WHAT IS FUTSAL?

Futsal is FIFA’s official indoor soccer game which is, essentially, a scaled down version of outdoor soccer played indoors. It is a small-sided game played in a 5 v 5 format (including the goalie) on a court with boundaries (like a basketball court) with a smaller (size 3-4) ball. Futsal is the only “Official form of Indoor Soccer” as approved by FIFA. It is played on all the continents of the world by over 170 countries with 30 million players.  24 countries participated in the 2021 Futsal World Cup in Lithuania. It is the fastest growing indoor sport in the world.

Countless organizations such as FIFA, CONCACAF and UEFA agree that futsal is a brilliant game for teaching the skills that are required to succeed in the outdoor game.  All the major heads of national associations and confederations have declared that futsal “is the way to go… Once you experience Futsal you will see the reasons.”

The surface, ball and rules together favour ball control and passing in small spaces. The game’s “emphasis is on improvisation, creativity and technique”. In countries like Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and Spain, it is normal for young players to grow up playing futsal, and even those that switch to football credit their skills to the small-sided game.

The sport is a great skill developer as it demands quick reflexes, fast thinking, pinpoint passing and handling high-pressure situations.  Great soccer superstars such as Pele, Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Ronaldinho and many others credit futsal with developing their skills.  

They all believed that futsal aided their talent and taught them how to pass and interchange more effectively, which are ultimately the techniques needed for the chance to score.