subject: All of the Variations on Futsal [print this page] There are many different types of indoor soccer.
Futsal is the only indoor soccer variant that is approved by FIFA, the Internation Federation of Football. You play it indoors on a hard field with a smaller, hard ball. The field does not have any walls, and is very similar to a basketball court.
Five players are on the arena at a time, counting the goalie. Unlimited substitutions are allowed, which means players go all-out for their full shift before they get off the court.
The game is very fast-paced, and to do well, you must be an impressive short passer. Short passes and give-and-go's are vital to this game. Beating players one on one can work as well, but more points are scored from passing combinations down the arena.
Because the ball doesn't bounce and is harder than a normal soccer ball, it stays close to the ground for pretty much the entire game until somebody shoots it.
Futsal is a great game, and because it is sanctioned by FIFA, there are lots of tournaments and competitions for futsal.
North American indoor soccer is very distinct from futsal. Firstly, it is typically played on turf rather than a hard surface. Additionally, it's played with a regular ball. These two work together to make it much more like outdoor soccer than futsal is.
The arena is typically bigger than a futsal field, and more importantly, there are walls on the sides of the field. You can play the ball off of these walls, which adds a whole new dimension to the game.
North American indoor soccer, while still focused on passing, also has more dribbling, especially on the sidelines. Because defenders cannot force the strikers out of bounds (because of the walls), the attackers are more likely to attempt to dribble past their defender.
North American indoor soccer adds a whole new part to the game, which includes lots of new strategy as well. It is interesting to some people and not others, so go watch a game before you sign up!
European indoor soccer is very similar to North American, so this is a shorter part.
European indoor soccer fields are basically the same as North American indoor soccer arenas. The difference is that in European indoor soccer, a futsal ball is used instead of an outdoor ball. This creates an interesting dynamic where you pass more than in North American indoor soccer, since the ball is harder to dribble.
If you live in Europe, you should check this type out, it's very interesting!
