Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão, which can be translated as "hall football". During the sport's second world championships held in Madrid in 1985, the Spanish name fútbol sala was used. Since then, all other names have been officially and internationally changed to futsal. It was developed in Brazil and Uruguay in the 1930s and 1940s as a solution to the lack of available football fields. In Brazil futsal is played by more people than soccer but does not attract as many spectators as the outdoor sport. Several futsal players have moved on to careers as successful professional soccer players.

Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

A short video outlining the rules of Futsal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unFlcSwdDFc