Men playing futsal for their countries, Argentina (white) and Brazil (yellow).
Futsal is a sport that is like association football. It is played on indoor courts by two teams with five players each. Its name is short for futebol de salao, which means 'room football' in the Portuguese language, or fútbol de sala, which is the same in the Spanish language. Futsal is most popular in South American countries, like Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. However, it is also played in many other countries.
The pitch is between 38 and 42 metres long and between 20 and 25 metres wide. This is shorter and narrower than football. The pitch is man-made and smooth, unlike grass in football. The halves of the game are both twenty minutes long, shorter than the usual 45 minutes in football. Players who break the rules can get yellow or red cards.
A man from Uruguay called Juan Carlos Ceriani made the game in 1930. The rules were made in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A World Championship was held in 1971 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first Futsal World Cup was in 1989 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Since 1992 there has been a World Cup every four years. Brazil has won four, Spain the other two. In the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, futsal has been played for the first time.
This page was last changed on 8 May 2018, at 23:20.