Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football , or fast football ) is a five-a-side or six-a-side version of minifootball , derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor soccer, as it is most often known in the United States and Canada , was originally developed in these two countries as a way to play soccer during the winter months, when snow would make outdoor play difficult. In those countries, gymnasiums are adapted for indoor soccer play. In other countries the game is played in either indoor or outdoor arenas surrounded by walls, and is referred to by different names (such as "fast football" ( futbol rapido ) in Mexico , Futebol Society or showbol in Brazil , and "indoor football" ( futbol indoor ) in Spain ).
33-651: The American Indoor Soccer League was a semi-professional indoor soccer league founded in 2002 and folded in 2008. Founded in 2002, the AISL's headquarters were in West Springfield, Massachusetts , but the media relations office was in Cleveland , Ohio . The 2005–06 season started with promise, starting with six teams, but the New Mexico Storm and Detroit-Windsor Border Stars decided not to play in
66-418: A controlled environment where they could indulge in their passion year-round. Rules vary between governing bodies, but some of the nearly universal rule deviations from association football include: Beyond these common threads, the sport is structured according to the idiosyncrasies of individual leagues. Most of these rules are adopted from other arena sports like ice hockey . Below is a listing of some of
99-699: A name in common usage for the venue. The arena, as well as the overall The O2 complex, is named after its primary sponsor, the telecommunications company O2 , a subsidiary of Virgin Media O2 . Following the closure of the Millennium Experience at the end of 2000, the Millennium Dome was leased to Meridian Delta Ltd. in December 2001, for redevelopment as an entertainment complex. This included plans for an indoor arena. Construction of
132-568: Is also played in several European countries. In the United Kingdom, Masters Football is the most well-known competition. Tournaments among Masters teams (consisting of veteran former players from professional 11-a-side teams from each country) are regularly played. In Spain, some over-30 ex-professionals represent their clubs in the Liga Fertiberia which plays a five-a-side variant. The European indoor soccer federation, known as
165-679: Is more popular in Canada, field lacrosse in the United States ). Indoor soccer is especially popular in Northern Canada due to the often unplayable outdoor conditions and its appearance in the Arctic Winter Games . The United States Indoor Soccer Association was founded in 1998. USIndoor soccer oversees all indoor soccer sports as well as "arena soccer" and "Futsal" in the United States. Major Arena Soccer League
198-573: Is most popular in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with several amateur, collegiate and professional leagues functioning. While internationally less popular than futsal, indoor soccer is also played at the league level in many countries outside North America. The World Minifootball Federation (WMF) is the governing body of indoor soccer at the international level, having replaced the International Fast Football Federation (FIFRA). The term minifootball , which
231-600: Is not to be confused with the term used in Russia and some other former Soviet countries, where the term mini-football is used to describe futsal . Indoor soccer's journey within Australia can be traced back to its emergence as a response to challenges posed by weather conditions and limited outdoor space. As the sport gained traction, purpose-built indoor facilities started to dot the Australian landscape, offering players
264-541: Is played on synthetic turf (or, in the case of the British Masters Football variety, synthetic carpet). Indoor soccer courts are either delimited by walls or lines, and there are no player throw-ins . FIFA , the international body that oversees international association football competitions, does not sanction the synthetic turf version of indoor soccer, having developed its own code of indoor football (which they refer to as futsal ). Indoor soccer
297-704: Is the top indoor soccer league in North America. Indoor soccer or futbol rapido has also become a popular sport in Mexico, being included as part of the Universiada (University National Games) and the CONADEIP (Private School Tournament), in which university school teams from all over Mexico compete. In Mexico, "indoor" soccer fields are frequently built outdoors (though indoor courts are also used in some tournaments). In 2012 an eight-team indoor soccer league
330-539: The AO Arena in Manchester. The ground surface can also be changed between ice rink, basketball court, exhibition space, conference venue, private hire venue and concert venue. The arena was designed to reduce echoing, a problem common among older arenas used for concerts. On 18 February 2022 during Storm Eunice , large sections of the arena's fabric roof were shredded, causing the evacuation of 1,000 people, and
