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

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]

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. 1 2 3 "Run, Ashique, run: The Kerala speedster who turned India's premier trickster". ESPN. 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  2. 1 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. 1 2 "How Kerala shrunk football to make it its own". Times of India. 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  5. 1 2 "'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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