Beach soccer: How it's played and how to bet on it
Beach soccer is a seasonal sport. Obviously, in the cold and in the snow, no one can play soccer on the sand. Holding indoor beach soccer tournaments is always a special occasion. Turning it into a system is quite expensive. You can play all year round only in countries where the climate allows.
In European competitions, there is no separate category for away and home matches, as in regular soccer. The Champions Cup was held at the beginning of the summer in Portugal. In only ten days the strongest beach soccer club in Europe was determined. It was the Portuguese Braga, who beat Crystal from St. Petersburg in the final.
Beach soccer has only recently officially joined the soccer family. The first World Cup under the supervision of FIFA took place only in 2011. This championship was won by the Russian national team. Until the era of great attention from FIFA, the Brazilian national team dominated international soccer and, in many ways, still do. The Brazilians surrendered their crown for a short team, as Russia won in 2011 and 2013, and Portugal in 2015. However, in the most recent competition in 2017, Brazil again finished as World Champions.
So far, beach soccer still cannot be considered a serious sport. Classic soccer or futsal both have long playing seasons, allowing players to have permanent contracts. Beach soccer, however, is not yet able to offer massive professional contracts and likely will not be for several years to come.
Types of betting on beach soccer
There are no draws in the beach soccer. Or rather, the main time may end in a draw, but in this case, overtime is played, and then a series of penalties to break the tie. A similar system is used in hockey. Another characteristic shared with hockey - three-game segments. In beach soccer, there are three halves of 12 minutes each. Only time spent playing is counted. During big pauses (injury, free kick) the stopwatch stops. If the ball flies off the field, time keeps going. Classic odds on the winner or head start can be taken throughout the match and for each game segment.
In beach soccer, gameplay performance is higher than in professional soccer. Though with the development of the game, a huge score is becoming less and less common. The level and class of the players are growing, evening the teams and lessening the opportunity to score bundles of goals in every game. Betting on beach soccer outside the classic trio is highly dependent on the tournament. Statistical indicators or the ability to bet on the goal scorer appear only in major competitions.
How to make the best bets on beach soccer
Club beach soccer and beach soccer teams are very different from each other. It is important for each player to study the starting line-ups of the teams. At the level of national teams, the rotation of the squads is not great. Leading players have been playing for their country for a long time, so splitting the division into top teams, midfielders and underdogs is clear. You can trace the dynamics of the change in results.
At the level of club soccer, there is a great turnover of personnel. Even within one summer season, the squad may be at a completely different stage. One summer the club has money and he has invited skilled players, and the next summer there is no funding meaning completely different players will play. You should be cautious when watching the teams’ games over multiple seasons, as you could very well be watching a completely different squad.
The playing field for beach soccer is very compact. The goal threat comes from every point. Any player can strike accurately, including the goalkeeper. Sand creates an uneven surface, to build passing combinations through the playing surface is impossible. Most often, players pass the ball on horseback, use throws and long-range passes. This style of play produces a lot of beautiful moments and strokes after acrobatic jumps.
Thanks to the compact size of the field, even a player in a defensive position or goalkeeper can come up with a goal at any moment. One successful shot, one accidental rebound from the sand - and the ball flies into the net. In beach soccer, teams can score several goals in one minute. Relaxation and complacency here can be quickly punished.
