Basics

For all you that have never heard of putsal or maybe you have but would like to learn more about it, here are some basics:

The game is played with a mini basketball or volleyball or whatever is available. Right now, the official ball is a mini basketball. Anyway, the game is fairly basic if you ever play it, but it may seem complicated in written form. Basically, it is a 2v2 game played with hockey nets in any playing space. The pitch itself should probably be made of grass, although dirt and streets are okay too. It should not be so big, no more than about 30 yards long and maybe 15 yards wide. Anyway, select a team to start, the other team gets to choose which end they want to defend. The ball is played using your wrists or hands, by batting it up continuosly into the air. If the ball hits the ground, it is the other team's ball. Also, if the ball goes over the out of bounds line, it is the other team's ball. You basically pass the ball to a teammate by batting the ball to them, and then they bat it upwards to keep posession. To shoot, you 'spke' the ball, sort of like in volleyball, into the goal. However, you cannot shoot from either behind half or in the oipposing team's box. The box is a soccer-style box around your goal that is usually about 3 by 3 yards big. You are allowed to go in your opposing team's box, just not shoot in it. The box's main purpose, however, is to be the boundaries for the goalkeeper. There is no designated goalkeeper such as in other sports, so if you happen to be in the box, you could be the keeper. Goalies are allowed outside the box, but may not do their priveleges outside the box as they can while inside the box. If you are the goalkeeper and you are inside the box, you can hold on to the ball, and if the ball is dropped inside the box it is still in play. The ball is also still in play if the ball comes out of the box off of the goalkeeper or the crossbar/posts. Another noteworthy rule is that you cannot shoot from behind half. Also, for it to be out of bounds or in the goal, the ball must fully cross the line. Whenever the ball goes out of bounds, the team it did not hit out of gets the ball. to play it, you may throw it in to a teammate. If it goes over the net, you play it from one of the sides. Footwear should be sneakers, or preferably indoor soccer shoes. As far as fouls go, you are allowed to bump a little, but if you are ruthlessly hacking you will get a yellow card. Two yellows equal a red. If a foul is bad enough a straight red card will be shown. A red card means a one game suspension after the game you play.