FIFA, the worldwide governing body for soccer, officially sanctions two games for competitive play world wide . . . the traditional outdoor game is sanctioned in the United States by the youth, amateur and professional organizations within USSF . . . and the international 5-a-side game of Futsal® is sanctioned here in the United States by USFF, an equal partner with the other organizations which make up the United States Soccer Federation. The laws of the outdoor game and of Futsal® are the only two published on the FIFA web site at http://www.fifa.com.

The origin of Futsal® can be traced to Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when Juan Carlos Ceriani devised a five-a-side version of soccer for youth competion in YMCAs. The game is played on basketball-sized courts, both indoors and out without the use of sidewalls. Futsal® uses small goals, a special low bounce ball and a combination of soccer and basketball rules to create a very fast, skill oriented game that is both fun and a challenge to play. Many Futsal® rules have been adopted by FIFA for use in the 11 a side outdoor game including the goalkeeper 6 second and the goalkeeper pass back rules.

The term Futsal® is the international term used for the game. It is derived from the Spanish or Portuguese word for "soccer", FUTbol or FUTebol, and the French or Spanish word for "indoor", SALon or SALa.

The game is frequently referred to as Five-A-Side. Once Ceriani got the ball rolling, Futsal® gained rapid popularity throughout South America, particularly in Brazil. The skill developed in this game is visible in the world-famous style the Brazilians display outdoors on the full-sized field. Pele, Zico, Socrates, Bebeto and other Brazilian superstars developed their skill playing Futsal®. While Brazil continues to be the Futsal® hub of the world, the game is now played, under the auspices of FIFA, all over the world, from Europe to North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia and Oceania.

The first international competition took place in 1965, when Paraguay won the first South American Cup. Six more South American Cups were held through 1979, with Brazil winning all of them. Brazil continued its dominance with a victory in the first Pan American Cup in 1980 and won it again the next time it was played in 1984. A U.S. team took part in the 1984 cup, but finished out of the running.

The game is the only game youth players in many countries, including Brazil, play until they are 13 or 14 years of age. The game offers the speed of fast break basketball, requires and teaches players to play under almost constant pressure, requires and helps teach players to master advanced possession techniques not required in indoor soccer with walls, and requires mastering and learning more advanced game concepts required to play faster and at a higher level. Statistically compared to other forms of indoor soccer, the Futsal® game offers 210% more touches in the same amount of time, with an injury rate that is a fraction of the rate reported for the game with dasher boards.

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