As the world’s most popular sport gains an increasing amount of attention  here in the States, different variations towards playing the beautiful game have sprouted.

Originating in Brazil, one manner of indoor play is Futsal. Futsal is played on hardwood floors, a lot of time on basketball courts as the dimensions and playing surface meet the standards of Futsal. In the East Bay, many official matches are held in the Alameda Gymnasium. The appeal towards this manner of play is the pace of the match, and extraordinary skill utilized by some of the most talented and respected athletes around the world.

Indoor soccer has become a relatively new obsession with Monte Vista’s class of 2015, and senior Evan Rowe, apart of the recent indoor soccer fever.

“Indoor has become very popular amongst the senior class here at MV, as the pace of the game is faster, and the atmosphere is fun but still very competitive,” senior Evan Rowe said.

Another adaptation of soccer, or football as it is internationally recognized, is regular indoor. This is played on an artificial grass field, which is still significantly shorter than outdoor field. Though the playing space is generally larger than that of a Futsal court. The indoor playing field is surrounded by a wall much like that of a hockey rink, which is partially glass. This maintains the fluidity of the game with less stoppages for out of bounds.

The playing field of an indoor arena has a netted roof, where if the ball hits the net, it is considered out of bounds.  The field is also divided into three segments, and if an aerial ball is played across all three segments, the ball is then turned over to the opposition.

Goal keeper David Henderson is another senior at Monte Vista who regularly enjoys playing indoor on the weekends.

“There is a lot more action as a goalie,” senior David Henderson said.

Given that the fields are significantly smaller, goalies are at risk of getting scored on from almost anywhere on the pitch.

“In my opinion, indoor isn’t quite as fun as outdoor, but the competitive spirit and exciting pace of the game makes it worthwhile,” senior David Henderson said.