Wheelchair soccer
Encyclopedia
Powerchair Football/Power Soccer
Power Soccer
For the online multiplayer game, see Power ChallengePowerchair Football, also known as Power Soccer is a competitive team sport for people with disabilities who use power wheelchairs. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court...
combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself, in an extremely challenging – and competitive - sport. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four players use powerchairs equipped with footguards to attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in an attempt to score goals. Also called "Powerchair Football", the game is most similar to Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
. The international organization governing the sport is the Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA
FIPFA
FIPFA, the Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association, is the international governing body of powerchair football. It is headquartered in Paris in France....
) located in Paris, France, with member organizations around the world. On 13 October 2007, the United States National Team made soccer history when they won the first Powerchair Football World Cup, beating France in a thrilling penalty kick shootout in Tokyo, Japan. The sport will be demonstrated at the 2012 Paralympics in London, England and possibly at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in South Africa.
Wheelchair soccer
Wheelchair soccer is a variation of the game, in which all of the participants are wheelchairs users due to physical disabilityPhysical disability
A physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
. Intellectual disabilities can also be a factor, but this is not always the case. The wheelchairs can be either motorised, or manually-pushed.
In case of all electric and some manual wheelchairs, the player propels themselves where possible. If this is not physically possible, the player is allowed to use a 'pusher' to move them around the court. However, the pusher is passive in the sense that they cannot become physically involved in the game. Wheelchair soccer is very similar to the able-bodied form of the game in terms of rules and structure—the only real difference being that the player uses their wheelchair to move around the court and also to propel the ball when passing, to tackle another player (in defense), and to score goals
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
. If a player is physically able to kick the ball, then they are allowed to do so. Also, if the goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
is able to stop the ball with their hands, they are allowed to do so.
In most cases, there is both a seniors and reserves division. In reserves, there are no goalkeepers. This format caters for the players who are more severely physically disabled than others. The reserves division can also be for players who are beginners. Many players later make the transition to the seniors division.
Difficulties can arise in the playing of the game due to the vast differences in the physical abilities of the players. The only thing that is common to all players is that they have a physical disability and are wheelchair users. This means that players who kick the ball are usually more powerful and accurate than those who cannot. In response, some players who use electric wheelchairs attach a flat metal or wooden panel to the front of their foot plates. This measure both prevents the ball on sliding underneath the chair during play (a common problem), and also gives the player a flat surface when making contact with the ball. This increases passing and potential goalscoring accuracy.
In the senior division, rules also state that the attacking player is not allowed go into the semicircular area inhabited by the goalkeeper; and all the shots on goal must be taken from outside the semicircle. This is 'the last line of defence'.
The games are played indoors (usually on a modified basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
). The ball is also slightly larger than a regulation-sized soccer ball.
Wheelchair soccer is in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it is developed as a partnership between Scope (Vic Ltd) and the Football Federation Victoria
Football Federation Victoria
Football Federation Victoria is the state governing body for football in Victoria, Australia. It is affiliated with Football Federation Australia, the sport's national governing body....
. Wheelchair soccer is split up into two regions, Southeast and Northwest, both with reserves and senior divisions. The top team in each regional division meets up for the State Final.
The participants use a mix of manual, and electric wheelchairs. While it may not be the only sport, that is available for people in electric wheelchairs—it is the most prominent. The above league in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, consists of amateur participants.