Parapan 101: Football

Football 5–a–side

Football 5–a–side is an adapted version of football (or soccer as known in North America) for athletes with vision impairments. It was first added to the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. A team consists of five players including the goalie, and a guide, who stands on the sidelines may be used to help direct players. Two 25 minute halves are played with a 10 minute break in between. They use a ball with a noise making device to help players locate the ball, and a smaller field of play is used.

Football 7–a–side

Football 7–a–side is an adapted version of football for athletes with cerebral palsy, and it was first added to the 1984 Summer Paralympic Games in New York, U.S.. A team consists of seven players, and two 30 minute halves are played with a 15 minute break in between. One handed throw–ins are allowed in this sport, and there is no offside rule. They also use a smaller field of play.

Results from 2011 Parapan Am Games

Football 5–a–side

Event                    Men

Gold                      Brazil

Silver                 Argentina

Bronze               Colombia

Click here for more results.

Football 7–a–side

None

Venue for 2015

Pan Am / Parapan Am Fields, University of Toronto Hoskins Avenue and Tower Road Toronto, Ontario.

Read our other Parapan 101 articles:

Parapan 101: Goalball
Parapan 101: Boccia
Parapan 101: Wheelchair Tennis
Parapan 101: Archery