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.
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.
