Futsal vs. Arena Soccer: What's the Difference?

The Strykers are about to announce some big news regarding the USA National FUTSAL Team and some Strykers players.  But wait, you say…what is FUTSAL?  And what does it have to do with the Major Arena Soccer League and the Empire Strykers?

Well, I am glad you asked.

Futsal is a fast-paced, five-a-side indoor soccer variation played on a hard-court surface. The game emphasizes quick reflexes, precise passing, and technical ball control in tight spaces, so it is more similar to the Arena Soccer game played by the MASL and the Empire Strykers at Toyota Arena than the FIFA World Cup games everyone is watching now.

The same qualities in players that make them great at the Arena Soccer game make them good in FUTSAL.

Each team has five players on the court, including one goalkeeper. FUTSAL is played with a smaller, heavier ball (typically size 4) with less bounce than a standard soccer ball. The game is played on a hard court with painted boundary lines, rather than using walls or artificial turf.  The game is fast, played in two 20-minute halves, with the clock stopping every time the ball goes out of play ( a key difference from MASL, where the walls are played off of, and the ball rarely goes out of play.

There are several highly competitive international futsal competitions, though they primarily operate as continental club tournaments or national team tournaments rather than a single, year-round global league.

UEFA Futsal Champions League is the premier international club tournament in the world. The best professional clubs across Europe—such as Sporting CP and Palma—compete annually for the continental title.

Copa Libertadores de Futsal is the top South American club tournament, governed by CONMEBOL, featuring elite powerhouse clubs from countries like Brazil and Argentina. The ultimate international tournament for national teams. Both men's and women's national teams are in the FIFA FUTSAL World Cup, which produces a true world champion.

The United States has both official men's and women's national futsal teams, governed by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) and the U.S. Futsal Federation. The teams compete in CONCACAF and international tournaments, with the men’s team having appeared in six FIFA Futsal World Cups. The men’s and women’s programs function at both the senior international and youth levels:

The men's squad first played internationally in 1984. They earned their best finish of second place at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Cup, and then U.S. Soccer established the first official women's national futsal team in 2023 under head coach Márcia Taffarel. The program is now led by head coach Diego Burato. [1]

Development & Youth: The US Youth Futsal (USYF) organization runs the Futsal ID program, which identifies and trains top youth talent. Similarly, the U.S. Futsal Federation hosts annual national tournaments like the U.S. Futsal National Championships.

You will soon be hearing some exciting news about some Empire Strykers players and FUTSAL, and remember, in November, Empire Strykers Arena Soccer is coming back locally. Fans looking for an indoor soccer league near me or high-octane indoor soccer in California can watch the Empire Strykers, the premier arena soccer team serving the Inland Empire.

If you are looking to buy Strykers season tickets or single-game Empire Strykers tickets to watch professional MASL soccer live, you can find them at www.theempirestrykers.com. Fans can also head over to the team store to gear up with their favorite Empire Strykers fan gear for the fast-paced indoor action.