Somerset FA launch a new concept in small-sided football with the FA Futsal Fives league
Through The FA Futsal Fives, The FA is launching a series of indoor adult Futsal leagues across the country to encourage more players and teams to play this exciting format of five-a-side football.
Latest figures from Sport England Active People show that 1.7m people play small sided football once a month and around 1.3m people play small sided football every week. There are over 28,000 adult teams that play small sided football across England in organised competitive leagues. This level of participation makes small sided football one of the largest sports in the country.
The FA are looking for new teams to sign-up and get involved in these Futsal leagues which will begin to pop up across the country from September 2011.
Somerset FA have been granted a license from the FA to deliver a local FA Futsal Fives league and are looking forward to launching this national initiative to local adult teams from across the region.
Simon Walker, FA National Manager for Small Sided Football said:
“The FA Futsal Fives programme will give more adults across the country an opportunity to play Futsal in a locally organised league run to the FA’s highest standards. Futsal is an exciting format of small sided football played throughout the world. We hope that through our FA Futsal Fives Leagues we can give players and teams a fantastic experience so they develop a real love for the game.”
What is Futsal?
Futsal is FIFA and UEFAs recognised format of 5-a-side football and in recent years has been embraced by The Football Association. FIFA claim that it is the fastest growing indoor sport in the world, and is immensely popular outside of the UK. Futsal has played an important role in the technical development of some of the world’s leading football players; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kaka, Xavi, Ronaldinho to name just a few all played Futsal as they grew up and developed into world beaters. The FA are keen to harness the benefits of this game and introduce it to benefit the technical development of English young players. Futsal is being played widely in schools, colleges and universities across the country, and The FA has established an adult National Futsal League and an England senior men’s Futsal team that plays in European and World Cups.
Futsal is a format of 5-a-side football that is played indoors with a smaller, heavier ball. The game is played to pitch lines and hockey-sized goals, which helps to encourage improved decision making and technical skill from young players.
The Somerset FA Futsal Fives Leagues take place at:
Ralph Allen Secondary School, Claverton Down Road, Combe Down, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AD commencing on Monday 6th February 2012
And
Taunton Vale Sports Centre, Gipsy Lane, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 6LP commencing on Thursday 9th February 2012
For more information please visit http://www.thefa.com/GetIntoFootball/small-sided-football/Futsal/FANewsAndFeatures/2011/FA-Futsal-Fives-Leagues
More Information
Somerset County Football Association:
- Taunton Vale League - Brendan Dix Brendan.dix@somersetfa.com -07966778420
- Ralph Allen League (Bath) Sion Kitson Sion.Kitson@somersetfa.com - 07956511846
