Disability Football 7-a-side
Published: 2009-02-20 - Updated: 2020-05-22
Author: Disabled World | Contact: www.disabled-world.com
Synopsis: Disability Football 7-a-side is an adaption of association football for athletes with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders. 7-a-side Football was added to the Summer Paralympic Games at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in New York, and has been played at every Summer Games since. American comedian Josh Blue was member of the US team at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, and the 2007 ParaPanAmerican Games.
Main Digest
Football 7-a-side is an adaption 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.
The most well known organizations of seven-a-side football are International Football Association 7, IFA7 and the Federation International of Football 7, FIF7.
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.
Seven-a-side pitch markings. The pitch of seven-a-side football is bigger than the five-a-side football, ranging from 50-65 yards in length and 25-50 yards in width respectively. Dimensions and shape of penalty area may differ for other variants.
Players competing in Football 7-a-side 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:
- Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times.
- No more than two players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time.
International competition in Football 7-a-side 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, U.S., and has been played at every Summer Games since.
American comedian Josh Blue was member of the US team at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, and the 2007 ParaPanAmerican Games.
Disabled World is an independent disability community established in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. See our homepage for informative news, reviews, sports, stories and how-tos. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook or learn more about Disabled World on our about us page.
Disabled World provides general information only. The materials presented are never meant to substitute for professional medical care by a qualified practitioner, nor should they be construed as such. Financial support is derived from advertisements or referral programs, where indicated. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.
Cite This Page (APA): Disabled World. (2009, February 20). Disability Football 7-a-side. Disabled World. Retrieved June 28, 2022 from www.disabled-world.com/sports/football/7-a-side.php
• Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/sports/football/7-a-side.php">Disability Football 7-a-side</a>