It’s certainly not 5-a-sides … it’s far more tactical and technical than that
New Scotland boss for growing sport
results we’ve had and being in pot four to topping the group.
“That’s where we are at the moment in the sport but we have been making improvements and credit to the guys for that.
“It’s a bit of a challenge because we are not traditionally a Futsal nation. We are picking up this sport and trying to roll with it at the moment.
“But we’ve made small steps forward and the guys did well at the last Home Nations Championships to improve on the result of the previous years.
“We are still a million miles away from where other nations are but it’s exciting and a chance to develop the game.
“Hopefully, I can continue that improvement for years to come.”
Chaplain may work out of Hampden but don’t expect to see him leading his side on to the hallowed turf at the national stadium.
For those not familiar with it, Futsal is a modified version of the beautiful game, played indoors on a court rather than a pitch and features teams of five instead of the standard 11-a-side format.
At first glance, you might compare it to five-a-side football but that would be folly.
Chaplain stressed: “People who have experienced Futsal for a very long time would take offence to people calling it that – and I would agree. It’s certainly not five-a-side.
“It’s far more tactical and far more technical than that.
“You have got control of the ball at all times and you can move and roll it, whereas in football you are told to control out of your feet and play it into space.”
Futsal is hugely popular in South America, Spain and Portugal and has been played competitively within FIFA for the best part of 30 years. But only now do Scotland have a structure in place to take the sport seriously.
“We’ve had regional leagues for the last two or three years, but now we have a Superleague every Sunday where the top 10 teams in the country play on international court sizes.
“That will make a major difference,” said Chaplain, who holds the top Futsal coaching badges, as well as a UEFA B Licence and UEFA Elite Youth A Licence.
“The good thing is everyone in the team is playing Futsal. Two or three years ago not everyone was, some were just playing football and getting selected because we felt they were good enough footballers to come in.
“Now everyone is playing Futsal regularly in some capacity. Some are still combining both, like Craig McLeish at Albion Rovers, which is fine, but we are now at a stage where we have a good base of players. That now needs to be developed and I think we are on the right path to do that.”
Scotland’s bid to make strides in Futsal coincides with the sport being attached to Project Brave, the SFA’s blueprint for youth development in football.
The skill set required in Futsal can help improve close control and Chaplain reckons it can also improve Scotland’s fortunes in football.
He added: “If I played Futsal from youth level growing up, it would have helped me and I believe playing from a young age will help players develop.
“Futsal is definitely a development tool to help players get better.
“We want to establish a national team and the next step for the governing body is to work with our partners and have a look at younger players getting involved in the game.
“It gives them the opportunity to progress in Futsal if they want to and, if not, then you ask if it can supplement our development in football, which it undoubtedly can.”