futsal

noun

fut·​sal ˈfu̇t-ˌsäl How to pronounce futsal (audio)
-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 first edition featured only track and field events, but ISAC has since expanded to include sports like rhythmic gymnastics, esports, futsal and other indoor and outdoor events. Sara Merican, Deadline, 18 July 2024 His Grassroots Spirit Remains Many Spanish and South American players in La Liga would have sharpened up by playing futsal at a young age. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 The council approved an agreement for a grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to fund two mini-pitch/futsal courts in Washington Park. Laura Groch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2021 Fieldhouse specializes in sports leagues and offers year-round play and tournaments in team sports such as basketball, volleyball, pickleball and futsal, which is like miniature soccer played on a hard court. Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2021 The fields are sized for futsal, a 5-on-5 player version created in South America to fit into urban settings. Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023 The order defines contact sports to include football, basketball, rugby, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, hockey, boxing, futsal and martial arts against opponents. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 3 Aug. 2020 The name futsal comes from Portuguese and Spanish words for indoor football. Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023 Some walked their dogs; others looked on at the game of futsal that Sueño members joined. Gustavo Arellanocolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'futsal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of futsal was in 1986

Dictionary Entries Near futsal

Cite this Entry

“Futsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/futsal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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