Team Tips

A warm ola to all the teams taking part in the showpiece Futsal event of the year, Arabuni Futsal 2008. The Tournament Admin Team would like to provide the teams with every opportunity to perform at their best ability in this master piece competition. The following are small ‘on the day’ and diet tips that will help you enormously on the day.

ADMIN TEAM TIPS

• Be 100% in sync with the Futsal rules on the day; the Arabuni Futsal tournament sets a different standard from other events in that the referees are all current/past members of the NZ National Futsal team and hold the Official Fifa Silver Certified Referee certificate for Futsal refereeing. Therefore take your time in analysing the official fifa Futsal rules which can be found by clicking here. If there are any issues that you would like to be clarified please email our referee co-ordinator on the day Bakr Al-Saudi on b_alsaudi at hotmail.com.
• Teams should be fully kitted up and start making their way down to the entrance tunnel at the half time break of the previous game. In that way we ensure smooth transition between games and more importantly remain on our strict and tight time schedule
• DO NOT waste your time trying to get decision justification from referees. The referees can provide feedback on the decision at a suitable time after the game so long as the dialogue is held in a respectable manner.

DIET AND NUTRTION TIPS
From the fitness side, Futsal differs dramatically from the outdoor game in that it is mostly short sharp sprints with small rests in between. This kind of physical exertion requires three essential elements

1. Full hydration - dehydration causes dizziness and a drop in muscle efficiency by up to 30% which can mean the difference between you or the defender getting to that 50/50 ball. So keep the water bottle full, by your side at all times and sip small amounts all the time.
2. Muscles and the blood stream need to be loaded with carbohydrates (i.e. sugars): for peak performance on the day you would need to eat a dinner full wholegrain carbohydrates like brown bread, brown rice and pasta followed by a carbohydrate rich breakfast eg cereal, toast and fruits. During the tournament many players experience a sudden loss of energy after one or two games, that is due to dehydration and lack of sugar in your blood so it is VITAL that you eat lollies, bananas, muesli bars in between games to maintain your energy level at 100% for all games. Also having a heavy lunch in the middle of tournament is not advisable; rather small regular snacks will supplement your energy needs.
3. Muscles need to be rested i.e. a full night sleep the night before. If you don’t get a full night sleep you will be on the back foot before the first whistle is blown.

FIRST AID AND INJURY PREVENTION

• The most important aspect of injury prevention is to warm up actively before the game and to warm down and stretch immediately after the game. Click on the following PDF link for a thorough visual warm up guide before Futsal games.
• On the day a registered pharmacist with a current first aid certificate will be present so if you have any injury worries from before or during the tournament please seeks his advice. A first aid kit will be present as well as numerous handy medications that a player might need on the day.