Jump to content

futsal, PASL, MISL, CMISL


Recommended Posts

Sometimes in sports that are trying to build popularity, or even just trying to stay afloat, there seems to be an issue with leagues. Mostly too many.

Could someone please explain why PASL and MISL don't merge? I know one prefers different scoring methods and points distributed, but enough to keep from having one solid league?

Why is futsal the only kind of indoor soccer that FIFA supports?

This isn't the only time I have been confused at how sports leagues opperate. The most confusing isn't even soccer, but lacrosse. The MLL and NLL comes to mind. I realize that one is indoor and one is outdoor, but neither have any stability. Create one league and accept the sacrifices. Imagine this; There might not be a pro outdoor league anymore, but The pro indoor league is thriving and lacrosse is gaining momentum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could someone please explain why PASL and MISL don't merge? I know one prefers different scoring methods and points distributed, but enough to keep from having one solid league?

Why is futsal the only kind of indoor soccer that FIFA supports?

On the first question my impression is that it's based on scale of operations and budgets. The PASL play out of indoor soccer facilities and budget for crowds in the low hundreds for the part while MISL are still chasing the dream from the 80s when indoor soccer was briefly challenging the NBA and NHL for popularity in some cities by playing in in hockey/basketball arenas and probably still have a break even point of several thousand spectators. On the second one I think it's based on it being much easier to find a suitable place to play futsal in poorer countries and also the playing the ball off the wall aspect of the North American indoor game was too radical a departure from the traditions of soccer to find universal acceptance elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest GoGreen

My educated guess would be that MISL or American indoor leagues are way too inventive when it comes to the rules. Rules such as penalty minutes, power plays, 2 and 3 point shooting ranges is only going to catch on in North America in which they identify with those rules from other sports basketball & hockey. Anywhere else and its too far a deviation away from the original beautiful game.

If MISL or the past NPSL just stuck to playing the game pure even if it was in boarded arena's it would catch on. They are/were/still trying to create their own game and FIFA doesnt stand for it neither does anyone else in the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....

Why is futsal the only kind of indoor soccer that FIFA supports?

....

Played indoor for years. As the winter alternative to football I used to think it was pretty good. Am playing futsal currently and you know what? I think FIFA has got it right.

Indoor soccer with boards can be fun but it ain't soccer. No sir, not by a long shot.

As #1 Nephew says, it's like bowling with "the rails up". Yeah, sure, technically it's still bowling, but probably is still something that is best left to the toddlers.

Not saying futsal is soccer, just saying it's a way closer cousin to the sport than the box/rink soccer we like to call the indoor version in NA.

Honestly, can't even imagine playing "indoor" anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indoor boarded is a relic-and hopefully it goes away. The skills required and the mental element are nothing like the real game-kids who play it dont require close control and the long boot is rewarded with success. A great alternative for those who find futsal a little slower paced is 7 v 7 indoor non boarded on a 45 by 75 indoor field. This game is catching on and i have seen semi pros play it and it is the beatifull game with more goals. All the same rules as real soccer but a slightly faster pace and more shots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is only so much money and volunteer time to be expended on the game of soccer -this is why i wish it wasnt "wasted" on the indoor boarded game. This is a fine game for house league kids or over 40s who only want 3 minute shifts..but real soccer players shouldnt waste their time on it and soccer investors and sponsors shouldnt waste their money on it. Just my two bits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which is why an even newer pro league is starting up from our good friends at USL. It also seems that some of these players are "true" soccer players, and use the indoor game for training and conditioning.

USL is a relic :)

I find the arena soccer variant fun to watch and still go to the games when work doesn't mess me up. As far as conditioning the sprinting done in the arena game is obvious. That said I've fallen in love with Futsal and watch the online foreign games. It is a vastly superior form of indoor soccer IMHO. The development potential for kids is way better than arena soccer because they learn young to control the ball, if you punt and chase in futsal you turn the ball over constantly. Lines instead of boards are a huge benefit.

Sometimes I think we look at problems from the wrong angle in North America. The rest of the world has the same problem of how to play indoors that we do. Even places like Brazil and Spain have population density issues where there just isn't enough fields to play on.

When you bring the outdoor soccer ball indoors it bounces too much because there is no grass to absorb some of the energy. We look at that problem and try to bring the grass indoors costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The rest of the world looks at this problem and makes a ball that doesn't bounce as much costing $30.00.

Once you get rid of the requirement for boards and special surface you can play in any large gym. Using shared facilities gives you access to a lot more places to play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

USL is a relic :)

I find the arena soccer variant fun to watch and still go to the games when work doesn't mess me up. As far as conditioning the sprinting done in the arena game is obvious. That said I've fallen in love with Futsal and watch the online foreign games. It is a vastly superior form of indoor soccer IMHO. The development potential for kids is way better than arena soccer because they learn young to control the ball, if you punt and chase in futsal you turn the ball over constantly. Lines instead of boards are a huge benefit.

Sometimes I think we look at problems from the wrong angle in North America. The rest of the world has the same problem of how to play indoors that we do. Even places like Brazil and Spain have population density issues where there just isn't enough fields to play on.

When you bring the outdoor soccer ball indoors it bounces too much because there is no grass to absorb some of the energy. We look at that problem and try to bring the grass indoors costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The rest of the world looks at this problem and makes a ball that doesn't bounce as much costing $30.00.

Once you get rid of the requirement for boards and special surface you can play in any large gym. Using shared facilities gives you access to a lot more places to play.

