Futsal

Futsal is the only FIFA and NZ Football approved version of five-aside football and the world’s fastest-growing indoor sport. The name futsal is derived from the Portuguese words futebol (football) and sala (hall).

Futsal is a small-sided game played with a size 4 low bounce ball, on a basketball-sized court without rebound walls or nets. It is a game that combines fun, creativity, speed, technique, teamwork and quick thinking.

With millions of players worldwide, futsal is a fantastic game in its own right, with professional leagues throughout Europe, South America and Asia and a FIFA Futsal World Cup every four years.

Futsal also produces technically excellent players and as such is an invaluable tool for football development.

Futsal actively promotes:

• Individual ball skills, close control and dribbling.
• Creativity and improvisation.
• Maintenance of ball possession.
• One-touch passing (along the ground).
• Accurate shooting.
• Teamwork and off the ball movement.

World superstars such as Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi have all acknowledged the role futsal has played in their football development.

Futsal also has superstars of its own, with players such as Falcao and Schumacher (Brazil), Javier Rodriguez (Spain) and Elliot Ragomo (Solomon Islands) fast becoming household names in their own countries.

New Zealand Football is confident that with the support of all its affiliates and the ongoing support of FIFA and Oceania, futsal will grow in popularity in New Zealand. Currently, there are several thousand players involved in futsal in this country and that number is expected to grow considerably under the NZF Futsal programme implemented by New Zealand Football in the Summer of 2009/2010.

NZF Futsal has been designed to complement New Zealand Football’s existing programmes and promote and improve participation in football in New Zealand.