Paralympic football

Paralympic football consists of adaptations of the sport of association football for athletes with a physical disability. These sports are typically played using International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rules, with modifications to the field of play, equipment, numbers of players, and other rules as required to make the game suitable for the athletes

The two most prominent versions of Paralympic football are 5-a-side football for athletes with visual impairments, and 7-a-side football for athletes with cerebral palsy.

Blind football (5-a-side)

5-a-side football, also known as blind futsal and blind football, is an adaptation of football for athletes with visual impairments including blindness. The sport, governed by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), is played with modified FIFA rules. The field of play is smaller, and is surrounded by boards. Teams are reduced to five players, including the goalkeeper, per team. Teams may also use one guide, who is positioned off the field of play, to assist in directing players. The ball is equipped with a noise-making device to allow players to locate it by sound. Matches consist of two 20-minute halves, with a ten-minute break at half-time.

two Argentinian players and one from Brazil running after the ball or falling down
Brazil vs. Argentina in the Final of the Football for 5 at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro

Football 5-a-side players are assigned to one of three sport classes based on their level of visual impairment:

  • B1 - Totally or almost totally blind; from no light perception up to light perception but inability to recognise the shape of a hand.
  • B2 - Partially sighted; able to recognise the shape of a hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 or a visual field of less than 5 degrees.
  • B3 - Partially sighted; visual acuity from 2/60 to 6/60 or visual field from 5 to 20 degrees

Teams are permitted to use sighted athletes as goalkeepers and guides; sighted goalkeepers cannot have been registered with FIFA for at least five years.

Two types of competition exist. For Class B1 games, only athletes with sport class B1 are permitted as players, with the exception of the goalkeepers and the guides, who may be class B2, B3, or sighted. For Class B2/B3 games, teams can field players in sport classes B2 and B3; at least two B2 players must be on the field at all times.

5-a-side football in Europe was developed in Spain. The first Spanish national championships took place in Spain in 1986. In South America, there are records of a Brazilian Tournament organized in 1980. European and American Championships took place in 1997, followed by the first World Championships in 1998. The sport was added to the Summer Paralympic Games in 2004.

IBSA Blind Football World Championships

Men's B1
Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
1998
Details
Brazil
Campinas
 Brazil 1–0  Argentina  Spain 2–0  Colombia 6
2000
Details
Spain
Jerez
 Brazil 3–0  Argentina  Spain 4–0  Greece 8
2002
Details
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
 Argentina 4–2  Spain  Brazil 2–0  Colombia 9
2006
Details
Argentina
Buenos Aires
 Argentina 1–0  Brazil  Paraguay 2–1  Spain 8
2010
Details
United Kingdom
Hereford
 Brazil 2–0  Spain  China 1–0  England 10
2014
Details
Japan
Tokyo
 Brazil 1–0  Argentina  Spain 0–0 (pen. 2–0)  China 12
2018
Details
Spain
Madrid
 Brazil 2–0  Argentina  China 2–1  Russia 16
Men's B2/B3
Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
1998
Details
Brazil
Campinas
 Belarus 3–2  Spain  Italy 9–2  Argentina 6
2002
Details
Italy
Varese
 Belarus 14–2  Russia  Spain 3–2  Brazil 12
2013
Details
Japan
Miyagi
 Russia 1–0 (aet)  Ukraine  England 14–0  Japan 4
2017
Details
Italy
Cagliari
 Ukraine 3–0  England  Russia 2–2 (pen. 2–1)  Spain 8

Blind Football at the IBSA World Games

Men's B1

Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
2007
Details
Brazil
São Paulo
 Brazil 2–0  Argentina  Spain 0–0(1-0 in Penalty)  Japan 4
2011
Details
Turkey
Antalya
 Iran 3–0  France  China 3–0  England 7
2015
Details
South Korea
Seoul
 Argentina 2–1  United Kingdom  Spain 1–0  China 9

Men's B2/B3

Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
2007
Details
Brazil
São Paulo
 Belarus 1–1(3-2 in Penalty)  Ukraine  Spain 4–0  Brazil 4
2011
Details
Turkey
Antalya
 Belarus 5–1  Ukraine  Spain 7–4  England 9
2015
Details
South Korea
Seoul
 Ukraine 3–1  Spain  Italy 2–1  Japan 5

IBSA Blind Football Asian Championships

Until 2017 only in Men's B1 (not Women's and not Men's B2/B3)

Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
2005
Details
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City
 Japan Round Robin  South Korea  Vietnam Round Robin none 3
2007
Details
South Korea
Seoul
 China 3–0  South Korea  Iran 1–0  Japan 4
2009
Details
Japan
Tokyo
 China 2–0  Japan  South Korea 0–0 (1-0 in Penalty)  Iran 5
2011
Details
Japan
Sendai
 China 1–0  Iran  Japan 2–0  South Korea 4
2013
Details
China
Beijing
 China 0–0 (3-2 in Penalty)  Japan  South Korea Round Robin none 3
2015
Details
Japan
Tokyo
 Iran 0–0 (1-0 in Penalty)  China  South Korea 0–0 (2-1 in Penalty)  Japan 6
2017
Details
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
 China 2–0  Iran  Thailand 2–0  South Korea 6

Blind Football at the Asian Para Games

Until 2014 only in Men's B1 (not Women's and not Men's B2/B3)

Year Venue Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams
2010
Details
China
Guangzhou
 China 1–0  Iran  South Korea 0–0 (2-1 in Penalty)  Japan 5
2014
Details
South Korea
Incheon
 Iran Round Robin  Japan  China Round Robin  South Korea 5

IBSA Blind Football European Championships

IBSA Blind Football American Championships

IBSA Blind Football African Championships

Cerebral palsy football (7-a-side)

7-a-side football is an adaptation of association football for athletes with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injury. The sport is governed by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CP-ISRA). The sport is played with modified FIFA rules. Among the modifications are a reduced field of play, a reduction in the number of players, elimination of the offside rule, and permission for one-handed throw-ins. Matches consist of two thirty-minute halves, with a fifteen-minute half-time break.

Players competing in 7-a-side football are given a sport class based on their level of disability. Eligible classes are:

  • C5: Athletes with difficulties when walking and running, but not in standing or when kicking the ball.
  • C6: Athletes with control and co-ordination problems of their upper limbs, especially when running.
  • C7: Athletes with hemiplegia.
  • C8: Minimally disabled athletes; they must meet eligibility criteria and have an obvious impairment that has impact on the sport of football.

Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times. No more than one players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time.

International competition in 7-a-side football began at the 1978 CP-ISRA International Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. The sport was added to the Summer Paralympic Games at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in New York City, U.S., and has been played at every Summer Games until 2016 Summer Paralympics.

World CP Football Championships

Year Host Winner Score Runner-up Third place Score Fourth place Number of teams Ref.
CPISRA tournaments
1990
Details
Netherlands
Assen (WC)
Netherlands
Netherlands
5–0 Republic of Ireland
Ireland
Belgium
Belgium
no information available2 5
1994
Details
Republic of Ireland
Dublin (WC)
Netherlands
Netherlands
2–0 Republic of Ireland
Ireland
Belgium
Belgium
3 Spain
Spain
1998
Details
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro (WC)
Russia
Russia
3–1 Ukraine
Ukraine
Brazil
Brazil
3–2 Spain
Spain
11
2003
Details
Argentina
Buenos Aires (WC)
Ukraine
Ukraine
3–1 Brazil
Brazil
Russia
Russia
2–1 Argentina
Argentina
2007
Details
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro (WC)
Russia
Russia
2–1 Iran
Iran
Ukraine
Ukraine
2–0 Brazil
Brazil
16
2011
Details
Netherlands
Assen, Emmen, Hoogeveen (WC)
Russia
Russia
6–1 Iran
Iran
Ukraine
Ukraine
8–3 Brazil
Brazil
16
IFCPF tournaments
2015
Details
England
Burton-upon-Trent (WC)
Russia
Russia
1–0 Ukraine
Ukraine
Brazil
Brazil
6–0 Netherlands
Netherlands
16
2017
Details
Argentina
San Luis (WC)
Ukraine
Ukraine
1–0 Iran
Iran
Russia
Russia
2–0 England
England
16
2019
Details
Spain
Seville (Cup)
Russia
Russia
3–1 Ukraine
Ukraine
Brazil
Brazil
4–1 England
England
16
2022
Details
Spain
Salou (Cup)
Ukraine
Ukraine
1–0 Iran
Iran
Brazil
Brazil
2–0 United States
United States
15
2 = There is no information on the homepage of the IFCPF
3 = no score found
  • a.e.t.: after extra time
  • p: after penalty shoot-out

This page was last updated at 2023-10-29 07:12 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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