Conventional turf-war association football grabs all the glory. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup coming up, that brand of the game can seem definitive — the only kind in existence. In fact, soccer — or football as the world beyond Australia and America calls it — comes in a range of forms that shift the goalposts. And we do not just mean Aussie rules.

Learn about variants that can be exhilarating and give the version to be played at Soweto's Soccer City between June 11 and July 11 a run for its money.

Futsal

Played indoors, futsal is a five-a-side riot. Typically, a futsal game unfolds at a cracking pace, with the small, hard ball skipping off the shiny surface fast, forcing players to improvise instinctively.

Futsal originally kicked off in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when Uruguayan professor Juan Carlos Ceriani designed a soccer style to be played competitively at YMCAs. Gathering steam, futsal was adopted by the likes of Brazil's Pelé and Zico and Portugal's Ronaldo.

Eventually, despite the Latin invention's air of mayhem, a rule book emerged. Now, however seriously futsal is played, it gets everywhere — including Melbourne. If you have a crack, expect high-scoring action. "Gooooal!"

For more information, visit playfutsal.com.au and www.gofutsal.com.

Beach soccer

There are two kinds of beach soccer. One involves bikini babes grappling with each other. The alternative, less eye-catching but more do-able kind is an association football variant. Technically known as "beasal", it hit the big time in 1993 when the first professional beach soccer contest unravelled at Miami Beach, with teams from the US, Brazil, Argentina and Italy competing.

Later, international stars such as France's Eric Cantona and Brazil's Zico became enthusiasts. Their passion helped propel beach soccer into a global phenomenon. At any level, thanks to the silicon surface's inbuilt erraticism, beach soccer requires agility, flair and the ability to improvise. The compactness of the pitch means that players can score from anywhere.

The result is about 60 goal attempts per game and a bulge in the net — if there is a net — every three or four minutes. Expect astronomical scores: a double-figures goal tally.

For more information, visit www.beachsoccer.com.

Swamp soccer

If you like to play dirty, swamp soccer caters to that urge, raising the spectre of the spectacularly messy Redneck Games in the US state of Georgia. In swamp soccer, throw-ins, corner kicks and penalties are made with punts. No offside rule exists — good news for goal hangers and spectators alike.

The sport comes from the town of Bishop Auckland in the north-east of England where it first was used to test the mettle of athletes and soldiers. Swamp soccer is hard.

Are you tempted to get your knees dirty? Today, there are about 260 swamp football teams around the world. The hubs for the sport are in Finland and Scotland, which will host an alternative world cup in June.

For more information, visit www.swampsoccer.co.uk and www.suopotkupallo.fi.

Footbag

Reminiscent of a beanbag, a footbag is sometimes generically called a "hacky sack". As in the Japanese footy game, kemari, the point of a freestyle footbag session is simple: defy gravity — keep pumping the ball up into the air for as long as possible through fancy footwork.

In "net footbag", you knock the ball back and forth over a net à la volleyball, only with your feet. Both kinds create a riveting spectacle. The excitement may explain why, despite footbag's clunky name, like beach soccer, it has gone global. Australia boasts 10 footbag clubs.

For more information, visit the Footbag Worldwide, Footbagger.com.au, World Footbag and Chaos Footbag websites.

Kemari

Japan's contribution to soccer, kemari, dates back well beyond living memory. Originally, kemari was played with a sawdust-packed deerskin-covered ball that players kept aloft by juggling it with their feet and passing. Instead of flags, the classic kemari pitch had a cherry tree, a maple tree, a willow and a pine at each corner. Trust the Japanese to take such a picturesque approach to a game that the British once played with a pig's bladder.

Kemari is kept alive by Japanese enthusiasts who play at Kyoto's Kemari Club. There, every April 29, the Kemari Festival unfolds. When punting the ball toward heaven, in an echo of a British soccer chant, robed kemari players shout "Ariyaaa!", which means "Here we go!"

For more information and sensational photos, visit the Funfun-Japan website.

Synchronised soccer

Norway's most notable soccer variant, which has a name reminiscent of an aquatic Olympic sport, stretches credulity. But it exists, according to Wikipedia. The last-man-standing wildcard mix of regular soccer and penalty kicks is played on grass, asphalt or concrete by two to six players.

Synchronised soccer's name apparently relates to the field's geometric layout, which makes sense kinda sorta. But the scoring, which involves decimals, makes no sense whatsoever. Suffice it to say, the aim of the Nordic take on the world's fastest growing and most popular sport is not to score 10 points. Yes, you read that correctly.

Have you tried any of these different ball games? Enter your comments below/