NEWPORT County AFC will be launching their new Futsal Programme in conjunction with The Football League Trust Education at Llanwern High School tomorrow.

This two-year course for 16 to 19-year-olds will allow individuals to study towards a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport at the Newport school while training full time within the Futsal Programme under the tutorship of fully qualified coaches.

Futsal is played on a smaller pitch than regular football and mainly played indoors.

The name comes from the Portuguese futebol de salão, which can be translated as ‘hall football’.

During the sport's second world championships held in Madrid in 1985, the Spanish name fútbol sala was used. Since then, all other names have been officially and internationally changed to futsal.

It was developed in Brazil and Uruguay in the 1930s and 1940s. In Brazil futsal is played by more people than football but does not attract as many spectators as the outdoor sport. Several futsal players have moved on to careers as successful professional football players.

Futsal is a game played between two teams of five players each, including a goalkeeper.

Unlimited substitutions are permitted and, unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface but walls or boards are not used. The game is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football due to the surface of the pitch.

The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.