Sevens football is a variation form of

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

played in India with seven players on each side, typically in a smaller field than a full-size

football pitch A football pitch (also known as soccer field) is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play". The pitch is typically made of natural t ...

. Sevens football is predominantly popular in northern

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

in southern India. The matches in Sevens tournaments are often played to fully packed stadiums. The refereeing in the games is not as strict as in regular football and games can be physical and injury-prone. Sevens tournaments have also attracted players from other parts of India, as well as international players including some from Africa. Matches are held from November to May (suspended during the monsoon break). The All Kerala Sevens’ Football Association (SFA) organizes around 50 Sevens tournaments among different clubs across

. Several footballers from Kerala, including

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

internationals such as

I. M. Vijayan Inivalappil Mani Vijayan (born 25 April 1969), also known by the nickname Kalo Harin (Blackbuck), is a former professional football player who also captained the India national football team. He played as a striker, where he formed a successf ...

Ashique Kuruniyan Muhammed Ashique Kuruniyan (born 14 June 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG and the India national team. Club career Early life and youth career Born in Malappuram, K ...

, and

Anas Edathodika Anas Edathodika (born 15 February 1987) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Indian Super League club Jamshedpur and the Indian national team. Club career Early career Born in Kondotty, Malappuram, Kerala, ...

, credit their experiences in Sevens tournaments for helping them improve their footballing skills and develop their passion for the sport.

In popular culture

* '' Sudani from Nigeria'' (2018) * '' Sevenes'' (2011)

References

{{Team Sport Football in Kerala Sport in Kerala Association football terminology Association football variants Athletic sports Ball games Team sports