All you Need to Know About Futsal Sports

If you like team sports, maybe you should try futsal? It's a discipline with more than 75 years of history. Read along to find out more about this exciting game!
All you Need to Know About Futsal Sports

Last update: 23 June, 2019

Futsal is one of the most mythical sports in Spain. It’s ‘indoor’ soccer and it’s recognized by the highest international soccer body, Fifa. As a sport, futsal was born in Uruguay. Due to the lack of playing areas, the fervent population of amateur soccer players decided to play on smaller indoor courts.

Futsal sports require the same basic skills, tactical sense, and knowledge as soccer. However, futsal has its own peculiarities and rules, including the size of the court, the size of the ball and the number of players.

With fever fouls and no offsides, the rules of futsal favor a fast, rhythmic game, in which you often touch the ball and have to pass to your teammates.

Futsal is an indoor sport that uses minimal equipment but provides maximum enjoyment. Of course, due to its indoor nature, it can be played all year around.

Futsal players are permanently placed in situations where they must receive or pass the ball under pressure and in very little space. Therefore, this game requires quality technique, mobility, tactics, and aptitude.

In fact, Ronaldinho, Neymar, and Xavi Hernandez are just a few stars who used futsal as a springboard to shining in traditional soccer fields.

Benefits of futsal sports

Futsal is currently a benchmark sport in Brazil, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Russia, to the delight of players who find the technical and variant soccer practice exciting. In addition to being a popular and fun sport, it can be adapted to an urban environment and it provides many benefits.

It’s very good for your health

Futsal can be distinguished from other sporting activities because it’s an intense form of physical exercise. As a cardiovascular exercise, futsal is excellent for the heart. The movement, running, jumping and dribbling makes it easy to burn fat.

Men playing futsal

The sport not only improves health and fitness, but it can also help improve muscle tone and flexibility. As if that wasn’t enough, futsal can help to strengthen bones.

Develop an impeccable technique

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about futsal sports is technique. Due to the limited space, constant pressure and sidelines, futsal requires a high degree of control over the ball and impeccable technique.

Futsal demands intense rhythm

The intensity of futsal makes you work to change pace. This will help improve your cardio and explosiveness. Due to the small number of players on the field at a time, futsal focuses less on teamwork and more on individual skills.

Futsal allows you to have more control of the ball

Another advantage of futsal is that you are more likely to touch the ball than in traditional football. In fact, with the small size of the field, the call circulates much more among players. With teams of five against five, the best way to not lose the ball is to pass as often as possible.

Indoor soccer court

Communication skills

Participating in sports such as futsal can be excellent for an individual’s social and emotional well-being. While it’s true that it focuses primarily on individual skills, it also requires some teamwork and therefore good communication skills. In addition, it’s a great way to eliminate stress.

As you have seen, futsal is an incredible sport for both mind and body. It brings along many benefits. Whether you love traditional soccer or not, we invite you to try it! – you won’t regret it!


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


    • Soares, G. F., Reis, M. da S., Silva, S. A. da, Braga, W. M. C., Moura, S. da S., & Beltrame, T. S. (2011). Revista Brasileira de Futsal e Futebol. Revista Brasileira de Futsal e Futebol8(30), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01590544
    • Naser, N., Ali, A., & Macadam, P. (2017, December 1). Physical and physiological demands of futsal. Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness. Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesf.2017.09.001
    • Dogramaci, S. N., Watsford, M. L., & Murphy, A. J. (2011). Time-motion analysis of international and national level futsal. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research25(3), 646–651. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c6a02e
    • Álvarez, J. C. B., D’Ottavio, S., Vera, J. G., & Castagna, C. (2009). Aerobic fitness in futsal players of different competitive level. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research23(7), 2163–2166. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b7f8ad

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.