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The History of the Game
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 (5v5) played on a smaller field (roughly
basketball court sized) with a smaller (size 3-4) ball. Futsal is
played with touchline boundaries.
There are no walls in
play. This is the game that outdoor soccer players around the globe
play when they are indoors to refine and maintain their control
skills and touch. It is superior to walled soccer in terms of
developing better skills and technique. In traditional American
walled soccer, players regularly whack the ball (and sometimes
their bodies) against the boards which promotes improper technique
and too often rewards errant play. In Futsal, players are constantly
reminded to play the same quality control game that is required for
success in the outdoor game.
Futsal is the only "Official
form of Indoor Soccer" as approved by the Fédération Internationale
de Football Association FIFA. It is played in all the continents of
the world by over 100 countries with 12 million players. Futsal is
normally played on a gymnasium floor, although it can be played on a
variety of surfaces. The game does not require the use of
expensive dasher boards, as do other versions
of indoor soccer, therefore making it a very economical and safe
sport.
Because the sport is a great skill developer,
demanding quick reflexes, fast thinking, pin-point passing, and a
four-second limit on all play restarts it is an exciting game for
children as well as adults.
Great soccer superstars such as
Pele, Zico and Socrates grew up playing the game and credit Futsal
with developing their skills. Futsal is played with a special low
bounce ball, necessitating players to use their ball striking
skills, rather than the ball's bounce, to propel
it. |
Futsal is the new rage in American soccer.
However, as is often the case, the US is just catching on to what
the world already knows. Superior soccer skill is built by
simulating the outdoor game indoors with small sided games and a
smaller ball. World famous clubs such as Ajax have used this
approach for years.
Futsal has been around for over fifty years but
US interest in soccer skill development has only recently focused attention on the training techniques used in
successful soccer powerhouses such as Brazil, Holland, Germany,
France, and Italy. So, Futsal has been around for many years but
interest is just starting to explode in the United States.
