Bench Rebound Futsal

A futsal game with gym benches tipped on their sides along the sidelines as rebound walls: the ball stays in play and players can use the bench for a give-and-go. Students practice passing, controlling rebounds, and reading angles, with lots of playing time.

How to play

1. In each half of the gym, lay two benches on their sides along each sideline, flat side facing in, to form a 25 x 15 yd court with two goals.
2. Four teams of 6: two teams play 4v4 plus goalkeepers on each court. With 25 students, one rotates in as scorekeeper.
3. A ball that hits a bench stays live. Players can use the bench as a teammate for a give-and-go to beat a defender.
4. A goal right after a bench give-and-go counts double. If the ball goes over the end line or through a gap between benches, restart as usual.
5. Play three 5-minute games with 1 minute of rest, switching opponents; take 2 final minutes to discuss which angles work best.

Rules

• No stepping on or jumping over the benches.
• Nobody gets pinned against a bench: no charging or pressing body-to-body against it.
• Goalkeepers stay in their area and cannot use the benches.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student plays in a zone next to the bench where they cannot be guarded.
• Visual impairment: use a ball with a bell and mark the benches with bright tape.
• Lower skill level: the student may stop the rebound with a hand before passing.

Learning goals

• Judge the rebound angle to play a give-and-go off the bench.
• Control balls coming off a rebound.
• Keep play continuous without stoppages for out-of-bounds balls.

Equipment for a class of 25

• futsal balls: 4
• gym benches: 8
• goals: 4
• pinnies (four colors): 24

Teacher tip

Make sure the benches sit firmly and do not slide when hit by a hard shot. This is ideal for classes that keep losing the ball out of bounds, because it multiplies real playing time.

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