FIVE-A-SIDE-FOOTBALL

Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players (four outfield players and a goalkeeper). Other differences from football include a smaller pitch, smaller goals, and a reduced game duration. Matches are played indoors, or outdoors on AstroTurf or artificial grass pitches that may be enclosed within a barrier or "cage" to prevent the ball from leaving the playing area and keep the game flowing.

The penalty area is significantly different from football: it is semi-circular in shape, only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball within it, and he or she may or may not be allowed out. Goalkeepers are only allowed to give the ball out to another player through hands. The goalkeeper may only kick the ball if it is in the course of making a save. There are no offside rules. Headers are not allowed. Yellow cards may result in the offending player being sent to the "sin bin" for a pre-determined length of time. Red cards work in the same way as the 11-a- side game. Charging/sliding tackles are awarded a yellow card. Additionally, metal studded boots or blades cannot be worn, as it damages the playing surface. Players are also required to wear shin guards but this is usually at the discretion of the referee. Five-a-side is commonly played informally, and the rules are therefore flexible and are sometimes decided immediately before play begins; this is in contrast to futsal, for which official laws are published by FIFA. The English FA has drawn up a full list of laws for the small-sided game which expands upon the rules outlined above and includes minimum/maximum pitch dimensions as well as technicalities on free-kicks and other parts of the game RULES

VARIATIONS Futsal Futsal is a version of indoor five-a-side football developed by the Asociación Mundial de Fútbol de Salón (AMF / English:World Futsal Association). It currently has two governing bodies: Asociación Mundial de Fútbol de Salón, and Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Indoor soccer Indoor soccer is an indoor game played primarily in North America, typically with six-a-side teams. Beach soccer Beach Soccer is a variation on five-a-side football in that it is played on a sandy surface. Rules do not greatly differ from those found in regular five-a- side football. Six-a-side football A variation with increased pitch size and number of players on a team. In this variation there are five outfield players and one goalkeeper on the pitch for each team at any one time. Rules do not greatly differ from those found in five- a-side football. Seven-a-side football This is another variation with increased pitch and team size; in this case with six outfield players and a goalkeeper on each side. The rules generally do not differ from those from five-a-side.

HISTORY Five-a-side football it’s a uUruguayan squad sport. It’s a variation on the traditional 11 a side game we all know. It uses a much shorter pitch and smaller goals. It is known to be played indoors or on Astroturf. The game is taken very seriously in many parts of the world including Brazil, however, it is less popular in other parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, 5 a side football is known to be quite an informal game of football. With no real governing bodies set up, no FIFA influence or any major leagues, it isn't surprising that many haven't taken to it. Its main playing surface in the United Kingdom is on Astroturf (an artificial pitch). Goals are also usually much smaller, along with the duration of the matches and the size of the pitches. Rules in 5 a side football are usually quite flexible as well. For example, in some cases players aren't allowed to enter the goalkeepers penalty box, with the consequence of giving away a free-kick or penalty and at other times this is allowed. Although there are not many officially organised competitions, there are still some smaller ones currently going on around the country.