Futsal

Futsal is an indoor version of football (soccer). Its name is derived from the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol sala/de salón, which can be translated as 'indoor football'. Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. In addition each team may have a number of substitutes. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the field is delimited by lines, and not nets or boards that players can use to redirect the ball. Futsal as it is called in many countries is played with a #3 or #4 ball, which is slightly heavier and smaller than the #5 ball used in football. Other forms of indoor football games, which are played by somewhat different rules, exist and may be referred to as indoor football, five-a-side football or indoor soccer. Those games predate the formulation of official (FIFA) rules of futsal. In England, the Portuguese term futebol de salão is used to describe a slightly different sport. Although the most popular sport in Brazil is football (soccer), Futsal is by far the most widely practiced.