Victor Beciero
FIFA head of Futsal
The term futsal is derived from the Spanish/Portugese word for "soccer"; futbol/futebol, and the French/Spanish word for "indoor"; salon/sala. It is also known as "five-a-side" football/soccer.

          The court ranges in size from 38 - 42 meters in length and from 18 -22 meters in width, some 15% the size of an outdoor football pitch. Unlike football, contact play, such as tackling by sliding, is prohibited.
          The game is played with a special low-bounce ball, which forces players to use their skills, rather than the ball's bounce, to propel it. Futsal is a great skill developer, demanding quick reflexes, fast thinking and pinpoint passing, making it an exciting game for both participants and spectators.  
          The origins of futsal can be traced back to 1930's Uruguay , when JuanCarlos Ceriani devised a five-a-side version of football for youth competitions in YMCAs.
          Futsal rapidly gained popularity throughout South America, particularly Brazil. The skill developed in this game is visible in the world-famous style the Brazilians display outdoors on the full-sized field. Pele, Zico, Socrates, Bebeto and other Brazilian superstars, including Ronaldo, all developed their skills playing futsal.
          While Brazil continues to be the Futsal hub of the world, the game is now played, under the auspices of FIFA, all over the world. It is now hugely popular throughout Asia, where its compact court is ideal for Asia 's high-density urban centres, and where the emphasis on skill, speed and agility is ideally suited to the Asian physique. Its rapidly rising popularity derives from the fact that it is easier to get a five-player team organised than the traditional 11-member side and the largely no-contact nature enables even novices to take part with confidence.

Graham Spiers
"I watched the Monday Sports Magazine Programme on local channel last night and Graham Spiers of the Herald was talking about the void left after street soccer dwindled in the late 70s.
           What he said was that because of the poor social conditions in Scotland until that time, there was a natural conveyor belt of hungry, skillful players developing their skills in the streets. As the British social circumstances have improved (in the main) "street soccer" has dwindled and the greater concerns for children's safety have forced kids into their homes.
          He stated that "the SFA (Scotish Football Association) don't seem to have identified how to address this situation, hence the reason that the quality of player available to the national team coach has deteriorated as each generation has matured".
          FUTSAL is "street soccer" - or as near to it as to make no difference.
I remember when I was younger that street games were rarely violent as there was an unwritten code amongst the kids about what was and was not acceptable. The game "policed" itself. We usually played with a small ball, which was rarely fully inflated because of the damage it could do to property - giving it similar qualities to a futsal ball. There were no identified goalkeepers - everyone just had a turn in goals. If the ball went out of the imaginary pitch you just kicked it back in and because you just wanted to play there was no offside and time wasting!

          Who says the Brazilians had a monopoly on street soccer.
           We have had it and players like Gemmill (who scored the wonder goal against Holland in 78) Bremner, Dalglish and latterly Cooper and Souness were all brought up in this way. What would we give for a player of this calibre now?
FUTSAL is the answer..........they just haven't realised the question yet! (Dated 25/11/01)

Denilson
I believe Sao Paulo has the best training in the world and has prepared me well. I came out of futebol de salao and developed my skills in this way of football and play in the same way now as I did on the futebol de salao courts.

Zico
The young player should not be at all bothered with tactics, defending or positional elements. The focus should be on learning basic techniques. It should be ball, ball and more ball.
         Everything I had as a Brazilian player I owed to futebol de salao.

Pele
I played futebo de salao growing up in Baurd. In my area the game was first played outdoors on a hard basketball court and was sponsored by the local radio station. Later we played the game indoors. I played this game for my juvenile teams Radium and Norestinho at fourteen. The following year I signed for Santos . In futebol de salao your need to think quick and play quick so its easier for you when the you move to normal football.

Ronaldo
This ( Futebol de Salao ) is how I really got started. This is my love, the thing that I enjoyed most.

Michael Owen
Said futebol de salao is the way forward in the training of his struggling English team.

Simon Clifford
Quotes from his 1999 Video 'FUTEBOL de SALAO'
'Brazilian star players now all come from middle class backgrounds. They are players that have learned with a Futsal (small heavy ball) at a soccer school.           When Juninio came to coach my young players he was amazed that we taught players using large footballs. Juninio never played 11v11 until he was 15 years old.           
           Rivalino & Zico, truly great players echo the same sentiment. They both found 11v11 easy because they had honed their technical skills playing fast, skilful small-sided football before progressing to a bigger ball & pitch. This at a later date than the average British kid.'

Gordon Strachen
from Rick Gekowsk's book 'Staying Up'
'I know a lot of younger players don't love the game now, but it is not a game you love anymore. When I was young we played in the street, had fun, identified with great players, thought & talked nothing but football, lived for a Saturday game on telly. Now there's too many games on TV & you see the kids now in their teams at 9 years old, & its do this, do that with their parents on the touchlines screaming at them...'

Jimmy Greaves
The Sun Newspaper
'Lets Blow the Whistle on Child Labour'
'I winced when I read the story of John Maegicks.
           Yes poor John Maegicks. I feel sorry for the lad, being chased by West Ham at the age of 6.
          The best years of his life could be taken away from him. 
          Nobody coached us or told us what we were doing wrong or right.
          I accept the streets were safer then. But even at school there were no teachers stopping training sessions to tell us about making runs & playing down the channels.
          We played & learned football just as kids learn to speak -through experience & practise.
          I've seen parents & coaches barking & jumping from the by-line while coaches jump up & down like an O'Neil or a Strachan (Premier League Coaches).
          Too much, too much, let them play, let them have fun.'

Andy Roxborough
U.E.F.A. Technical Director
From his presentation on 'CHILDRENS FOOTBALL IN EUROPE ' - 1994.
'Children's football means playing, & playing means fun.
Every child wanting to play football should be given the chance.
Every game should be regarded individually with no ranking list.
More practice, less matches.
Adults shouldn't put a brake on children's personal initiative & creativity.

Children's football should provide a social atmosphere for all participants.
My own vision of the children's game has its roots in street football. The children knew what they liked & what was good for them:

The natural development of players via the street has largely disappeared & this has necessitated the introduction of organised programmes of training. However the principles of street life can be applied within the structured, educational schemes.