Beach soccer is growing in popularity by the day. When soccer is mentioned most people think of the traditional soccer game that is played on a field. Most soccer teams, including the soccer World Cup teams, do in fact play this most widely recognized form of soccer. This form of soccer is known as beach soccer.

Beach soccer, as its name implies, is most often played on the beach. The sandy surface is the driving force behind many of the differences between standard soccer play and beach soccer play. The difference most easily spotted when looking at the players on a [tag-tec]beach soccer[/tag-tec] team is that the players are barefoot. Ankle guards are permitted, but under no circumstances is any beach soccer player allowed to wear shoes.

[tag-tec]Beach soccer[/tag-tec] also requires a more thorough preparation of the playing field. Obviously, playing barefoot requires the playing surface to be free of pebbles, rocks, and seashells. The playing field in beach soccer is also a different size than in traditional soccer. A standard sized playing field in traditional soccer is 90 to 120 meters long and 45 to 90 meters wide. A beach soccer field, on the other hand, is only 35 to 37 meters long, and 26 to 28 meters wide. Running on sand is more difficult than running on grass or artificial turf, so it would be very difficult for beach soccer players to utilize a standard sized playing field. Playing time consists of three equal periods of 12 minutes each with a three minute break between each period. There are a total of five players allowed on the field for each team including the goalkeeper.

Like traditional soccer, beach soccer also has an international tournament known as the World Cup. The Beach [tag-tec]Soccer World Cup[/tag-tec] is held annually, rather than every four years like the traditional soccer World Cup is. However, the Beach Soccer World Cup is organized by the same group that oversees the World Cup. Between the years of 1995 and 2004, it was known as the Beach Soccer World Championships. During these years, the tournament was not organized by FIFA, but by Beach Soccer Worldwide, a group based in Spain. While the number of teams in the traditional World Cup is 32, the number of teams in the Beach Soccer World Cup fluctuates.

In the year 2001, the Portuguese team took home the Beach Soccer World Championships title, and in the year 2005, the French team won the Beach Soccer World Cup. Just over two years ago, [tag-tec]beach soccer[/tag-tec] became a part of the FIFA family, and the first-ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was staged on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. To everyone’s surprise, France defeated Portugal in the final, while hot favorites Brazil lost in the semis.

The 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was held in Rio de janeiro in November with 16 teams competing. The final was played between Mexico and Brazil with Brazil winning 8-2 and going on to dominate the awards presentation by taking out all the major awards on offer. The 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will be held in Marseille, France in July 2008.

With the introduction of an international beach soccer tournament, and the popularity of the beach in general, beach soccer has grown tremendously over the past few years. Beach soccer offers an alternative to more commonplace beach games such as volleyball. As more countries join the Beach Soccer World Cup, the popularity of beach soccer is sure to continue to grow.