Indoor soccer is a game
derived from association
football, soccer adapted for
play in an indoor arena such
as a turf covered hockey
arena or skating rink.
Indoor soccer is a somewhat
common sport in the United
States, with both amateur
and professional leagues
dedicated to it. It is also
played outside of the U.S.
However, most indoor play
outside of North America
involves the FIFA-sanctioned
game of futsal. Recently
indoor soccer has become a
popular sport in Mexico,
being included as part of
the Universiada (University
National Games) and the
CONADEIP (Private School
Tournament), which match
University school teams from
all over Mexico. In Mexico,
indoor soccer fields are
commonly built outdoors, and
the sport is known as fast
soccer.
Rules vary between governing
bodies, but some of the
nearly universal rule
deviations from association
football include:
• The arena. Most indoor
soccer arenas are
rectangular or oblong in
shape, with turf floors. In
many collegiate intramural
leagues, the game may be
played on basketball courts,
in which case the floor is
hardwood. Walls at least six
feet tall bound the arena.
Ceiling heights vary. Arena
sizes are generally smaller
than soccer fields, and the
goals are recessed into the
walls. Goals are also
smaller than in standard
soccer and generally the
penalty area is smaller.
• The team. Virtually all
indoor soccer games are
played with six active
players per team, one of
which is the goalkeeper.
Substitute players are
permitted.
• Play off of walls. The
ball may be struck in such a
way that it contacts one or
more walls without penalty
or stoppage. If the ball
flies over the walls or
contacts the ceiling, play
is stopped and the team
opposing the one that most
recently touched the ball is
awarded a free kick at the
location where the ball left
the arena or made contact
with the ceiling. In some
areas of North America,
these walls are being
removed due to their
hazardous nature.
• Relaxed contact rules.
Standard contact rules
generally apply. However,
there is a culture
surrounding indoor soccer
that sees it as a tougher
version of the sport, and
many referees take a relaxed
attitude toward fouls
related to contact. Many
leagues ban the use of the
sliding tackle, though such
techniques are less useful
on turf or wood than they
are on a slick field.
• No offside. Most leagues
play without an offside
rule.
Beyond these common threads,
the sport is structured
according to the
idiosyncrasies of individual
leagues. Most of these rules
are adopted from other arena
sports like ice hockey.
