Futsal is the official five-a-side indoor soccer game and the only indoor soccer recognized by FIFA.  Futsal is beginning to take the country by storm as more and more soccer players, coaches, clubs and associations discover the unique and positive qualities of Futsal.  It is a game played around the world as many of today’s world stars began their youth soccer by playing Futsal. The Brazilians attribute their world soccer success to Futsal.  Pele, Zico, Socrates, Ronaldo and Bebeto grew up playing Futsal and credit Futsal with developing their skills.

Futsal is a small-sided game (5v5 including the goalkeepers) played on a small field roughly the size of a basketball court.  The game does not require the use of dasher boards.  It is played with the touchline boundaries with no walls to bang the ball against.  The official ball is a special low bounce ball that is heavier and smaller than an official size 5 soccer ball.  The ball forces a player to use their skill rather than the ball’s bounce to propel it.  It is a complete skill game.  Futsal develops the overall fundamentals of soccer more effectively.  It has been proven that youth players develop quicker reflexes, faster thinking and pinpoint passing.  It is a superior game in terms of establishing players’ touch and technique.

As compared to the American indoor game where a player relies on utilizing the walls, Futsal forces a player to think two or three steps ahead without using the walls.  One touch passing is essential in maintaining ball possession on a smaller surface.  Therefore, an individual’s overall ball handling skills and off the ball movement enhance considerably. When a player gets in trouble with the ball, there is no whacking it off the wall.  Their split second thinking improves automatically as one learns how to maintain possession and distribute the ball quickly. Shots must be more accurate, since a shot off target will not produce a rebound.  More shots are also taken during the course of a game, which will enhance a player’s confidence, by taking on a defender and shooting quickly.  A player does not have as much space or time to dribble with the ball.  Futsal helps to develop tremendous close quarters footwork.

Origin of Futsal

The origin of Futsal can be traced back to Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when Juan Carlos Ceriani devised a five-a-side version of soccer for youth competion in YMCAs. The game is played on basketball-sized courts, both indoors and out without the use of sidewalls.

The term FUTSAL is the international term used for the game. It is derived from the Spanish or Portuguese word for "soccer", FUTbol or FUTebol, and the French or Spanish word for "indoor", SALon or SALa.

The game is frequently referred to as Five-A-Side. Once Ceriani got the ball rolling, Futsal gained rapid popularity throughout South America, particularly in Brazil. The skill developed in this game is visible in the world-famous style the Brazilians display outdoors on the full-sized field. Pele, Zico, Socrates, Bebeto and other Brazilian superstars developed their skill playing Futsal. While Brazil continues to be the Futsal hub of the world, the game is now played, under the auspices of FIFA, all over the world, from Europe to North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia and Oceania.

The first international competition took place in 1965, when Paraguay won the first South American Cup. Six more South American Cups were held through 1979, with Brazil winning all of them. Brazil continued its dominance with a victory in the first Pan American Cup in 1980 and won it again the next time it was played in 1984. A U.S. team took part in the 1984 cup, but finished out of the running.

The first Futsal World Championship conducted under the auspices of FIFUSA (before its members integrated into FIFA in 1989) was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1982, with Brazil finishing in first place. The Brazilians repeated as champions at the second World Championship in 1985 in Spain, but lost in the third World Championship in 1988 in Australia to Paraguay. FIFA took over direct sponsorship of the event in 1989 in Holland and 1992 in Hong Kong. Brazil won both times. The U.S. Futsal (Indoor Team), finished third in 1989 and second in 1992. The highest showing by any team from the United States in a FIFA tournament until the U.S. Womens team won the gold medal in China for outdoor soccer. The Third FIFA World Futsal Championship was held November 24 through December 11, 1996, in Spain. The Fourth FIFA Futsal World Championship was held in Guatemala between November 18 to December 4th, 2000.

Brazilian Futsal Institute offers the most complete Futsal Tours Programs, Futsal Tournaments, Futsal Camps for youth and adult players in the World. Questions? Please contact us at info@brazilfutsal.com