MBS News Release – www.majorbeachsoccer.com
Friday, June 7, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – Even though FIFA’s Beach Soccer World Cup started in 2005, the game has caught on quickly. A popular sport among youth and adult alike, beach soccer has gained steam not only on the sunny sands of Florida and California, but also across the coasts of the Great Lakes and throughout the Northeast. .jpg)
As the sport has grown, so has the United States’ talent level. On May 12 the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team edged out El Salvador 5-4 in overtime to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup later this year in Tahiti.
The game may seem young, but has had roots in the States for at least 23 years thanks to the efforts of Peter Mellor. Mellor, now the USL National Technical Director and Major Beach Soccer Director, started the games in 1991 on Clearwater Beach in Florida. There are now nine separate events on the Major Beach Soccer qualification calendar throughout the United States thanks to partnerships with Soccer in the Sand, Soccer on the Beach and the Long Island Rough Riders, but the championship remains on the sparkling sands of Clearwater Beach.
Daytona Beach, Fla. is preparing for a weekend of sand, soccer, and sun as the first MBS tournament of 2013 starts Friday, June 14. The games will begin on Saturday morning and last through the finals on Sunday. It will be about more than just fun, with qualifications for the MBS National Championship on the line.
In its 23rd season, MBS offers multiple ways of qualifying for the finals. Any team that wins its division at an event has booked its ticket to Clearwater for December’s National Championships. Alternatively, teams may qualify by earning points by participating and placing in multiple events. This year’s divisions include U-10 to U-18, co-ed open, over-30 co-ed, and male and female open. Each team is scheduled at least three 30 minute matches, and teams are structured to follow a 5v5 format with a maximum of 10 players per roster. Games are regulated by FIFA Beach Soccer rules, and most importantly, no shoes!
The beautiful white sand and azure waters of Daytona are a perfect match for the beautiful game. Flicks and acrobatic bicycle kicks are the norm in beach soccer, where the fields and goals are small but the action is nonstop. Situated behind the famous Mayan Inn, MBS Daytona will take over the beach with six fields of beach soccer action and a weekend full of parties and entertainment for the entire family. MBS Daytona Beach is supported by Nike, TGI Signage Systems, Farpost Soccer Company, the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and Volusia County.
To register for 2013 Major Beach Soccer tournaments, click here.
This year’s MBS qualification tournaments include:
| Location | Date |
| San Diego, California | June 1-2 |
| Daytona Beach, Florida | June 15-16 |
| Seaside, Oregon | June 15-16 |
| Grand Haven, Michigan | June 29-30 |
| Clearwater Beach, Florida | July 13-14 |
| Cleveland, Ohio | July 13-14 |
| Michigan City, Indiana | July 20 |
| Fort Myers Beach, Florida | July 27-28 |
| Rochester, New York | August 3-4 |