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The 4-0 System of Play in Futsal

Small sided soccer training games played in small areas have been played worldwide under many different names for over a century. These games evolved from static games with players assigned positions they couldn't leave to the modern Futsal game with dynamic player exchanges.

Dynamic 4-0 System of Play in Futsal

The 4-0 System, with 4 defenders and no assigned attackers is a dynamic attacking system designed to challenge defenders who must defend against 4 dynamic attacking attacking players who creative exchange positions with each other based on the movements and errors made by their defending opponents.

​The 4-0 System is also an ideal cross training game for teaching players who play in a flat back 4 defense in outdoor soccer. This system teaches these players to dynamically attack out of the back, to look for and to create scoring chances for their team.

Futsal 4-0 System of play with 4 Defenders and no designated Attackers
The 4 Defenders take turns attacking based on
movements and errors made by their opponents.

The dynamic 4-0 features 2, 3 and 4 player exchanges to create 24 different combinations of attacking players working together to create space and opportunities to score. 

​Dynamic Futsal systems are an opponent's defenders worst nightmare because, as defenders, they must instantly anticipate:

• what combinations of attacking players will be attacking, 
• when each attacking player will join the attack, 
• where on the court each attacking player will move,
• who on the attacking team is being set up for the shot,
• why each attacker is moving and where they are moving, and
• how the attackers are going to move to create space and shots on goal.

The dynamic Futsal systems of play have become so successful some professional clubs and Spain's Euro 2012 team have used a 4-6 system with 4 defenders and 6 attacking players in some 11-a-side games.

• The advantage of playing the dynamic 4-6 system is opposing defenders don't really know which of the 6 midfield and front line players will have what roles in each attack, so defending is more difficult.
• The disadvantage of playing the dynamic 4-6 system is needing 6 exceptionally fit, well skilled players who really understand the 4-6 game and who can play at speed.

Futsal 4-0 System Positions of Play

In the Futsal 4-0 System there are 4 defending positions.

• 2 Central Defenders with one playing left of center and one playing right of center, and
• 2 Wing (or Lateral) Defenders, 1 on each side of the court.

In the dynamic Futsal 4-0 System all players, including the Goalkeeper when the team really needs to score, attack when their team has the ball and defend when their opponent's have possession of the ball. All players freely exchange positions with their teammates to fool opponents, create space and generate shots on goal. 

In training, cones can be placed 2 meters in from each sideline to create a lateral line for training.  This creates a wide center area that is 70% to 80% of the width of the court. In practices and training games train players to play wide outside the cones when attacking to spread their opponent's defense and to create a wide open attacking lane in the center of the court. 

In Soccer and Futsal practices and training games adding an extra line with cones or in a different color of paint creates narrow outside lateral lanes that help players learn to play wide and to use the space in the middle of the field as the area for creating space and shots on goal. 

Position names vary by language, country, system of play, player experience and in some cases by player personality. If all 4 players are slow to come back to defend they may be called center defender, left defender, right defender and attacking defender to remind players of their roles when their team does not have the ball.

4-0 Futsal - 24 Creative Exchanges
Futsal 4-0 Instructor Web Pages
Futsal 4-0 Training Web Pages

Instructor Web Pages for coaches, teachers and group leaders are at SoccerGameSense.com

Training Web Pages for coaches, teachers, group leaders and players of all ages and levels are at
SoccerDevelopmentCenter.com

Each training page is a single visual lesson without ads or links. The leader assigns pages to be viewed by posting the links on a website or in emails. Training pages are either:

• Online exercises to improve vision, breathing, decision making speed, game understanding, etc.
• Not with team or class exercises to improve vision, decisions, speed, skills, physical conditioning, etc.
• Practice Improvement Visuals ​- Studies show players who view a visual of what they will do in a practice learn faster and remember longer.​