FUTSAL

'Futsal' is an indoor version of football (soccer). Its name is derived from the Portuguese ''futebol de salão'' and the Spanish ''fútbol sala/de salón'', which can be translated as 'indoor football'.^[1]
Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. In addition each team may have a number of substitutes. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the field is delimited by lines, and not nets or boards that players can use to redirect the ball. Futsal as it is called in many countries is played with a #3 or #4 ball, which is slightly heavier and smaller than the #5 ball used in football.¹
Other forms of indoor football games, which are played by somewhat different rules, exist and may be referred to as indoor football, five-a-side football or indoor soccer. Those games predate the formulation of official (FIFA) rules of futsal. In England, the Portuguese term futebol de salão is used to describe a slightly different sport.
Although the most popular sport in Brazil is football (soccer), Futsal is by far the most widely practiced.

Contents

History of futsal

Rules

Major international competitions

Other Competitions

Africa

Asia

Australia

Europe

North and Central America

Oceania

South America

Intercontinental

See also

External links

References

History of futsal

The development of Salón Futbol or Futebol de Salão now called in many countries futsal can be traced back to 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay, the same year the inaugural World Cup was held in the country. This early form of futbol Sala (futsal) was developed by Juan Carlos Ceriani to be played at YMCAs. Ceriani's game was designed for five players per team, and could be played indoors or outdoors.^[2] AMF - Antecedentes At around the same time, a similar form of football played on basketball courts was being developed in São Paulo, Brazil. These new forms of football were quickly adopted throughout South America.². The Brazilian Confederation of Sport instituted its first official rules for ''futebol de salão'' in 1958.^[3]
The international governing body FIFUSA (Federación Internacional de Fútbol de Salón, ''International Futsal Federation'') was created in 1971 to administer the game, and held its first futsal world championship in São Paulo in 1982. Due to an apparent dispute with FIFA over the administration of ''fútbol'', FIFUSA coined the word ''fut-sal'' in 1985, while the United States Futsal Federation coined the name "Futsal" the same year.
FIFA soon began to administer its own indoor soccer games, creating its own version of the rules and hosting its first FIFA Indoor Soccer World Championship in 1989 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 1992 it was the FIFA Five-a-Side World Championship (Hong Kong) and since 1996 it has been called the FIFA Futsal World Championship (Guatemala).² One of the most remarkable changes was the reduction of the ball weight and increase in ball size (from a handball size to a football size 4), which enabled faster play and, for the first time, scoring goals with the head (though this is still difficult and uncommon).
In 2002, members of PANAFUTSAL (La Confederación Panamericana de Futsal, ''The Pan-American Futsal Confederation'') formed AMF (Asociación Mundial de Fútbol de Salón, ''World Futsal Association''), an international futsal governing body independent of FIFA. Both FIFA and AMF continue to administer the game.
Some professional players start out with futsal to build fundamental skills. Brazilian players Ronaldinho, Robinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Juninho and many more started out playing futsal. In Brazil, the majority of children start out with Futsal rather than association football, as it occurs at a smaller space and the greatest part of the schools in the country doesn't have a field to play traditional association football. There are also some notable players like Falcão who continues to play futsal at the club level.

Rules

As international governing bodies of futsal, FIFA and AMF are responsible for maintaining and promulgating the official rules of their respective versions of futsal. Like football, futsal has 'laws' that define all aspects of the game, including what may be changed to suit local competitions and leagues.

★ FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game

★ AMF Futsal Rules of the Game (in English and Spanish)

★ Key Differences between Futsal and UK-style Five-a-side football

Major international competitions

1971 - 2002 : FIFUSA World Futsal Championships

★ 1982 in São Paulo, Brazil. Winner: Brazil. Runner-Up: Paraguay.

★ 1985 in Madrid, Spain. Winner: Brazil. Runner-Up: Spain.

★ 1988 in Australia. Winner: Paraguay. Runner-Up: Brazil.

★ 1991 in Italy. Winner: Portugal. Runner-Up: Paraguay.

★ 1994 in Argentina. Winner: Argentina. Runner-Up: Colombia.

★ 1997 in Mexico. Winner: Venezuela. Runner-Up: Uruguay.

★ 2000 in Bolivia. Winner: Colombia. Runner-Up: Bolivia.
Since 2002 : AMF World Futsal Championships

★ 2003 in Asunción, Paraguay. Winner: Paraguay. Runner-Up: Colombia.

★ 2007 in Mendoza, Argentina. To follow...
Since 1989 : FIFA Futsal World Cups
Main articles: FIFA Futsal World Cup


★ 1989 (in Rotterdam, Netherlands). Winner: Brazil. Runner-Up: Netherlands. 3rd: USA. 4th: Belgium.

★ 1992 (in Hong Kong). Winner: Brazil. Runner-Up: USA. 3rd: Spain. 4th: Iran.

★ 1996 (in Barcelona, Spain). Winner: Brazil. Runner-Up: Spain. 3rd: Russia. 4th: Ukraine.

★ 2000 (in Guatemala City, Guatemala). Winner: Spain. Runner-Up: Brazil. 3rd: Portugal. 4th: Russia.

★ 2004 (in Taiwan). Winner: Spain. Runner-Up: Italy. 3rd: Brazil. 4th: Colombia.
2007 Only: Pan American Games
Main articles: Futsal at the 2007 Pan American Games


★ 2007 (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). It is the first time the sport is played in a Pan American Games mainly because the event is being held in Brazil. Competition will start on July 23rd, 2007. It will not be played in Guadalajara 2011.

Other Competitions

★ Futsal Intercontinental Clubs Cup

Africa

★ African Futsal Championship

★ North African Futsal Cup

Asia

★ AFC Futsal Championship

★ Asian Indoor Games Futsal Championship

★ ASEAN Futsal Championship

Australia

★ CSCA Futsal Championship

Europe

★ UEFA Futsal Championship

★ UEFS Futsal Championship

North and Central America

★ North and Central American Futsal Championship

Oceania

★ Oceanian Futsal Championship

South America

★ South American Futsal Championship

★ Odesur Games

Intercontinental

★ Futsal Mundialito

★ Arab Futsal Championship

See also

★ Futsal in Australia

★ Futsal in Catalonia

★ Futsal in England

★ Futsal in Iran

★ Futsal in Norway

★ Scottish Futsal

★ Futsal in Spain

★ Futsal in Sweden

External links

★ Futsal France (UNCFs)

★ Futsal in Croatia

★ Futsal in Slovenia

★ www.alertadeporte.com - El diario digital del Fútbol Sala (España)(Futsal in Spain)

References

1. Comparison between FUTSAL and SOCCER
2. For a rainy day: A brief history of futsal (see www.futsal.com) or
3. "The History of Futsal"