363-606: The European Minifootball Federation (EMF), organizes the European Minifootball Championship (miniEURO) every year, and in recent years countries have established national minifootball associations. EMF organize variations of six-a-side football and this could come in different shapes and sizes from a large custom-built facility with multiple pitches or even an 11-a-side pitch temporarily split into smaller pitches. This
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#1732794394053396-626: The 30 June 2023 go-home episode of Friday Night SmackDown beforehand, which was the first time the show aired live on BT Sport (Now known as TNT Sports ). In October 2023, American singer Madonna opened her 40th anniversary concert series, The Celebration Tour , in the O2 Arena. The six shows at the venue were sold out in minutes. In July 2024, the American band The Killers on the Rebel Diamonds Tour sold out six shows at
429-761: The AISL just before the season got under way. In 2006, the league announced the membership of the Canton Crusaders, but the team's membership was revoked after the ownership was unable to fulfill its financial obligations. In 2008 with the Cincinnati Excite going on hiatus, and the Massachusetts Twisters and Rockford Rampage moving to the National Indoor Soccer League , the 2008–09 campaign was canceled. On December 23, 2008, all news stories were dropped from
462-611: The O2 will host F1 75 Live, a special launch event for the 2025 Formula One World Championship in which all 10 teams and 20 drivers will be present to unveil their season liveries and to launch Formula One's 75th anniversary season. This will be the first time in the history of the Formula One World Championship where all competing teams reveal their liveries together and at the same time. Despite being open for only 200 days per year (the equivalent of seven months),
495-491: The United States. There are also regional federations who govern the sport including: African Minifootball Federation (AMF), Asian Minifootball Confederation (AMC), Confederación Panamericana de Minifútbol (CPM), European Minifootball Federation (EMF), Oceania Minifootball Federation (OMF). Before Futsal was overseen by FIFA, the first Futsal World Champion was held in São Paulo, Brazil. This competition took place in 1982 and
528-495: The arena for her Sweetener World Tour on 17, 19, and 20 August 2019 as well as 15 and 16 October 2019. On 30 November 2019, JoJo Siwa became the youngest person to perform in the O2 Arena at the age of 16, as part of her D.R.E.A.M. The Tour . On 14 May 2022, Little Mix held the final show of The Confetti Tour , called The Last Show (For Now) in the O2, which was their last show before their indefinite hiatus. Along with performing there live to 20,000 they also livestreamed
561-465: The arena started in 2003, and finished in 2007. In December 2004, after the interior of the dome had been largely cleared and before building work inside began, the dome was used as the main venue for the annual Crisis Open Christmas organised by the London-based homelessness charity Crisis . Owing to the impossibility of using cranes inside the dome structure, the arena's roof was constructed on
594-511: The arena, with the main stage accessible only to ticket-holders. The seventh C2C was held on 8–10 March 2019. The arena has hosted the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four between 10 and 12 May 2013. Ariana Grande was scheduled to perform on 25 and 26 May 2017 as part of her Dangerous Woman Tour , but the event was cancelled after the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May. The event was not rescheduled. Grande, however, held five concerts at
627-414: The ground within the dome and then lifted; the arena building's structure was then built around the roof. The arena building, which houses the arena and the arena concourse, is independent from all other buildings in the O2 and houses all the arena's facilities. The arena building itself takes up 40% of the total dome structure. The seating arrangement throughout the whole arena can be modified, similar to
660-477: The more common ones: The O2 Arena The O2 Arena , commonly known as The O2 , is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, behind Co-op Live and Manchester Arena , and in 2008
693-522: The set list changed every night, so no two shows would be the same. Beginning in July 2009, Michael Jackson was scheduled to hold a 50-show residency at the arena, titled This Is It . However, he died on 25 June, eighteen days before the first scheduled show. The arena hosted the ATP World Tour Finals between 2009 and 2020. During the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics ,
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#1732794394053726-433: The show live to millions for those who could not attend the tour. On 15 October 2022, the O2 hosted a boxing match between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall that was the first time two female boxers headlined at a major venue in the United Kingdom. Shields won, and the fight headlined the first all-female boxing card in the United Kingdom. On 1 July 2023, the O2 Arena hosted WWE Money In The Bank , as well as
