The origin of Futsal®(Five-a-Side Soccer) dates back to the 1930’s in Uruguay when Juan Carlos Ceriani created a five-a-side game of soccer for a YMCA youth competition. Futsal’s fast action and quick touches with the soccer ball was an immediate hit with the children. The game of Futsal is played on basketball-sized courts and has less rules than a traditional game of soccer and therefore is easier to learn and lots of fun for all skill levels.
The word FUTSAL® is an international term used for the game. The roots are 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 or Mini-soccer. World famous soccer player Pele is among the many famous players who played Futsal to improve their skill and agility. Other famous players include Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
Futsal is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and the Futsal World Championship is growing in popularity. U.S. Futsal has conducted a USl Championship each year since 1985.
"This year, the 25th annual US FUTSAL's National Championship will held in Long Beach on July 8th - July 11th, 2010. The event first stared with four teams, and this year the event has grown to include more than 2500 entries. We welcome everyone to come and watch the 200 plus teams that have earned their place in to compete in our National championship tournament." said Alex Para, president and CEO of the U.S. Futsal Foundation.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) offer Futsal training and games. In addition, new Futsal leagues are forming daily. For more information on Futsal and how to start playing, please contact: San Diego Futsal and or US Futsal at 1-800-5FUTSAL.
ShareThis
Print
