Five-a-side football, or 5-a-side soccer, has no official world governing body. Consequently, the game has many regional variations, and rules change slightly depending on whether it's played indoors or outdoors, or using the rules of "futsal" -- a variant of 5-a-side. However, despite the slight variations, the basic approach of how to play 5-a-side football remains the same.
Setup and Equipment
For a 5-a-side game you need two goals, a pitch and two teams of five football players. Each team has one goalkeeper and four outfield players. The game is commonly played on an indoor court similar in size to a basketball court, with players using close-gripping indoor shoes and an indoor football with a felt covering. Playing outside, shoes vary depending on the surface. "Astro-boots" or light studs are best for artificial pitches, while players may wear full studs on grass. Goals are smaller than standard football goals, ranging from 1.22 to 1.83 m high by 2.44 to 4.88 m wide.
Rules
The general rules of 5-a-side follow those of league soccer. For example, players may not handle the ball, foul a player through tripping or play the ball once it has crossed the boundary lines. However, 5-a-side games rarely use the offside rule. Also, on some smaller indoor courts, players may be allowed to bounce the ball off the side walls. Teams score by getting the ball into the opposite team's goal. Games are usually divided into two half periods of 15 minutes each.
Penalty Area
Many versions of 5-a-side football employ rules limiting who may enter the penalty area at any time. The penalty area is marked by a semi-circle line outside of the goal. In most cases, only the defending goalkeeper is allowed into the area; attacking players may not enter the penalty zone. However, in the similar game of futsal, players may both enter and score inside the penalty area.
Useful Skills
Five-a-side football tends to best suit those with good close control of the football. Space is limited, so being able to trap and control a football with just one or two touches means that you can quickly get into position for a pass or shot. Short passing skills using the inside of the foot to accurately guide the ball to nearby teammates also helps keep you on the attack. Standard-pitch football skills such as long overhead passes and setting offside traps aren't techniques you need to master for 5-a-side.
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