The Scottish FA has launched a new Futsal initiative aimed at increasing participation of 12-18 year olds in football.

Futsal is designed to embrace the fast-paced, skill based indoor alternative to the traditional game to re-engage young players and help reduce the fall out in the 'late teens' age group.

The initiative follows research conducted by the Scottish FA, which highlighted a significant drop-out rate of players in the age group at secondary school due to the increase in pressures of exams, part time work, social calendar and boredom in traditional football.

Jim Fleeting, Scottish FA Director of Football Development, said; "This programme will help us to make huge strides in tackling the dropout rate of young players.

"The laws of Futsal are designed to protect the skilful players, develop a player's technique and encourage more goals which is ideal for this age group."

The Futsal sessions will take place in after school sessions during term time and are run by qualified Scottish FA coaches.

So far 18 schools have signed up to the initiative. As part of the programme schools are provided with all of the new equipment required to play Futsal, which takes place indoors during the winter months and plans are already in place to hold Regional and National Futsal final competitions in 2013.