5-a-side football is a smaller and faster variant of traditional football, typically played indoors. It is played on a small field - usually with barriers - and the game duration is significantly shorter.

The Basics

• Each team consists of five players, including the goalkeeper.

• Matches last 7-10 minutes.

• It is played indoors on artificial turf or sports hall flooring, or outdoors on cement or cinder.

• Players can enter and leave the field without stopping the game and can make unlimited "flying" substitutions. However, substitutions often occur after a goal to maintain the flow of the game.

Important Rules

• Goals only count from the halfway line.

• The back-pass rule applies: goalkeepers are not allowed to handle the ball if it has been passed to them by a teammate.

• A foul results in an indirect free kick for the opposing team.

• Fouls in the penalty area result in a penalty kick, which is taken from a distance of 7 meters.

• Like in traditional football, there are yellow and red cards. Especially in casual games, there is usually no referee, so both teams should play fairly and admit to fouls.

5-a-side football is a successful variation of large-field football with minor adjustments to the rules.

If you want to try 5-a-side football, check out the sessions on JUGAD. There hobby players organize games that you can easily join!