Futsal in Australia
| Futsal in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Governing body | Football Federation Australia |
| National teams | Men's, Women's |
| First played | 1972 |
| Registered players | 100,000+ |
Futsal in Australia is governed by the Football Federation Australia and its state based futsal associations. Australia has played in all five FIFA Futsal World Cups.[1][2] [3]
History
In 1970, the first competitive indoor soccer game was played in Australia at the YMCA Sporting Complex in Epping, Sydney. It was introduced by Edwin (Eddie) Palmer, a new immigrant, who had recently arrived from East Africa.
In 1971, Dawn Gilligan, Jack Bowder and a few parents of the players taking part in the inaugural competition, took a team to Revesby YMCA. It was played due a wet in the winter football season, which closed outdoor grounds for many weeks. Gilligan and then manager of the YMCA, Joe Brent wrote to England to obtain official rules and the game spread to other YMCAs. The following year the game of futsal, which at the time was experiencing world wide growth, was introduced in the Revesby YMCA, and adapted as a competitive competition for the new season. The popularity of the sport saw it slowly spread to the other states.
In 1977, Brent became first president of the Australian Indoor Soccer Association, which affiliated with FIFuSa two years later. The first national championships took place in Melbourne in 1980.
Competitions
The F-League is the national futsal competition in Australia. It is organised by FFA.
By state or territory
In South Australia, the South Australian Futsal League (SAFL) is the state's premier competition. It was established in 2013, and is insofar yet to be affiliated with Football Federation South Australia.
National teams
The national futsal teams represent Australia in international competition. Australian national teams historically competed in the OFC, though since FFA's move in 2006, Australian teams have competed in AFC competitions.
The Australian futsal team represents Australia at the FIFA Futsal World Cup and the AFC Futsal Championship.
The Australian women's futsal team represents Australia at the Women's Futsal World Tournament.
