We Swear You'd Get a Kick Out of the Largely-Unknown Sport of Beach Soccer

Today, as I perused the stations for possible eligible television entertainment to fill the void of the middle of the day, I stumbled upon beach soccer.

Now, I know, US Americans don't like soccer, we say it's slow, boring, low scoring etc. And compared to basketball and football, it is.

But we have a low-scoring American sport too, baseball, and those of us who love baseball know it's all about the details. That is true too in soccer, or football as the natives call it.

See, Americans are so damn ethnocentric that we can't even call their sport by the right name.

According to FIFA, "The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise of precisely this skillful technique dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China." Many agree though, that the current form of football that is played today dates back to 19th century England.

That "classic" football is the same one loved all over the world today. But there are some variations on the game as well.

Indoor soccer, jorkyball, and beach soccer are all played on a smaller pitch, allowing players to score at-will, from anywhere on on the pitch.

Beach soccer, established in 1992, guarantees quick, exciting play, with something everyone can enjoy—lots of scoring.

The smaller pitch, promoters promise, leads to higher scoring, and by a big margin. Beach football averages 60 shot attempts per game, with a goal every three or four minutes, leading to around 10 goals scored in total a game.

Beach football's pitch is 40 meters long, and 30 meters wide, whereas the "classic" pitch is 90-120 meters long by 45-90 meters wide. The goals are smaller as well, but the scoring stays huge.

In addition to the smaller size, there are only five players per side on the pitch at any time, but they are more free to make plays.

From what I saw when watching on Friday, players can pass back to their keeper and he can pick it up, unlike "classic" football.

Then, since the field is so small, a keeper can throw the ball basically the length of the pitch, attempting to set up passes that resemble American football, rather than England's game.

Another change from the "classic" game is when a player commits a foul, and assessed a yellow or red card, they must leave the pitch for a two-minute penalty, resulting in a "power play" much like in the NHL.

Also, to start this "power play" the player that was fouled gets a free kick from the spot they were fouled—which can result in a goal from anywhere. In the case of a red card, the player may be substituted after the two minutes are up.

Also, an intriguing tweak on the game is the fact that beach football players aren't allowed to wear shoes, but can wear ankle guards. One would think this would lead to balls being struck with less force, but that is incorrect, as these players can literally score from anywhere.

In all, the smaller pitch, on an interesting surface like sand, the ease of scoring from all over, and the quickness of play—all lead to a fun and interesting product for fans.

Because of all that, I am surprised this sport doesn't get more attention, and this is the first time I've heard of it.

Since starting in 1992 with four teams, the Euro BS league now boasts over 20 teams, and there are around 20 countries playing the sport as well.

The 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is set to take place in Dubai from Nov. 16-22, and hopefully there will be TV coverage of this amazing, somewhat new, and entertaining sport.