Beach Soccer
Beach soccer takes football to the seaside. Players are barefoot, the ground is soft sand and the ball often stays in the air. Because dribbling on sand is hard, players lift the ball, volley it and try spectacular overhead kicks much more often than on grass.
Short and fast
Each team has five players, including the goalkeeper, and substitutions are unlimited. The pitch is about 35 to 37 metres long and 26 to 28 metres wide. A match has three periods of 12 minutes, and there are no draws: if the score is level, the teams play three minutes of extra time and then a penalty shoot-out.
From Brazil to the world
People played football on the beaches of Brazil for generations, and in the 1990s organised beach soccer tournaments began to spread worldwide. FIFA held its first Beach Soccer World Cup in 2005, on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Rules that are different
There is no offside in beach soccer, free kicks are taken without a wall and the player who was fouled usually takes the free kick. Throw-ins can be taken with the hands or the feet.
Quick facts
- Players per side5 including the goalkeeper
- Pitch35–37 × 26–28 m
- Match3 × 12 min
- DrawsNot possible: extra time, then penalties
- FootwearNone – players are barefoot