Sevens football

Sevens football is a variation form of association football played in India with seven players on each side, typically in a smaller field than a full-size football pitch.[1][2] Professional sevens football is predominantly popular in northern Kerala in southern India.[3] The matches in Sevens tournaments are often played to fully packed stadiums.[4] The refereeing in the games is not as strict as in regular football and games can be physical and injury-prone.[1] Sevens tournaments have also attracted players from other parts of India,[5] as well as international players including some from Africa.[6] Matches are held from November to May (suspended during the monsoon break).[2]

SFA Logo
Sevens Football Association (SFA) Logo
Characteristics
Team members7 per side
TypeSports
EquipmentFootball
VenueFootball pitch
Presence
Country or regionSouth India
OlympicNo
ParalympicNo

The Sevens' Football Association (SFA) organizes around 50+ Sevens tournaments among different clubs across South India.[7]

Several footballers from South India, including India internationals such as I. M. Vijayan,[5] Ashique Kuruniyan, and Anas Edathodika, credit their experiences in Sevens tournaments for helping them improve their footballing skills and develop their passion for the sport.[8][1]

References
  1. "Run, Ashique, run: The Kerala speedster who turned India's premier trickster". ESPN. 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  2. "FIFA discovers the beauty of Sevens Football: What's this format and why is it so popular in Kerala". ESPN. 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  3. "Sevens football season kicks off in Kerala". 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  4. "How Kerala shrunk football to make it its own". Times of India. 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  5. "'Sevens football helps me retain my passion for the game'". Sportstar. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  6. "The African footballers changing the game in India". BBC. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  7. "Sevens the lifeline of country football". The New Indian Express. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  8. "From Malappuram Sevens to Kerala Blasters - Anas Edathodika remembers his roots". Yahoo! Sports. 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
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