Futnet: The Secret to Better Soccer Skills

Put up a tennis net in the middle of soccer training, and something magical happens. Suddenly, kids lose their inhibitions to try volleying, heading, and one touch passes in the air. Trying out new skills becomes fun, and players get creative. Check out one JOÜK session here:

 
 
 

To learn how futnet—a sport combining soccer and tennis—can benefit your child’s soccer skills, read on:

FUTNET

What it is: 

The oldest version of Soccer + Tennis is probably South Korea’s Jogku, a sport that may have started 1,300 years ago. In modern times, official futnet was born around 1920—created by a professional soccer team in Prague, Czechia, who realized volleying a ball over a rope was great training.

Today, futnet is an official sport, with international teams, and a world championship (still dominated by Eastern European teams.)

It’s also used by professional soccer teams to train and take a fun break together.

See Jogku on the left, and FC Bayern using futnet to train, on the right.

 

How it’s played: 

Similar to tennis, 1, 2, or even 3 players on each side of a court volley a ball over a net (just, of course, it’s a soccer ball, not a tennis ball).

Only one bounce is allowed before the ball must be returned. One touch no-bounce returns are also permitted.

Since players hit the ball with their feet, legs, chest, and head, futnet has great training benefits for youth soccer players. It can help them level up from beginners who can only move the ball on the ground, to become experts at dominating the ball in the air.

BENEFIT #1: Controlling the ball in the air — In a limited space

Defenders, midfielders and strikers alike need to be able to control the ball when it’s coming from the air, whether that’s on a corner kick, or from a teammate’s pass. True control means you know both how to hit a ball from the air with force, and with finesse, to send it to the exact right place.

In futnet, players must constantly:

  • Judge the speed and path of an incoming ball, and

  • Moderate their force to either smash it over the net with a powerful volley, or send it to a teammate gently (but accurately).

This practice deciding what to do with the ball—and adjusting their movements to achieve it—is extremely useful for youth soccer players.

It can enable them to score great goals from the air like Roberto Carlos below left, and do tricky moves like the “chapéu” below right. (A chapéu or sombrero is sending the ball up over your own head and running past a defender to regain it.)

(In the video below right, check out how Brazilian player Richarlison controls the ball so tightly that he’s able to follow a “chapéu” with a “nutmeg” between the defenders’ legs right after.)

 

BENEFIT #2: Mental focus and decision making

Futnet requires quick thinking. A player gets the ball every few seconds, instead of every few minutes like in regular soccer.

Each time, players must communicate with their teammates, judge their position, and be ready to quickly receive and send the ball. They have to make instant one touch passes. They are making decision after decision and reading the situation over and over. Their brains and proprioception are working overtime!

Decision making is an important part of what marks the difference between a beginner youth player, who only reacts, and an advanced player, who creates a plan for the ball before they receive it.

BENEFIT #3: ACCURATE HEADING

All soccer players need to be able to head a ball to exactly the place they want. But on a big field, kids often just bang a header up the field, without thinking much where it’s going. Futnet is great for building accurate heading, instead. Players must target their headers either to their teammate, or to a spot their opponent can’t reach. They’re in a small space, so they learn to measure their force to keep the ball in bounds. Check out how carefully the Bayern Munich U23 team controls the ball with their heads in the video below. (And, what a beautiful place to practice! Wow.)

 
 
 

BENEFIT #4: FITNESS

Ok, it might not be as insane training as Cristiano Ronaldo hitting Rafael Nadal’s serves back to him with his feet in the video below (level 100 in futnet difficulty, since Ronaldo’s playing with a tennis ball at high speeds and still hitting the ball perfectly each time!)

But, playing futnet against any strong opponent can still be a non-stop cardio workout that will train youth players’ lateral movements, forward and backward speed, and jumping. Especially in 1 v 1 games, players have to cover a lot of space quickly to get to the ball. So, adding futnet to training is more than just a fun activity. It can actually build speed, agility, quickness, and strength.

 
 
 
 

While of course it takes years of intensive practice to be as accurate and lightning-fast as Ronaldo, futnet can be a great training game for any soccer player, from preschoolers up to Champions’ League professionals. It hones ball control, cooperation, concentration, creativity and agility, while providing a lot of fun.

That’s why at JOÜK, not only do we add futnet to training sessions, we have created a whole summer’s worth of futnet sessions! Check out the details below.

 

Come give Futnet a try!

Join JOÜK’s Futnet training, for ages 5 - 9

  • WHEN: FIVE FRIDAYS FROM FROM 5 - 6 PM

    • JUNE 14th KICKOFF DAY: *Come train and get a free JOÜK t-shirt*

    • JUNE: 21st, 28th

    • JULY: 12th

    • AUGUST: 9th (16th for makeup classes due to weather)

  • WHERE: MARX BROTHERS PLAYGROUND (East 96th St. and 2nd Ave.)

  • COST: $100/ 5 sessions

    (Need-based scholarships available, please inquire via email.)

Franziska Renata