Futsal

About Futsal

Futsal History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

Futsal is a form of football played on a hard court, mainly indoors, that resembles a five-a-side match. The pitch is smaller than your regular soccer field and features a smaller -- but harder – ball. The sport sees two teams of five players, including the goalkeeper, face off.

This sport has two major governing bodies: FIFA and Asociación Mundial de Fútsal (AMF). Both bodies could not agree over joint governance and as a result, they stage separate competitions. This means there are two Futsal World Cups: the AMF Futsal World Cup and the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Both tournaments are staged once every four years and are held in successive years. Furthermore, Asociación Mundial de Fútsal stages the Futsal Women’s World Cup, which began in 2008.

FIFA consists of six continental confederations. They are UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, CAF, and OFC. Asociación Mundial de Fútsal, meanwhile, consists of seven in total. They are CAFS for Asia; CAFUSA for Africa; CONCACFUTSAL for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean; CSFS and CPFS/PANAFUTSAL for South America; CFSO for Oceania; and FEF for Europe.