Five-a-side football is a variation of football (soccer) in which each teams fields five players, rather than the usual eleven. Other differences to football include playing on a smaller pitch, smaller goals, and a reduced game duration. Games are often played indoors.

Futsal

Futsal is the official version of five-a-side football sanctioned by the football world governing body Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Other five-a-side games

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 where official laws are published by FIFA.

Common rules are typically adopted for competitive or semi-formal five-a-side leagues or tournaments. Two of the most common rules are the "head height" rule, which states that a player cannot kick the ball above head height or the opposing team is given a free kick, and the semi-circular penalty area is restricted to the goalkeeper.

See also

• Masters Football
• Street football
• Indoor soccer (an indoor game primarily in North America, typically with six-a-side teams)
• Football-Mundial

External links

• Eurofives – Five-a-side tournaments in Amsterdam
• Football Mundial UK

Football (soccer) variants

Calcio a 5 | 5 A Side | 五人制足球