Kicking it into FIFA Futsal

Everything to Know About FIFA Futsal Rules

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

This is everything to know about Fédération Internationale de Football Association or the International Federation of Association Football in English (FIFA) Futsal rules. Many know about the FIFA World Cup, but FIFA Futsal is a unique sport that essentially is indoor soccer. Some of the distinctive rules and regulations regarding this sport includes, game time, fouls, goalkeeper rules and kick-ins.

A futsal game is 40 minutes long, with 20 minute halves. The length of the court ranges from 38 to 42 meters long and 20 to 25 meters wide. Futsal is usually played indoors on a basketball court. If a game is tied at the end there will be two 5 minute overtimes. The clock only runs when the ball is in play creating no stoppage time. Unlike soccer, in futsal there are unlimited substitutions to make sure the game stays at a rapid pace.

“Learning futsal can help you have a better and tighter touch on the ball,” freshman Grant Ulrich said. “Less time and space helps me learn to dribble effectively in a smaller area.”

The biggest difference from soccer is that the play is much more rapid in a futsal match. When the ball goes out of bounds in any way, the team who didn’t touch it last has 4 seconds to put one finger on the ball and kick it back in play. Futsal is a scoring game and there are many opportunities to do so. Free kicks are awarded if a player breaks the 4 second rule or commits 5 fouls in one half. This lets the opposing team get a free shot at goal.

“Learning the rules of futsal are important,” said junior Camille Lily. “It would help me watch the sport and understand the differences between the two sports.” 

While the objective of the sports are the same, futsal is mostly played inside and involves smaller spaces. Learning the rules would significantly improve your experience when watching the game.

“Knowing the rules of futsal would help you enjoy it more because it is a very action-pressed and fast game that has a lot of rules so if you didn’t know them, you would probably get confused about what’s happening and stop watching.” Sophomore Mallory VanLeaven said. 

Whether you like soccer or just enjoy learning about a new sport, futsal is a great way to prepare for the Women's FIFA Futsal World Cup this September. With smaller spaces and quicker game play, futsal helps on every aspect of the field.