5-a-side football, more commonly known as blind football, is for athletes with a visual impairment. It is played with modified FIFA rules. It is one of two versions of Paralympic football, the other is 7-a-side football for athletes with cerebral palsy.
There are five players in each team including the goal keeper. The field of play is comparatively smaller than the traditional game and is surrounded by boards so the ball remains in play. There are no throw-ins and no offside rule.
Teams utilize a guide positioned off the field of play who can help in directing players, as well as the coach and goalkeeper which are not visually impaired. Being blind, the athletes need a ball with a noise making device so that it can be located due to its sound. The duration is two halves of 25 minutes with a ten minute break half time.
The classification of the players depends on their level of visual impairment. B1 is for those who are totally blind. B2 is for partially blind athletes. B3 is for partially sighted.
Similar Sports
- 7-a-side football — for players with cerebral palsy
- 5-a-side Football —a variation of Accociation Football in which each team fields five players on a smaller pitch, with smaller goals and a reduced game duration.
- Amputee Football — a version of Association Football for players with lower extremity amputations.
- Powerchair Football — indoor football for people in wheelchairs.
- Association Football (Soccer)
- Blind Cricket — a modified version of cricket for blind athletes with a larger ball with bells inside..
Related Pages
- About football (general)
- Football Decoder — what is called football around the world?
- 5-a-side Football and 7-a-side Football at the Paralympics.
- Sports for the Disabled
- About the Paralympics
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports