Courtesy: American Chronicle


Are you ready for some futsal?: It's like soccer...only smaller

By Dave Sottile

Feb. 12 -- York County will soon get a look at what some consider the fastest- growing sport in the United States.

"It's how the rest of the world plays indoor soccer," said Alex Para, president and CEO of the U.S. Futsal Federation. "Of the last 18 FIFA world championships, the World Cup, 15 were won by nations that play futsal."

The 2010 Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Futsal Regionals will be held Saturday through Monday at the York Expo Center, where more than 1,800 athletes from Virginia to Maine are expected to compete in 10 age-bracket categories for males and females 10 and older.

Futsal is a form of indoor soccer featuring five players per side on a hard playing surface roughly the size of a basketball court. The game uses nets 7 feet high by 10 feet wide.

Unlike traditional North American indoor soccer played on a hockey rink with dasher boards and glass surrounding the playing surface, futsal doesn't have walls.

A smaller ball with less bounce than a standard soccer ball is used. Rules of the game emphasize improvisation and creativity in small spaces as well as passing and ball control.

"The number of people playing futsal goes up 30 percent per year," Para said. "That makes it such a fast-growing sport. It's not the biggest in terms of total number of players, but it definitely is growing quickly based on our percentage increases annually."

The game, featuring constant motion and frequent scoring opportunities, is generally considered more

exciting to play than outdoor soccer.

"About 50 percent of youth soccer players stop playing the sport at age 12 because they aren't having fun anymore," Para said.

"Age 12 is when kids have the courage to say to their parents and coach, 'I don't like it. I'm playing another sport like baseball or basketball that's more fun.'

"With futsal, there are more touches for each player, more shots on goal, more saves, and it's a way to keep playing and have a good time."

Para, a former on-field official for outdoor pro leagues such as the North American Soccer League and A-League, said futsal helps develop skills players can use on full-sized pitches, too.

"It's very popular around the world because you don't need a regulation- sized field and a large number of players on each team," Para said. "In futsal, there's no place to hide on the court. You're always involved.

"I'm not saying that everyone who plays futsal will see their skills improve so much that they'll be Pele, but by working on those skills indoors with constant attacking and defending, a player can't help but feel more com- fortable with the ball when it comes to them in the outdoor game."

The majority of competitors in York will have qualified through various state tournaments, but Para said at-large entries -- including local teams -- were welcomed to enter.

Brackets in the York event consist of U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, U19 for both boys and girls as well as national open for men, national O-35 and national open for women.

While York hosts one regional event, similar competitions will be held in Cincinnati and Meridian, Idaho, next weekend. Other regionals will take place in March and April in Richmond, Calif., Houston and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., leading up to the 2010 national championships in Long Beach, Calif., in July.

Para will be in York for the tournament and is excited about spreading the sport to a new audience.

"York is such a great place for us to be since it's so centrally located," Para said. "We expect a lot of people to experience it for themselves. And when they're exposed to it, they love it."

About the tournament

This weekend's futsal regional tournament is just another in a series of events landed by the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau under its Sport York banner.

Other regional and national events already held in York include the Keystone State Games as well as competitions in horseshoes, taekwondo, golf, softball, gymnastics, bowling and volleyball.

"We're very excited to be hosting this," said Alison Smolinski, public relations coordinator for the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We're playing our small part in waving the futsal flag. Now we're excited to go and experience the sport firsthand.

"If kids aren't playing on an indoor soccer team right now, they're probably between seasons, so this gives everyone a great chance to go check out a version of soccer they might not have seen before."

Smolinski said the York County CVB estimates the futsal event will generate more than $550,000 for the area economy.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com