Powerchair Football

Powerchair football was first played in France in the 1970s when teachers invented the sport as a way for students to play football even with physical disabilities. A league system with 3 divisions and 30 teams was developed along with a national championship. Canada devised a similar game called power soccer independently from France, which eventually spread to Japan. Various forms of the sport continued to develop concurrently throughout Europe and North America.[1][2] It gained recognition in 1983 at the British Columbia Games for the Disabled and in 2004 by the National Disability Sports Alliance. The San Francisco Bay area and Boston area were early centers of power soccer activity in the US through the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program and the Massachusetts Hospital School.[1][3]

While most programs played without knowledge of each other, US soccer coach David Ruelas met with the sports' French director Herve Delattre after discovering the European version of the game while in Belgium in 2004. This led to talks about forming an international organization. In January 2005, 24 representatives from 7 nations (France, United States, Canada, Japan, England, Belgium, and Portugal) met in Le Chesnay, France, to lay the foundation for forming the International Powerchair Football Association (IPFA). Their most critical objective was unifying the different rulesets present in North America, France, England, and Japan. Nine months later a second meeting was held in Coimbra, Portugal (with the inclusion of Denmark) to finalize a standardized set of rules for international play. After a presentation of the various rules and styles along with extensive discussions, the delegates decided to adopt the English rules as a template. Finally, in July 2006, in the context of an international tournament in Atlanta, Georgia, delegates finalized a constitution and changed the name of the governing body to the Federation Internationale de Powerchair Football Associations (FIPFA).[1][2]

During this same timeframe the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) was formed with headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Since then, numerous powerchair associations have formed and the number of teams competing within FIPFA worldwide is estimated at over 250.[1] In 2005 the Wheelchair Football Association was founded to manage the sport in England and is sanctioned and recognized by the Football Association.[4]

FIPFA has submitted numerous bids to the IPC in an effort to be selected as a new sport at the Paralympic Games. Powerchair football's bid for the 2016 Rio Paralympics failed in 2010.[3][5] Subsequently, the sports bid for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics was also rejected in 2015.[6][7] Once again another bid was under consideration in 2019 for the 2024 Paris Paralympics but was not selected.[8][9]

The sport is played in on a standard-sized basketball court. 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:[10]

1. "2-on-1": Two players on the same team may not both be within 3 m (10 ft) of the ball when a player on the opposing team is also within 3 m of the ball. A violation of this rule results in 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 rule is if one of the two teammates is the goalkeeper inside their own goal area.
2. "3-in-the-goal-area". A team may only have 2 players in the goal area at once. If a third (or fourth) player enters then the referee may call a goal area violation and award an indirect free kick to the opposing team.

In the case of either of these infractions (2-on-1 or 3-in-the-area), the referee may refrain from making a call if the player in question is not affecting the play (similar to the concept of offside in traditional association football).[11][10]

Additionally, because many players do not have the upper body strength to throw the ball with their arms, when the ball crosses the touchline, the ball is kicked directly back into play. In other words, instead of a throw-in from the sideline, powerchair football has a kick-in where players strike the ball with their powerchair. Because of this change a goal can be scored directly from a kick-in.[10]

Intentionally striking or ramming another player may result in a penalty.[10]

FIPFA has an international classification system that ranks players according to their respective physical and psychological abilities. This is to ensure that athletes can more accurately demonstrate their sporting ability while playing and that athletes with greater physical ability do not have an unfair advantage. Classification may also determine whether a player is even allowed to play powerchair football. According to the guidelines, classification serves to determine eligibility to compete and group athletes for competition. In order to participate in the sport and get classified athletes must have a permanent, significant, and confirmed disability that is either a neurological impairment, orthopedic impairment, spinal cord injury, amputation, or myopathic disease. There are two levels of classification:

• PF1: highly significant levels of physical difficulty
• PF2: moderate to mild levels of physical difficulty
• Functional levels of skill relating to ambulation or manual wheelchair use would most likely prevent participation

Depending on the physical disability or disease players may need to be evaluated before every tournament or may only need to be evaluated once. If an impairment is not likely to change athletes have Confirmed status and only need to be reevaluated if a sudden change occurs. Otherwise, athletes whose impairment is likely to change over time must be evaluated at following events and have Review status.[12][13]

During a match a team may only have a maximum of two PF2 classified players on the court at once. Within the rostered team itself there can be any combination of classifications. If a violation of this rule occurs, the team in noncompliance must rectify the situation at the next stoppage and a penalty will be awarded to the opposing team. If an appropriate combination of players is not available the penalized team must play with one less player.[10]

Players in Brest, France, using Strikeforces during the 2014 French Division 1 Championship

Players are required to use a powerchair with 4 or more wheels. The maximum allowable speed during a match is 10 km/h (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.[10]

In 2012, the first power wheelchair specifically designed for powerchair football was introduced. Named the Strikeforce, it has a longer foot guard and wheels that are set further apart. It is also far more responsive than older powerchairs that were previously used. The Strikeforce was created in Minnesota by the Power Soccer Shop. Its use has extended to Asia, Europe, and the Americas.[14]

FIPFA (Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association) was established in 2006 to govern the sport and is headquartered in Paris, France.[2]

• United States Power Soccer Association
• Wheelchair Football (American)

• Federation International de Powerchair Football Associations (FIPFA)
• Official Site of the 2007 World Cup of Powerchair Football
• Powerchair Football Confederation of the Americas (PFCA)
• Pwersoccerbook.com
• thewfa.org.uk (Governance of Powerchair Football in England)