Futebol de Salão is a Portuguese word (literally meaning "Hall Football") that, in spite of meaning futsal (which is, in fact, an acronym for futebol de salão) in its original language, has come to be used in English (and mostly in England) to designate a slightly modified version of the FIFA-sanctioned five-a-side football. It is played with a smaller (size 2) ball that has limited bounce.[1][2]
The game now is globally promoted and controlled through the International Confederation of Futebol de Salão, based in the United Kingdom and set up by Simon Clifford after a chance meeting with the Brazilian Footballer Juninho's father at a Premiership football match.[3]
Futsal has a larger ball than futebol de salão (size 4 compared to size 2). The futsal ball used to have the same dimensions, but they were changed by FIFA and nowadays the futsal ball is twice as bouncy and much lighter. Even though the rules of futebol de salão do not differ from those of futsal unless in terms of the ball, promoters of futebol de salão argue that they are different sports. However, in Brazil, a country where the sport has been played for decades, no difference is acknowledged, and the change in the ball dimensions has been seen as an improvement in the rules of the game instead of the creation of a new sport.