Futsal facts for kids
Futsal is an exciting team sport. It is a lot like association football, but it's played indoors. Two teams of five players each compete on a hard court. The name "futsal" comes from the Portuguese language phrase futebol de salao or the Spanish language fútbol de sala. Both mean 'room football'. Futsal is very popular in South America, especially in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. People also play it in many other countries around the world.
Contents
Playing Futsal: The Basics
Futsal courts are smaller than outdoor football fields. A court is usually between 38 and 42 metres long. It is also between 20 and 25 metres wide. The playing surface is hard and smooth, not grass.
How Long is a Futsal Game?
A futsal game has two halves. Each half lasts twenty minutes. This is shorter than the 45-minute halves in regular football. The clock stops when the ball goes out of play or there is a foul. This means the actual playing time is often longer.
Players and Substitutions
Each team has five players on the court at one time. This includes the goalkeeper. Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the game. There is no limit to how many times a player can go on and off the court. A team can have up to nine substitute players.
Futsal Rules and Fouls
Just like in football, players can get yellow or red cards for breaking the rules. If a player gets a red card, they must leave the game. Their team then plays with one less player for two minutes. Or, they play with one less player until the other team scores a goal.
There are some big differences from outdoor football. When the ball goes out of bounds, players kick it back into play. They do not throw it in. Also, there is no offside rule in futsal. This makes the game very fast and exciting!
The History of Futsal
Futsal was created in 1930. A teacher from Uruguay named Juan Carlos Ceriani invented the game. He wanted a version of football that could be played indoors. He used ideas from other sports like Basketball and Handball to make the rules. The first official rules were written in 1933 in São Paulo, Brazil.
Futsal World Championships
The first international futsal tournament was held in 1971. It took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The official Futsal World Cup started later. The first FIFA World Cup was in 1989 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Since 1992, the Futsal World Cup has been played every four years. The last one was in 2016.
FIFA Futsal World Cup Winners
Here are the winners of the FIFA Futsal World Cup:
- Netherlands 1989: Brazil
- Hong Kong 1992: Brazil
- Spain 1996: Brazil
- Guatemala 2000: Spain
- Chinese Taipei 2004: Spain
- Brazil 2008: Brazil
- Thailand 2012: Brazil
- Colombia 2016: Argentina
Images for kids
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The Brazil national futsal team line up before a match.
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A futsal arena in Tokyo
See also
In Spanish: Fútbol sala para niños
