RollerSoccer, Futins, Football Skating, Roller Foot or roller football is a version of association football (soccer) played on roller skates.

RollerSoccer, Futins, Football Skating, Roller Foot
A practice session between London Fire Rollersoccer players
Highest governing bodyRollerSoccer International Federation, Federation International Football Skating, Futines
First playedLate 19th century
Registered players200
Characteristics
ContactYes
Team members5 per side
TypeTeam sport, ball sport, roller sport
EquipmentFootball (or soccer ball), inline skates or roller skates, pads
VenueRoller rink, 5 a side football court, Outside sports court
Presence
Country or regionAfrica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America
OlympicNo
ParalympicNo

History

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The sport was created in the English Midlands[1] in 1882 and the first documented match was a game between local rivals Derby and Burton on 30 January of that year. A 1934 game at London's Forest Gate Roller Rink, between two teams of female players, was filmed for an item on Pathé News.[2] Over a decade later Billboard reported in 1949 that it had been revived in Detroit, having disappeared for more than thirty years.[3]

The game re-emerged serendipitously in San Francisco in 1995, when a soccer ball rolled into the street while Zack Phillips was inline skating. He instinctively kicked the ball with his skates and immediately envisioned sporting potential. Later that day he brought his own soccer ball to his group of inline skate friends who had previously kicked pine cones while skating.[4] In 1996 Zack established the RollerSoccer International Federation and launched a website and with the help of skate friends. By 1998, it was described as "well established in some areas".[5] In the early 2000's the Futins (Futebol de Patins) organization established by Almir Falcão in Pernambuco, Brazil connected with the RollerSoccer organization.

The first RollerSoccer World Cup was held in London in 2003 and again in 2004 whereafter the tournament was rotated around the world with European and National events also emerging. Fourteen (14) RollerSoccer World Cups or Club World Cups were held through 2019. Post-COVID the world championships are resuming as the Football Skating World Cup 8-18 December in Trabzon, Turkey and a Club World Cup during 2023.

The country with most active players and the highest number of teams is France, with UMS Easy Riders currently the defending Club World Cup Champion. Skaters on inline and roller skates on every continent (except Antarctica) have played soccer/football on skates. Australia[6] and Belgium[7] have interesting history. African and Asian teams have been emerging for many years.

World championships

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  • 2003 (London) :
    • 1st Holland   NED
    • 2nd Germany   GER
  • 2004 (London) :
    • 1st Germany   GER
    • 2nd Holland   NED
  • 2005 (Germany) :
    • 1st Germany   GER
  • 2006 (Nuremberg) :
    • 1st Planet Roller   FRA
    • 2nd AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
  • 2007 (Paris) :
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • ??
    • 3rd Planet Roller   FRA
    • ??
    • 5th UTOPIE Toulon   FRA
  • 2008 (San Francisco) :
    • 1st Away Team   USA
    • 2nd AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 3rd Euroland   EUR
    • 4th Planet Roller   FRA
  • 2009 (Brussels) :
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 2nd Shark Épinay Roller Soccer   FRA
    • 3rd Planet Roller   FRA
    • 4th UTOPIE Toulon   FRA
  • 2010 (Piacenza):
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
  • 2011 (Recife) :
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 2nd Sport Clube Recife   BRA
    • 3rd Recife Futins Clube   BRA
  • 2012 (Marseille) :
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 2nd Rollera Ljubljana   SVN
    • 3rd Recife Futins Clube   BRA
    • 4th Shark Épinay Roller Soccer   FRA
  • 2013 (Amsterdam) :
    • 1st AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 2nd RSCT Toulon   FRA
    • 3rd Phénix, Marseille   FRA
    • 4th Paris RF   FRA
  • 2015 (Toulon) :
    • 1st RSCT Toulon   FRA
    • 2nd Phenix Marseille   FRA
    • Semi finalists: Rollera Ljubljana   SVN, AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
  • 2017 (Marseille) :
    • 1st Phénix, Marseille   FRA
    • 2nd UMS Easy Riders Pontault-Combault   FRA
    • 3rd AMSCAS Marseille   FRA
    • 4th RSCT Toulon   FRA
  • 2019[8] (Brussels) :
    • 1st UMS Easy Riders Pontault-Combault   FRA
    • 2nd Roller Holland Amsterdam   NLD
    • 3rd Shinobis Riders Brussels   BEL
    • 4th Phénix, Marseille   FRA
  • 2022 (Turkey) :

References

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  1. ^ "The Derby Daily Telegraph". 31 January 1882.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Soccer On Skates! (video). British Pathé. 1934. Retrieved 22 October 2020 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "Roller soccer at Imlay City", Billboard, 26 February 1949
  4. ^ "Skating sports roll on", The Vindicator, 9 June 2001, section E, p.1
  5. ^ Liz Miller, Get Rolling: The Beginner's Guide to In-Line Skating, p.31
  6. ^ Eleri Harris, "Canberra: The Roller-Socceroos", 666 ABC Canberra, 20 December 2011
  7. ^ "Grâce à des jeunes, le roller soccer est une affaire qui roule en Belgique", RTBF, 19 April 2010 (in French)
  8. ^ "Nine teams vie for football on roller skates World Cup in Belgium". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
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