futsal

noun

fut·​sal ˈfu̇t-ˌsäl 

-ˌsȯl

: a game developed from soccer that is typically played indoors between two teams of five players each and whose object is to propel a round ball into the opponent's goal by kicking or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms

The Brazilian's background is in futsal, a fast-paced and high-skill indoor game …

—Joe Lyons

By harvesting rules from other indoor sports—basketball's team size, water polo's goalkeeping, handball's court dimensions—he edited the soccer rule book with just the right amount of tweaks, and futsal began to spread through YMCAs in South America like wildfire.

—Breanna Henry

Examples of futsal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The parks department also installed a new futsal field, made out of turf panels that are easier and less costly to maintain. — Bella Decrescenzo, The Providence Journal, 16 July 2026

The pair settled down in Whitehorse and started the Yukon Selects, a semi-professional soccer and futsal program that represents the entire Yukon region on the national stage. — Shaun Goodwin june 10, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026

The deal, the first between Zee and FIFA, also encompasses a portfolio of age-group and futsal tournaments across both the men’s and women’s game, as well as documentary series tied to each property. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026

Gordon’s unveiling was so delayed that Barcelona’s press department had to relocate the attending media to another facility, as a futsal match was about to take place and the Palau Blaugrana press room was needed for this purpose. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish futsal, shortened from fútbol sala or fútbol de salón "hall football"; or borrowed from Portuguese futsal, shortened from futebol de salão "hall football"

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for futsal

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale