Power Soccer
Encyclopedia
For the online multiplayer game, see Power Challenge
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 inches (330.2 mm) football in an attempt to score goals.
).
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.
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 offside law in able-bodied football).
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.
(Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association) was established in 2006 to govern the sport and is headquartered in Paris
, France
.
, Japan
in October 2007. The final was played on 13 October, with the United States beating France in a penalty shootout. The second Powerchair Football World Cup was held in Paris
, France
in November 2011. The final was played on 6 November, with the United States beating England 3 - 0 in regulation. First US team to win back-to-back World Cup Championship in any sport.
.
Power Challenge
Power Challenge Holdings Ltd. is a developer and publisher of browser-based multiplayer sports games based in the UK. Initially founded in Sweden as ManagerZone AB, the company changed name to Power Challenge when it expanded its portfolio of games in 2005 to include both ManagerZone and Power Soccer...
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 inches (330.2 mm) 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 (FIPFAFIPFA
FIPFA, the Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association, is the international governing body of powerchair football. It is headquartered in Paris in France....
).
Rules
The sport is played in on a standard-sized basketball courtBasketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
and in many respects is very similar to Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
. Each team is allowed 4 players on the court at one time including the goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...
. 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.
- "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 offside law in able-bodied football).
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 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.FIPFA
FIPFAFIPFA
FIPFA, the Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association, is the international governing body of powerchair football. It is headquartered in Paris in France....
(Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association) was established in 2006 to govern the sport and is headquartered in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
World Cup
The first Powerchair Football World Cup was held in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in October 2007. The final was played on 13 October, with the United States beating France in a penalty shootout. The second Powerchair Football World Cup was held in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in November 2011. The final was played on 6 November, with the United States beating England 3 - 0 in regulation. First US team to win back-to-back World Cup Championship in any sport.
Americas Champions Cup
The first Americas Champions Cup was held in Atlanta, U.S.A in October 2009. Atlanta Synergy is the most successful team in Americas Champions Cup for winning it two times in a row.Atlanta Synergy won the Americas Champions Cup 2010 defeating by 4 goals to 0 the Tampa Thunder in a final where Atlanta confirmed its superiority seen during all the tournament in Burnaby, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.