Disability Football 5-a-side
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/02/20 - Updated: 2023/12/13
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Disability Football Information - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Blind Football 5-a-side is an adaptation of football for athletes with disability visual impairments including blindness. Football 5-a-side, governed by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), is played with modified FIFA rules.
Introduction
Football 5-a-side, governed by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), is played with modified FIFA rules.
Main Content
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 25-minute halves, with a ten-minute break at half-time.
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.
Football 5-a-side players 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 recognize the shape of a hand.
- B2 - Partially sighted; able to recognize 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
Football 5-a-side 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.
Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.