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What’s the Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Soccer?

The most popular sport in the world, soccer, has many variations that fit different settings and player tastes, but indoor and outdoor soccer are the two most common styles. While the purpose of the two-game variations is the same—to score goals by getting the ball into the opponent's nets—there are significant differences in the playing field, regulations, number of players, and even the tactics used.

A clear distinction between indoor and outdoor soccer is the playing field used. Outdoor soccer is played on expansive, open grounds typically composed of natural grass, artificial turf, or even sand. Although their dimensions can vary, these fields are normally 360 feet (109.73 meters) long and 225 feet (68.58 meters) wide. Long passes, tactical formations, and a more diversified style of play are all made possible by this large field.

Indoor soccer, on the other hand, is played on considerably smaller, enclosed pitches that are frequently encircled by boards or walls. A fraction of the size of an outdoor soccer field, an indoor soccer pitch should be between 175 and 210 feet (53.34 to 64 meters) long and 100 feet (30.48 meters) wide, according to the US Soccer Federation. Usually made of hardwood or synthetic turf, the field's surrounding walls are an important part of the game. Unlike outdoor soccer, where the football is out of play once it crosses the sidelines, indoor soccer allows the ball to bounce off the walls, keeping the game moving fast.

There are also notable differences in the number of players on the pitch during an indoor and outdoor soccer match. 10 outfield players, including defenders, midfielders, and forwards, plus one goalie make up each outdoor soccer team's 11 players. Because there are more players, outdoor soccer requires greater teamwork and well-planned attacking and defensive plays.

With the goalkeeper included, teams in most indoor soccer leagues have five to seven players. As fewer players are on the field, each player must assume an expanded range of duties, often having to attack and defend as situations change.

The length of the game is an additional difference. Two 45-minute halves and a 15-minute halftime break make up an outdoor soccer match's 90-minute duration. To make up for pauses in play brought on, for instance, by player injuries, stoppage time is frequently added at the end of each half during these games.

Indoor soccer matches last 60 minutes and are usually split into four quarters or two halves, with breaks of less than five minutes. A shorter game time is required because of the smaller playing field and physically intensive style of play, which needs players to be nimble, and always on the go.

As an indoor soccer match progresses, team coaches can make unlimited substitutions, and these substitutions can be made on the fly, similar to ice hockey, meaning a player can leave the field and another can come on without waiting for play to halt. Following their substitution, players are permitted to rejoin the game.

Depending on the league, outdoor soccer teams are typically only allowed to make three to five substitutes during the game. Only when the game has stopped, such as after the football has been booted off the field, may substitutions be made. A player is not allowed to return to the field after being substituted. Since coaches must strike a balance between resting players and preserving the team's tactical arrangement, this gives strategic importance to when and who is substituted.