The names are sometimes interchanged depending on which country you are in or from, but the games are quite separate. Futebol de Salão is played with a size 2 ball with virtually no bounce. Aside from the ball, the rules are not greatly different and it is true that Futsal has evolved from Futebol de Salão into FIFA's chosen version of a 5-a-side for the world.

FIFA attempted to take over control of Futebol de Salão in 1989. Plans to televise the sport were doomed to failure, caused by the ball being to small to be seen clearly on TV. However, FIFA still seized the chance to make money by selling a new version the game around the world.

They introduced new rules and renamed the game 'Futsal'. One of the most controversial changes was the reduction of the balls weight and increase in ball size (from a size 2 to 4), which made the ball visible on TV screens for the first time.

It is clear to many South American Players that Futsal is more of an adult game and lacks the characteristics of traditional Futebol de Salão that have proved so beneficial to generations young Brazilian children.

Futebol de Salão remained widely played in Brazil right through to the early 1990's before FIFA's insistence on Futsal as the global game took hold. Whether Futsal has the same benefits to young players as Futebol de Salão is doubtful and there is a growing body of academic research which suggests that it would be best for children to play Futebol de Salão and adults to play Futsal.

Birmingham Brazilian Soccer Schools Coach Rob Williams has experience of coaching both games to young players. Rob says; "I spent years in the US teaching and Playing Futsal. It is a great game for grown men and women to play, but when coaching children there is nothing that compares to Futebol de Salão. Futsal shares to many of the characteristics of conventional Soccer, there is very little there that encourages the dribbling and fast passing game that we see through FDS."

In Chile, Futebol de Salão remains unaffected as the most participated sport in the country.

Socrates - Brazilian Captain and a Doctor of Medicine 

“You’ve rescued the game of Futebol de Salão. So many players who I played with would be interested in the fact you have done this.

We still enjoy playing it, but in Brazil we can’t even buy a ball, FIFA have ruined the game with a bouncing and a high ball.

Why change? For money! They call it Futsal, it's not, it's a completely different game.”
 

- Socrates, whilst visiting one of our Brazilian Soccer Schools in Nov 2004