Futsal: the thinking player's game that doesn't hurt the head

With a smaller, heavier ball, the game is played on the ground, which means less worry about head injuries

Gone are the days when primary-school children were condemned to wincing, eyes shut tightly in fear, as a heavy leather football smashed against their heads. But despite advances in technology making the balls lighter there is clearly more to be done to safeguard children. In Futsal, a Fifa-sanctioned version of five-a-side football, players use their heads more, even though the ball rarely touches it. Futsal is the thinking player’s game.

Formed from the contraction of futebol de salão (Portguese) and fútbol sala (Spanish) meaning hall football, it is an indoor sport, played five against five on a court somewhere between a basketball court (28m x 15m) and a handball court (40m x 20m).