Powerchair football

Powerchair 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. Two teams of four players use powerchairs equipped with footguards to attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch football in an attempt to score goals.

History

Power Soccer was first played in France in the 1970s. It then spread around Europe (Belgium, Portugal, Denmark and England) before a group of Vancouver athletes began playing a variation of the game in Canada in 1982. The game then moved down the west coast to Berkeley, California in 1988 and across the Pacific to Japan. In 2005, representatives of the 9 nations met in Coimbra, Portugal and, in 2006, in Atlanta, US to form the Federation Internationale de Powerchair Football Associations (FIPFA).

Rules

The sport is played in on a standard-sized basketball court and in many respects is very similar to Futsal. Each team is allowed 4 players on the court at one time including the goalkeeper. A match consists of two 20-minute periods. Because of the two-dimensional aspect of this game (players are typically unable to kick the ball into the air), artificial space has to be created around the players. The two distinct differences in the laws from the able bodied game are: 1) the "two-on-one" rule, and 2) the 3-in-the-goal-area violation. [ [http://www.fipfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/laws_of_the_game_july_2008.pdf FIPFA Laws of the Game] FIFPA]

#"2-on-1". Only a player and an opponent are allowed within 3 meters of the ball when it is in play. If a teammate of either one comes within the 3 meters the referee may call an infringement and award an indirect free kick. This forces the players to spread the field and prevents clogging up of play, allowing for a greater free flow of play. The only exception to this violation is if one of the 2 teammates is a goalkeeper inside his/her own goal area, then there is no infraction of the laws.
#"3-in-the-goal-area". The defending team is only allowed to have 2 players in their own goal area. If a third player enters the area, the referee may stop the game and award an indirect free kick to the opposing team.

In the case of either of these infractions (2-on-1 and 3-in-the-area), the referee may refrain from making the call if the player in question is not affecting the play (similar to the concept of the offsides rule in able-bodied soccer).

Additionally, because many of the players do not have the upper body strength to throw the ball with their arms, when the ball leaves the touchline of the field, the players kick the ball back into play. In other words, instead of a "throw-in" from the sideline, powerchair football has a "kick-in"...and because the ball is 'kicked' a goal can be scored directly.

Intentionally striking or ramming another player may result in a penalty.

Equipment

Players are required to use a powerchair with 4 or more wheels. The maximum allowable speed during a match is 10 kph (6.2 mph), and the referees will inspect the players' speed before the match begins. A lap belt and foot guard are also required equipment. The ball is an oversized soccer ball, 13 inches (33 cm) in diameter. [ [http://www.fipfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/laws_of_the_game_july_2008.pdf Laws of the Game] FIFPA]

FIPFA

FIPFA (Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association) was established in 2006 to govern the sport and is headquartered in Paris, France.

World Cup

The first Powerchair Football World Cup was held in Tokyo, Japan in October 2007. [ [http://web-jpfa.jp/wc/en/ 2007 FIPFA World Cup, Tokyo Japan] ] The final was played on 13 October, with the United States beating France in a penalty shootout.

References

External links

* [http://www.fipfa.org Federation International de Powerchair Football Associations (FIPFA)]
* [http://web-jpfa.jp/wc/en Official Site of the 2007 World Cup of Powerchair Football]
* [http://www.geocities.com/canadianpowersoccer/ Canadian Powersoccer Association]
* [http://www.powersoccerusa.com United States Power Soccer Association]
* [http://koerestolsfodbold.dk/ Denmark Powerchair Football Association]
* [http://www.thewfa.org.uk/index.php England Powerchair Football Association]
* [http://www.web-jpfa.jp Japan Powerchair Football Association]
* [http://www.foot-fauteuil.com/v2/ France Powerchair Football Association]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/vapowersoccer Virginia Power Soccer Association (VPSA) (US)]
* [http://www.powersoccerofindy.com Power Soccer of Indy (Indianapolis, Indiana, US)]
* [http://hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=TAMPATHUNDER&t=c&s=soccer&p=home Tampa Thunder (Florida, US)]
* [http://www.sanjosesteamrollers.com San Jose Steamrollers (California, US)]
* [http://tampabaycrossfire.net Tampa Crossfire (Florida, US)]
* [http://www.northshoreeagles.com/ North Shore Eagles Powerchair Football Team (Canada)]
* [http://www.borp.org/power_soccer.php Power Soccer, San Francisco Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP)]