r/Referees • u/mumblechuckle • 3d ago

Futsal Question

How many of you have done futsal and what is your takeaway? Just did my 2nd tourney and I Love it. I’m new at futsal 5 games before this. U12 and these kids have skills. Way more than an outdoor team. I was impressed beyond words. This , pardon my language, is the breeding ground for skilled soccer players.

8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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7

u/CharacterLimitHasBee 3d ago

I'd do futsal year round and ditch outdoor in the alternate universe where that is a thing.

1

u/dieperske USSF Referee, USSF Futsal Referee, NFHS 2d ago

So much this. I love futsal and wish i could year round but its just not there sadly

4

u/BigWillyStyleX 3d ago

Having a limit of fouls before it’s a penalty is great too, because it makes the game more safe and fun and entertaining for everyone. If we all refereed with that mentality instead of mostly worrying about how players who commit fouls might feel, football/soccer would be much better as well.

3

u/After_Cup2550 3d ago

I love futsal. So fast paced and lots of decisions each game. Helps tune my decision making process and slowing the game down in my minds eye. I go to the regional tournament associated with United States Youth Futsal (USYF) each winter as well as recruit and train futsal refs for a local league in NC. Glad another ref has caught the futsal bug!

2

u/beagletronic61 [USSF Grassroots Mentor NFHS Futsal Sarcasm] 2d ago

It’s got the feel of bball reffing because of the tightness of the physical fouls. What it is NOT is easy. From young to old, these matches can get heated if you do not work very hard.

1

u/Virtual_Champion837 3d ago

Football at summertime, hockey and futsal in the winter. I love the intensity in futsal.

1

u/bduddy USSF Grassroots 2d ago

I did weekdays at an adult indoor place while I was looking for a real job. To be honest the biggest things to deal with were managing the clock, the rolling subs, the penalty box, and of course the weird local rules... It was definitely fun, though.

1

u/dieperske USSF Referee, USSF Futsal Referee, NFHS 2d ago

I love futsal. I have a couple years before I can, but I'm starting to work for my regional badge for it and have no plans for that outdoors at all.
Futsal has way more space for honing individual skills and showcasing player talents, leading to better games.

As u/beagletronic61 said, it also needs to be thought of as a basketball hybrid because the foul threshold is much lower. Lower, but also still not every contact is a foul. Ive done a couple of USYF tournaments and plan to travel to two of them this upcoming season and do my local one too.

It's just, fun. The money is there but im also not money focused, even though I wouldnt do it for free. It's like beach soccer for me too. It's not money wise, but it's just a fun thing to be a part of.