Futsal vs. Handball — What's the Difference?

Indoor football game.

Olympic team sport.

Focus on ball control.

Seven players per team.

Smaller ball, less bounce.

Uses a larger ball.

Played on hard surfaces.

Goal-centric.

5-a-side format.

Physical and dynamic.

Futsal is an association football game played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football.Invented in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930 —in the midst of the fervor left by 1st FIFA World Cup— by the gym teacher Juan Carlos Ceriani, Futsal rapidly reached worldwide popularity.

Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.

See indoor soccer.

A game similar to fives, in which the ball is hit with the hand in a walled court.

A form of soccer played indoors, with five players per team.

Touching of the ball with the hand or arm, constituting a foul

A game that is played, often on a four-walled court, by two or more players who alternately hit a small rubber ball against the front wall with the hand, with play stopping if the ball bounces twice on the floor or does not reach the front wall.

The ball used in this game.

Team handball.

Often hand ball A violation of the rules in soccer in which a player other than the goalie inside the penalty area carries, strikes, or propels the ball with the hand or arm. A hand ball is usually called when the hand or arm is away from the body and touches the ball.

(uncountable) A team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.

(countable) The medium-sized inflated ball used in this sport.

The offence of a player other than the goalkeeper touching the ball with the hand or arm on the field during play.

A sport in which players alternately strike the ball against a wall with their hand. Irish and American variants have slightly different rules.

The small rubber ball used in this sport.

An act of passing a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.

A schoolyard game in which a tennis ball is struck with the hand, played on a improvised court on the asphalt or pavement.

To manually load or unload a container, trailer, or to otherwise manually move bulk goods (often on pallets) from one type of transport receptacle to another.

(soccer) To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm.

(Australian rules football) To (legally) pass a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.

To insert a hand into someone's anus.

A small ball, usually made of rubber, thrown or struck with the hand in various games.

A game played with such a ball, as by players striking it to and fro between them with the hands, or, when played in a walled court or against a single wall, striking it in turns against a wall, until one side or the other fails to return the ball.

A small rubber ball used in the game of handball

A game played in a walled court or against a single wall by two or four players who strike a rubber ball with their hands

Futsal is a variant of football played on a smaller, hard court, emphasizing ball control and skill.

A handball team has seven players on the court, including the goalkeeper.

Handball involves two teams passing and throwing a ball to score goals in the opponent's net.

Key skills in handball include throwing, catching, agility, and teamwork.

A smaller, low-bounce ball is used in futsal to enhance control and ground play.

Goals in futsal are scored by kicking or heading the ball into the opponent's goal.

Players cannot use their hands in futsal, except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area.

Futsal courts vary in size but are significantly smaller than football pitches, emphasizing close play.

In handball, scoring is achieved by throwing the ball into the opponent's net.

A futsal game consists of two 20-minute halves with the clock stopped for various stoppages.

Each futsal team has five players, including the goalkeeper.

Futsal focuses on technical skill, particularly ball control and quick passing.

Handball emphasizes physical fitness, teamwork, and the ability to throw and catch the ball effectively.

Physical contact is allowed in handball, but it is regulated by strict rules to maintain fair play.

A handball court is larger than a futsal court, measuring 40x20 meters, allowing more room for dynamic play.