The funny thing too is that with hockey arenas in many cases being used for minor league lacrosse, and having removable boards, you could get decent spectator-sized places with concrete floors and no walls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bah, just kidding.

In a debate between boards and Futsal, it isn't a contest as far as development goes.

Board style rink stuff is good for adults that want to get into shape.

True, and with the copa canada starting this year for the first time, and what appears to be a lot of growth in futsal in Canada (including coaching and reffing clinics the CSA has put on with UEFA people) it looks like we might have some real competitions without boards in the near term. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope this means we've got a competitive futsal group for the 2015 games in Toronto.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hardly any Futsal being played in Metro Vancouver as there are no gyms available as the schools and traditional gym sports have them already. Same issue when someone said move the outdoor Fall/Winter soccer season in Metro Vancouver to Spring/Summer, not enough fields available as the schools and traditional sports are using them. Those in power at the CSA haven't got a clue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hardly any Futsal being played in Metro Vancouver as there are no gyms available as the schools and traditional gym sports have them already. Same issue when someone said move the outdoor Fall/Winter soccer season in Metro Vancouver to Spring/Summer, not enough fields available as the schools and traditional sports are using them. Those in power at the CSA haven't got a clue.

In a city the size of Vancouver there isn't ONE gym available?

I really find that hard to believe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a city the size of Vancouver there isn't ONE gym available?

I really find that hard to believe.

It can be tough here to find space to do anything. The elementary school gyms are too small, so that eliminates a whole bunch right off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

USL is a relic :)

I find the arena soccer variant fun to watch and still go to the games when work doesn't mess me up. As far as conditioning the sprinting done in the arena game is obvious. That said I've fallen in love with Futsal and watch the online foreign games. It is a vastly superior form of indoor soccer IMHO. The development potential for kids is way better than arena soccer because they learn young to control the ball, if you punt and chase in futsal you turn the ball over constantly. Lines instead of boards are a huge benefit.

Sometimes I think we look at problems from the wrong angle in North America. The rest of the world has the same problem of how to play indoors that we do. Even places like Brazil and Spain have population density issues where there just isn't enough fields to play on.

When you bring the outdoor soccer ball indoors it bounces too much because there is no grass to absorb some of the energy. We look at that problem and try to bring the grass indoors costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The rest of the world looks at this problem and makes a ball that doesn't bounce as much costing $30.00.

Once you get rid of the requirement for boards and special surface you can play in any large gym. Using shared facilities gives you access to a lot more places to play.

Back in the UK as a kid in the 1980`s we played indoor in sports halls with a fleece covered ball heavy ball. we didnt rotate after 2 mins but played out the game in one session.

Kinda threw me the first indoor master game i played when they started waving me off at 2 mins

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hey guys, long time no chat. Good to be back and love the new developments with the site and also for Canadiansoccernews.com, kudos to all involved.

Now, as my handle suggests, I am slightly a big fan of futsal and wanted to share some thoughts with you on the Copa Canada. The tournament was established to give the best futsal teams in Canada a chance to play at a national futsal championship event and also to show the CSA who the absolute top futsal players in the country are. With the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup looming around the corner, it is imperative that the BEST futsal players are selected to represent our national team.

The national beach soccer team was selected last week and left for Mexico yesterday. That entire team was selected by who you knew. With practically no budget for futsal or beach soccer (the latter is less relevant than futsal in many ways), the players are generally selected from the Edmonton region where the national coach resides. Most futsal people in the country believe that this is precisely how the national futsal team will be selected next year, seeing as the beach soccer coach is also the national futsal coach (Ross Ongaro).

It really is no secret that Montreal and Toronto's leagues, along with the occasional squad from London and Ottawa, have for the last 15-20 years produced the best futsal players in Canada by a country mile. With the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference offering college futsal for both men and women in 3 tournaments every year it is a big step for that region. Unfortunately the rest of the prairies along with BC and the Maritimes currently have nothing significant operating for top elite futsal.

The Copa Canada will give any top team a chance to dethrone the traditional powers and show what they got. Results will tell the tale of who the best is and hopefully the best will be selected by the CSA to represent the red and white

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a new futsal league in lower mainland BC that is taking place at the Richmond Olympic Oval, which is a spectacular venue. The tournament, which takes place this weekend, is a catalyst for their league which kicks off in January.

It's the main story right now on the www.futsalcanada.ca website. Great news for the sports progress in BC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Some great news going on right now in futsal. The first real Canadian Futsal Championships, called the Copa Canada, are going ahead from April 1-3rd in Toronto which is great news. We've needed a true national championships with FIFA rules after years of having the AMF version. Teams from Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec and Ontario are expected to come and compete for titles at U14, U16, U18, mens and womens divisions.

It will be an open competition to any and all futsal and indoor teams though first priority goes towards futsal league and provincial champions. Should be exciting stuff.

Also, the Futsal Player Identification Camps (F-PIC's) are starting off on February 19-20th at Seneca College. Essentially, various futsal leagues have been identifying their top players between 14-17 and will send them for a weekend to get some high intensity on court and in classroom trainings ny the best futsal people in Canada. If any Voyageurs know of any diamonds in the rough please by all means send me a PM. The cost for those selected is FREE, that's right, everything is covered except overnight lodging and food.

Lastly, the Penalty ball contest closes on January 7th. Go and enter at www.futsalcanada.ca as it is a rather spectacular ball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...