BENDIGO soccer's potential bid to play in the Victorian National Premier League has attracted plenty of attention recently, but it's a slightly different version of the world game that has already exploded onto the sporting landscape.

Each Friday night, hundreds of players converge on Flora Hill and Girton Grammar indoor centres to play the fast-paced and skilful sport futsal.

FIFA's official indoor sport has boomed in Bendigo this summer and nobody is more pleasantly surprised than Brock Rogers.

The Bendigo Amateur Soccer League operations manager has been stunned by the response, not only from soccer players seeking a summer fix, but people who don't traditionally play soccer.

"I think just a little bit of word of mouth, to tell the truth,' Rogers said of the reasons for the sudden interest.

"It's the third full season, we went from 25 teams to 35 to 65.

"You look at some of the age groups and they're just teams that have played in the past and got some other friends together and made their own teams - it's taken me by surprise." 

Girton and Flora Hill are now all-but booked-out each Friday night from 4-11pm to cater for the number of teams.

"It provides a fantastic activity for our members," Rogers said.

"There was a bit of a need there that we discovered a couple of years ago that people wanted an activity during summer. 

"We wanted to keep it social, so it was less of a time restraint. It's not about training twice a week and then playing on Saturdays, it's just a 40-minute game and that's it.

"It keeps players involved and interested in the sport, without getting tired of the sport and it also gives them an opportunity to develop their skills.

"The knowledge and the skills there at the moment has developed out of sight.

"I wanted to implement a very basic version of football at first, not take on too many of the rules because it can get quite technical. 

"But we're slowly implementing more of those futsal rules now.

"The part I'm really, really liking is that it's an opportunity for those that haven't played the game before or are looking to play outdoor next year.

"It gives them a chance to try it and see if they like it. The other part is it's bringing people from other sports." 

The futsal competition will take a break over Christmas before a new year return on January 31, leading into the new BASL season.