759-520: The title. Indoor soccer is a common sport in the United States and especially Canada and you can read differences like Indoor Soccer Vs Futsal in detail, with both amateur and professional leagues, due to the short season for outdoor soccer in Canada and the Northern United States , and the ubiquity of arenas built for ice hockey and basketball which can easily be converted to indoor soccer (similar reasons as to why indoor lacrosse
792-512: The venue and selling over 105,000 tickets. On 2 November 2024, the O2 Arena hosted the finals of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship . T1 of the League of Legends Champions Korea claimed their fifth title against Bilibili Gaming of China's League of Legends Pro League . In May of 2025 the O2 will host two shows from American Rapper Tyler The Creator on his tour supporting his 8th studio album Chromakopia . On 18 February 2025,
825-484: The venue to close. It was later announced that repair works would take place and that the arena was likely to reopen on 25 February 2022, for a UB40 concert. The repairs took place as planned, with the O2 Arena reopened as scheduled. In August 2007, American musician Prince began The Earth Tour: 21 Nights in London , a series of 21 sold-out nights at the venue. The record-breaking run featured many of his hits while
858-484: The venue was referred as the North Greenwich Arena due to Olympics regulations regarding corporate sponsorship of event sites. Since March 2013, the arena has hosted C2C: Country to Country , Europe's largest country music festival, which annually attracts over 20,000 fans. UK and Irish acts, as well as up-and-coming American acts, perform sets several times across various pop-up stages in and around
891-427: The website. Like many other indoor soccer leagues, the AISL also had their own variations on the generally-followed indoor soccer rules. Some of these variations were: Indoor soccer Indoor soccer has different regulations from other versions of association football designed for indoor play, such as futsal and five-a-side football . Unlike futsal, which is played on wooden or ceramic surfaces, indoor soccer
924-507: The world, was held in the O2 Arena in London in 2017. Held outside the auspices of the WMF, this tournament featured players which formerly played in the association football national teams of their home countries. A total of twelve teams participated, with France winning the title. It is intended to make Star Sixes a recurring event; a second edition took place in 2019, with England winning
957-722: Was conducted by the FIFUSA (before FIFA). Brazil came in first in the first Futsal World Tournament (1982) and the second Futsal World Tournament (1985). FIFA overtook this championship in 1989 and renamed the competition the FIFA Futsal World Championship. During its existence, FIFRA organized several indoor soccer tournaments for national teams, including the Indoor Soccer World Championship. The only edition of this tournament took place in Mexico in 1997. No other world championship
990-517: Was launched, which consists of former professional association football players from Liga MX . Indoor soccer is known in Brazil as showbol , with several current regional leagues. Formal national leagues have also been formed in Bolivia, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru. However, the most common variations of indoor soccer played in Brazil are futsal but also futebol society . Indoor soccer
1023-699: Was originally coined in Europe, has been adopted by the WMF as a standard international name for the sport. Indoor soccer is played throughout the world. Currently, the international federation dedicated to promoting the sport is the World Minifootball Federation (WMF) based in Switzerland. The WMF replaced the International Fast Football Federation (FIFRA), which had been based in Mexico and later,
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1056-595: Was played until 2015, when the first WMF World Cup was held in the United States. As of 2019 three WMF World Cups have been organized, with Mexico being the current world champion. A World Cup for Under-21 players was held in Prague in 2018, with the Czech team taking the title. A World Cup for women is planned for 2021 in Kyiv , Ukraine . Star Sixes , an indoor six-a-side football tournament for national teams from around
1089-424: Was the world's busiest music arena. As of 2022, it is the ninth-largest building in the world by volume with a diameter of 365 metres (399 yards) and a height of 52 metres (57 yards). The arena was built under the Millennium Dome (renamed The O2), a large dome-shaped building built to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of the third millennium; as the structure still stands over the arena, The Dome remains
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