Futsal is an indoor version of football (soccer) that is officially sanctioned by football's international governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the field is delimited by lines, and not nets or boards which the ball may be played off. The ball used tends to be slightly heavier and smaller (size 3+) than football, and thus promotes better ball control skills as well as passes on the ground. Furthermore, the smaller play area forces players to improve their skills, teamwork and decision making. Many great outdoor soccer players started out playing futsal incuding: Ronaldinho, Robinho, Ronaldo and others.
These informal games do not necessarily utilise the requirements of a formal game of football, such as a large field, field markings, goal apparatus and corner flags, eleven players per team (with a minimum of five per team), or match officials (referee). The ease of playing these informal games means that they are popular all over the world.
