Ultimate Soccer’s Football Blog

For those new to other forms of soccer, we often get asked what the difference is between futsal and 5-a-side. While the actual gameplay shares many similarities, and the same governing body (Football Federation Australia), there are a few differences in regards to the pitch, the gear you use and wear, and some game rules. To help you out, we’ll explain these key differences so that you know what boots to strap on, how many friends to round up, and of course, where to book a pitch! How many players: How many players per side for futsal vs 5-a-side? First and foremost, let’s discuss the number of players on the pitch. 5-a-side has, yep you guessed it, 5 players a side; 1 keeper and 4 regular players, and there are also limited substitutions. Futsal also has 5 players a side, but has rolling substitutions throughout the game.   The Pitch:…

“If it wasn’t for futsal, I wouldn’t be the player I am today”. Hard to imagine a better endorsement for our game than these words from 3-time FIFA World Player, Lionel Messi. However, Messi’s not the only player to owe a great debt to 5-a-side and Futsal soccer. The prestigious Futsal alumni includes Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, and Ronaldinho, and that’s but a mere sliver of the talent that Futsal helped produce. Close quarters and continuous play combined with small pitches make for a perfect training ground in control and stamina, and while not all these players had the advantage of a facility like Ultimate Soccer, they found their pitches in the streets or indoor centres and nurtured their skills to take the world stage. Below we look at some of the best players to ever grace the world game who got their start playing Futsal. Lionel Messi Argentinian Lionel Messi,…

5-a-side soccer, like any other high intensity exercise requires you to be on top form. We know that stretching and warming up prior to your game is a great way to get your body and mind ready, but the food you eat before your match could be giving you an edge, or letting you down. We look at some of the best foods you should eat to be able to play your 5-a-side soccer game at your peak. When to eat before your 5-a-side soccer match Before we get into the exact foods, we need to talk about when you should eat them. As 5-a-side is high intensity, with lots of running, and jumping, you don’t want to be eating anything heavy right before you play. According to the AIS, you should be aiming to either eat a larger meal 3-4 hours prior to your match, or a light snack…

If you’ve just started playing 5-a-side, you’ll know that as well as a great hobby to enjoy with friends, it’s a killer workout. If you want to perform at your peak, there are some exercises that you can do to improve general fitness, endurance and stamina, all of which are ideal for 5-a-side soccer. Most of these 4 exercises can be performed at home, a gym, or the park, so there’s no need for special gear or equipment – Just a stopwatch (or stopwatch app), a towel and a water bottle. Once you’ve mastered these exercises, sign your team up to a tournament. And the other team will never know what hit ‘em! Interval sprinting 5-a-side soccer is a high intensity game, where you’ll be up and running until the round ends. In order to capitalise on this kind of exercise, you need to look towards high intensity interval training…

Purpose-built 5-a-side football facilities are emerging in force as the new improved version of the game goes from strength to strength. From Fairfield to Caringbah to Tuggerah, purpose-built 5-a-side football facilities are finally here. As of June last year five 5-a-side soccer facilities will be open for business in NSW and VIC. This is a far cry from when 5Sports first opened their doors to the Sutherland Shire football community almost five years ago. Judging by these numbers the phenomenal growth of purpose-built 5-a-side football appears to be on course to continue as it did so spectacularly 20 years ago in the UK. The game in the UK is so popular, where it is reported that over 200 similar facilities exist, that participation numbers have overtaken the more traditional 11-a-side game over the last few years. So what is it about the game that has men, women and children flocking to the…