Whether you’re totally new to the site and looking where to start, or whether you’re an old-hand just wanting to brush up on the classics, here’s all our best content gathered lovingly together in one place.
Take a look, browse a while and get in touch if you think there’s something that we really should have covered that we haven’t already.
WHY WE LOVE 5-A-SIDE
As you might expect, round here we love 5-a-side. Why? Well, these posts pretty much sum it up. The evidence speaks for its self.
IMPROVING YOUR 5-A-SIDE
Whether you’re playing competitively, or just for fun, everyone is capable of improving their game. This site has dedicated a huge number of posts to helping you improve, but if you want one single ‘essential reading’ post to put you on the road to small-sided football domination, this is the one:
After that, there are some other things that will really help:
- 5-a-side Defending: The Ultimate Guide
- Positioning for Football – A Game Played Sideways
- Successful Free-Kicks: A Guide
- How to Play Against a Better Team
If Futsal is the format you play, then you must check out:
- 25 Simple Futsal Strategies You Must Know
- Top 10 Futsal Tips – The Essentials
- Séan Garnier: How to Improve your Futsal
TACTICS
No team is ever going to be very good without a playing system. It’s not about having complex methods or hauling tactics boards along to your weekly kickabouts. But it is about having an idea of how you want to play and basic organisation – that alone will make you a huge difference to your success.
We’ve covered the following small-sided formations:
SKILLS
How to make sure that you have all the silky skills you need to succeed:
- The Truth About Skills for Football
- The Essential Sole-Skills Workout – 15 Minutes to Dramatically Transform Your Game (X)
- Creative Skills for 5-a-side players
- The Two-Touch Dribble
- The Dummy Pass or Shot
POSITIONS – AND GOALKEEPING
Hopefully you’ve got some idea of where you should be playing, but if not we’ve got a guide to work out where you’ll fit best. If you’re a goalkeeper, make sure you read our goalkeeper guide – it will make a huge difference.
- 5-a-side positions: Find Your Best Spot
- The Ultimate 5-a-side Goalkeeping Guide (X)
- Power-up Your Team’s Attack Using a Pivot
- The Last Man – A Vital Defending Strategy
FITNESS AND INJURIES
If you want to play football well, then you’ve got to get fit. How fit? Find out here:
It’s one thing getting fit, but staying fit is another. Here’s a few things you need to know about keeping that body of yours in working condition for football:
- How to stay injury free for football
- The Footballer’s Guide to Knee Injuries (X)
- How to Warm-Up Before 5-a-side
- How to do a Cool-Down After a Game
- 11 Tips to Stop Aching after A Game
- Treat Injuries with RICE
DIET AND SLEEP
All-round wellbeing, and footballing performance is built on a foundation of looking after yourself properly. That’s why it’s important that you eat and drink well, making sure that you’re providing the right fuel for your game. And do you realise how important getting the right amount of sleep is?
- The Football Player’s Diet
- What to Eat Before Football (X)
- Perfect Refuelling: What to Eat After a Game
- Sports Drinks For Football – What Should You be Drinking?
- How to Make Your Own Isotonic Sports Drink
- The Incredible Power of Sleep for Sports
GETTING YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME
This is X-Factor stuff. No, it’s not going to win you a TV singing contest. It’s going to give you that little bit extra on the field – well worth a delve inside your own mind with these posts.
- Control Your Anger and Enjoy Your Football (X)
- Positive Thinking – Sport’s Game Changer
- 10 Tips for Positive Thinking
- Warm Up Your Mind for Football
- Interview With Dan Abrahams – Sports Psychologist
EQUIPMENT
Make sure that you’ve got the right gear for your preferred format of the game.
- The 5-a-side Football Boots Guide (X)
- Cheap Football Bibs – Any Good?
- What to Wear for 5-a-side
- How To Improve Grip & Traction on Sports Shoes
ORGANISING IT
A lot of frustration comes from the organisational aspects of the game, from not having enough players, to having to play with people who get on your nerves. Here’s the most common problems addressed:
- How to Find Local Football Players
- When 5-a-side Stops Being Fun – The 5-a-side Doctor
- The Worst 5-a-side Rules
OTHER STUFF REALLY WORTH A READ – JUST A BIT OF FUN
A mixed bag of great content: