Futsal: History and Regulations
History
The Football Hall was born in Uruguay in 1930. It was Professor Juan Carlos Ceriani who realized that children were playing soccer on basketball courts, failing to free up football fields, and tried to solve the problem.
Ceriani used the rules of water polo, handball, and basketball, and drafted the first rules of the game, announcing the creation of a new sport. From basketball, he took the concept of five players on the court and the playing time (40 minutes).
The first futsal world championship was conducted under the auspices of FIFUSA (before its members integrated into FIFA in 1989).
Regulations
1. Dimensions
a) The playing surface is rectangular, and its length is always greater than its width.
- Length: 40 m
- Width: 20 m
Exceptionally, a change of plus or minus two meters is authorized.
b) It is recommended to have a security area that surrounds the outer limits of the playing field. In international matches, the safety margins must be at least 1 (one) meter from the touchline and 2 (two) meters from the baselines.
3. Penalty Area
It is bounded by three lines. A straight line 3 (three) meters in length, parallel to the goal line, is drawn at a distance of 6 (six) meters from it. The other two lines are the curves resulting from plotting two circles of 6 (six) meters radius, with the center at the base of each of the goalposts, which join the ends of the line parallel to the previous baseline.
4. Penalty Spot
A line of 10 centimeters will be drawn, with a point 6 meters from the midpoint of the line between the goalposts and equidistant from them.
5. Double Penalty Point
A second point will be drawn at a 10-meter distance from the midpoint of the line between the posts and equidistant from them.
6. Substitution Area
a) On the side where the benches are, two lines are drawn, alternate and perpendicular to the sideline, 80 (eighty) centimeters long (40 cm into the field and 40 cm outside) at a distance of 5 (five) meters on either side of the halfway line. In the space located between the midfield line and their replacements bench, players should come and go when there is a substitution.
b) The space from each of these lines to the end of each bench will be the area used by coaches for the instruction of players during downtime.
7. Goals
a) The goals must be placed in the center of each goal line. They consist of two upright posts equidistant from the corners and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar.
The distance (internal measurement) between the posts is 3 meters, and the distance from the edge below the crossbar to the ground is 2 meters.
The depth of the goal, i.e., from the inner side of both poles outward from the playing surface, shall be at least 80 centimeters at the top and 100 cm at ground level.
The goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and thickness, 8 cm. The goal lines have the same width as the goalposts and the crossbar.
b) The nets, which must be made of hemp, jute, or nylon, are hooked on the back of the goalposts and the crossbar, and the bottom tube is subject to encores or any other appropriate support of endurance.
The faces of the posts and beams are painted in two alternating colors that are clearly distinguished from the field’s soil. In both the upper and union posts and beams, each strip of paint should measure 28 (twenty-eight) inches and be of the same color. The remaining slots will be 20 (twenty) inches.