The sport of futsal is similar to the sport of soccer, but it is normally played indoors and is 5v5. Due to the fact futsal is played in a smaller surface area the focus is on the skill, speed of play, and decision making. For those reasons, futsal is an excellent sport to play to help develop your skills on the soccer pitch and many famous soccer stars credit their skills to futsal including Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Messi, and more.
What are the basic rules of futsal?
The game is played with teams of 5, including the goalkeeper.
There are two halves, lasting 20 minutes each.
The ball is less bouncy, slightly heavier, and smaller than a soccer ball.
When the ball goes out of bounds the clock stops and restarts when play resumes.
The ball must be placed on the line and kicked in. There are no throw-ins.
There are no off-sides.
Substitutions are made on the fly and there are no limits to the number of substitutions you can make.
History of Futsal
Juan Carlos Ceriani, of Uruguay, is credited with the creation of Futsal. He created the five-a-side mini soccer game for youth competitions in the YMCAs. The game quickly gained popularity all over South America, but especially in Brazil. Brazilian soccer players are world-renowned for their ability to move the ball quickly, navigate out of small spaces and take players on 1v1, all skills that are developed in the game of futsal. Although Brazil remains the futsal capital of the world, it is now governed by FIFA and played in every country. The first sanctioned international competition took place in 1965 and currently, there is a FIFA Futsal World Championship every 4 years. The term futsal itself was derived from the Spanish/Portuguese word for soccer and indoor: FUTbol/FUTebol and SALon/SALa. The new word was adopted by U.S. Futsal in 1987. In 1992, Dr. Havelange, then president of FIFA, had the new term put into Article 27 that states "The committee for soccer that is played in reduced areas called Salon Soccer or Five-a-Side, shall from now on be called FUTSAL."
There are 4 positions in futsal:
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper can handle the ball in the penalty box but is also very involved in play outside of the box due to the small size of the playing field. Goalkeepers usually throw the ball, instead of punting, for increased accuracy.
Fixo
The fixo's role is to be the last player in front of the goalkeeper and help in the build-up of the attack. Also, it is very important to maintain possession in this role.
Winger
The winger's role is to be creative and skillful. This position is neither exclusively offensive or defensive. The wingers run up and down the court to assist defensively and also to assist the pivot offensively.
Pivot
The pivot maintains the highest position on the court and is constantly trying to score. This position requires a lot of movement and skillfulness on the ball.
Summary
Futsal is essentially a mini, indoor soccer game of 5v5. Futsal is governed by FIFA and characterized by its players' skills, quick speed of play, and decision making. The positions on the court are generally very fluid and require similar skills to be successful, therefore futsal develops well-rounded players. Ultimately, futsal is a fantastic sport to help youth players develop skill, gain confidence on the ball and increase their speed of play.
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