Northern Ireland ’s first ever futsal squad have been presented with their international caps.

The players made history back in December when they made their bow at the Futsal Home Nations Championships.

At a caps presentation ceremony held at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park both the achievements of the team and backroom staff were celebrated. And the event also highlighted the rapid development of the sport here in the past 18 months.

But what exactly is futsal?

Here is what you need to know...

What is futsal?

Futsal is FIFA's only official five-a-side game. It is a variant of association football which is played on a hard court and mainly indoors. The pitch is smaller than a football pitch. It is also played with a smaller ball.

Where did it originate?

Futsal can be dated back to 1930 when a teacher in Montevideo, Juan Carlos Cerianifir, created a version of indoor football. It was originally devised to be played on basketball courts. Cerianifir wanted to create a game that could be played indoor or outdoor and that was similar to football.

How many players are in each team?

Futsal is played between two teams of five players, including one goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are allowed.

How long does a match last?

There are two halves of 20 minutes and time stops at every dead ball. There is a break of 15 minutes at half-time. Each team may use one time-out per half, which lasts one minute.

So what's so different about it?

The surface, ball and rules invite players to use some improvisation and skill, with technique and ball control important in small spaces.

Any strange rules?

A kick from the second penalty mark is awarded when a team commits six or more fouls in a half. The second penalty mark is 10 m (11 yd) from the goal, and opponents must be behind the ball. The goalkeeper must be at least 5 m (5.5 yd) away. A goal clearance is used instead of a goal kick. The goalkeeper must throw the ball with their hands and it must leave the penalty area within four seconds. If goal clearance is taken illegally the goalkeeper may retry, but the referee will not reset the count. If four seconds elapses, the other team gets an indirect kick on the penalty area line. Unlike football, there is no offside in futsal. Attackers can get much closer to the goal than they can in the traditional outdoor version of football.

For more information about futsal with the Irish FA contact