because you have no time to think about what to do with the ball.
Master The Art Of Dribbling
Similar to soccer, you will need to have your swift tricks when challenging your opponent and have control of the ball. This is only possible if you have mastered the art of juggling the ball and making sure that you opponent does not gain possession of the ball until you score.
Use Toe-Kick
In outdoor soccer, for the most part, you use the inside of your foot to kick the ball in order to propel it further because the field is wide. On the contrary, in indoor soccer, using the tip of your toes to kick the ball will give you a more precise shot in the limited space. When receiving the ball, however, Cloutier, a professional indoor soccer player advises that the key to indoor soccer is the sole of the foot and how you receive the ball when it is passed to you.
Communicate
With indoor soccer, it is much easier to communicate with your teammates because of the enclosed space. Communication is a key component in teamwork and so it also applies while playing indoor soccer.
Shoot Whenever You Get The Chance
While with outdoor soccer you will need you some Lionel Messi magic to strike the best shot that will score, indoor soccer gives you way much leeway to score at any time. Any shot in the direction of your opponent’s goal can lead to a score. So anytime you have the chance to shoot, just do it because it could be just the shot you need to outshine your opponent.
Rules are rules and they have to be followed. However, it does not mean that you can’t have fun while at it. Indoor soccer can make for some fun time with friends or family. Also, you can play indoor soccer to polish up your soccer skills to play professionally because both variations of the sport have an advantage over the other giving you an all-around tact and skill to play anywhere under any condition.
