The game called futsal was born in 1985, although its origins go back to 1930 when it was invented to allow soccer competitions to take place in YMCAs. The game developed and spread across South America, and more recently across the world. The world football governing body FIFA took control in 1989, and an internationally standardized set of rules was created. The South American AMF – Asociación Mundial de Fútbol de Salón – governs the sport alongside FIFA.
Futsal is, in essence, the same as indoor soccer, or “five a side”. There are however some big differences between futsal, and the usual indoor soccer played by many. In normal five a side soccer, it is perfectly within the laws of the game to bounce the ball off the walls to get past an opponent; the ball is still considered to be in play. There are height restrictions though; the ball usually cannot be kicked above head height, so no headers are allowed.
In futsal, also an indoor game, there are marked goal lines and touchlines. The ball is deemed to be out of play if it crosses these lines, and possession goes to the opposing team. This rule in futsal means that more skill is required in getting past an opponent than simply blasting the ball at the wall and hoping it ricochets to one of your teammates. The height restrictions from other versions of indoor soccer do not apply. In fact, in futsal it is within the rules that the ceiling must be at least 4 metres – or 4 yards – high. It is a free kick to the other team if the ball actually hits the ceiling, but otherwise headers are permitted and high crosses are also perfectly lawful. Both of these differences make futsal a much more applicable training aid for players who are also active in outdoor soccer, as they must still control the ball within the pitch boundaries, and can use their heading skills.
As for the equipment, the biggest difference between futsal and other indoor soccer is the height of the goals. Futsal soccer goals are taller than usual at 2 metres – 2.2 yards – to accommodate the fact that it is allowed in the rules to kick the ball above head height. Other indoor soccer goals are generally only 3 or 4 ft high.
So if you want to play indoor football without limiting the skills you use in the outdoor game, then maybe futsal is the sport to take up!
