From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Highest governing body | FIFA and AMF |
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First played | 1930 |
Characteristics | |
Contact | Yes |
Team members | Five per side |
Type | Indoor |
Equipment | Futsal ball |
Venue | Futsal pitch |
Presence | |
Olympic | Yes |
Paralympic | Yes |
In Brazil futsal is played by more people than football but does not attract as many spectators as the outdoor sport. Several futsal players have moved on to careers as successful professional football players.
Futsal is a game played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football due to the surface of the pitch. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.