3x1 Futsal Formation. The Diamond System.

The 3-1 system or "diamond" is the most widely used system in Futsal due to its good balance between the offense and defense. It is the system responsible for the names of the positions in Futsal. The Fixo, the Alas, and the Pivot. Let's see now why this formation is commonly used by many Futsal clubs.

This system features constant movement and exchanges of positions and functions, mainly by the three lower players, the fixo and the 2 alas, while the Pivot has a more defined function, being almost always in the offensive half-court. This formation provides the width and depth that has been identified as being very important when attacking.

Advantages:

It facilitates 1-1s on the sides of the court

Usually there's clearly a player specialist in defense and one specialist in attack

Good system to attack a 2-2 formation

The team is more compact both offensively and defensively

Disadvantages:

If the Alas are focused only in attacking, it can leave the defense exposed with only 1 defender, the Fixo.

It can also overload the Pivot in case the alas have a defensive focus.

Given the rotations and movements, all players may be required to attack and defend

It offers less counter attack covering

It's important to note that this formation does not require a team to have a specific or fixed Pivot at all times. The idea is to have the lower 3 players rotating and exchanging positions on the "8 diagonal run," which is when the player in the middle passes the ball to the Ala and makes a diagonal run, in front of the player who received the pass, however, at certain times, the pivot will also join the rotation when a b opposite run is implemented, but the shape of a 3-1 will remain the same. In this b shape rotation, the player in the middle passes the ball to the Ala and runs diagonally in the opposite direction, creating a momentaneous b shape. Then if the ball is dribbled back to the middle, the initial Pivot will exchange positions and become an Ala.