Afterall, soccer is the world's sport. There are a lot of good players that miss making the Olympics due to the limited quantity of players in outdoor soccer. A lot of players might find out they really do better at indoor than outdoor. There's an olympic sport called handball which I never even knew of until now. There is also water polo - and would have to be at least as popular as water polo. A lot of international futsal players might find themselves more connected to this form of the sport...
I'd be all in favor of it. A different dimension on the world game for the rest of the world to see. By the way, that handball isn't the handball that I remember. Played in a little room with a little ball, that you hit against the wall with the palm of your hand. But, it was almost as interesting as futsul.
In theory it is a good idea. I personally would enjoy watching futsal every four years at the Olympics. It is a niche sport even worldwide. However, to add team sports is very costly, although it would give the handball court more use. Honestly, it isn't going to happen. There was a push to get both futsal and beach soccer into the next Olympics in Brazil, but failed. Both of those sports are more popular in Brazil probably than anywhere else. If it doesn't happen there, doubt it will.
How many sports Olympics sports should there be? How many variations of each (beach, indoor, outdoor, etc.)? How do you decide what should be in and what shouldn't? I'd watch indoor soccer (or futsal, or any variations probably), but I'm wondering at what point they're done just accepting every sport that applies? The only one I can think of that isn't in there is baseball (which I believe was kicked out), and the 'hand held' footballs (rugby league and union, Aussie, American, Canadian).
On paper, both futsal and beach soccer are good fits for the Olympics. Baseball/Softball was discontinued after 2008 but could return. Beach soccer has that novelty that might just make it one of those sports that people would watch every four years, but no other time. Futsal is played throughout Asia, Europe, and South America giving it mass appeal. It is already governed by FIFA (mostly) and FIFA could lobby the IOC for its inclusion. There was even fanciful talk about FIFA pulling the u23 tourney from the games and replacing it with futsal. They were worried that the World Cup would be overshadowed by the Olympics. The Olympic tournaments this year were very good, so I don't see soccer going anywhere. Who knows if Futsal has a chance. BTW, rugby makes it return to the games in 2016!
I'd like to see baseball make a comeback but it's a sport dominated by the Americas and Japan. Moreover, the host has to build a park specifically for baseball, unless they have one. Indoor soccer/futsal can be played in the same venue as handball or even the basketball venue. In addition, it is a sport that has more connections with more countries than baseball or basketball even.
Never say never: http://www.futsal-futbol.com/featured/futsal-and-the-olympics/ The main reason it was rejected for the London Olympics was because of the absence of a women’s futsal world cup. But FIFA fixed the problem in 2010 when Brazil hosted the Inaugural Women’s Futsal World Cup.
I thought you were talking about American indoor soccer. American indoor soccer ain't happening. Futsal is more likely, I'll give you that.
They did at one time get to stage a demonstration sport, but I don't believe that is the case anymore. I think futsal's chance was Brazil, but no dice. If FIFA was smart, they would push for its inclusion. It is the only way that futsal catches fire as a spectator sport (not that I think that it will). Come to think of it, all the America haters could gang up and lobby to add it. They would love to include futsal. Another sport we couldn't medal in and even the medal count up a bit.
If indoor soccer ever had a chance to get into the Olympics, 1984 would have been the year to have it as a "demonstration sport."
Baseball and tennis were the demonstration sports that year. Indoor soccer would have had zero chance getting in over baseball. Especially in LA.
Indoor soccer as it is played here in America couldn't even get itself as a demonstration sport at the county fair, let alone the Olympics.
If I remember correctly the governing body of the sport (FIFA) also has to agree to add the sport. FIFA almost pulled soccer out of the Olympics because they though it devalued the World Cup. That is why the Olympic Soccer tournament is essentially an Under 23 competition. (three overage players per team are allowed) Since Futsal is the official indoor version of soccer, the dasher board variety does not stand a chance. Besides, how many countries play this version? Mexico, US, Canada, UK 5 a side, who else?
Olympics? No. That's not happening. Pan American Games? There's a long (long, long, long, long) shot. Futsal was in Rio's program but removed afterward. World Games? There's your possibility. They let all sorts of random stuff in.
From the size of the players shorts that looks like the 80's and it's the UK. I know there was some action in the UK in the 80's since Kenny Cooper was at one time working on a UK division, teams something of the sort for the original MISL. If I remember, the Blast even played a few games over there. Syd, can you add any more?
There was supposed to be a Professional Indoor Football League that was going to merge with the WISL, but supposedly they couldn't get it sanctioned. I think that was a smokescreen excuse. If I recall they even had the teams and rosters. It was kind of going to be like the Masters league with some upper 30s-early 40s EPL players on the teams. I remember the Blast played Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday. I think the last game the Blast ever played was overseas after the 1991-92 season.