What is Powerchair Football?

Powerchair Football is one of the most inclusive sports in the world. Everyone is in the same machinery, and fully safe in their chairs, so that all people with disabilities, male, female, or other, can play against each other in an adapted version of the beautiful game.

The sport is played on a standard-sized basketball court, with each team having 4 players on the pitch at any one time. A match consists of two twenty-minute periods with rolling substitutions happening throughout.

In order to create more space and a free-flowing game, two main rules have been created. The first of these is the 2 on 1 rule; in simple terms, the 2 on 1 rule means that no two players from the same team can be within 3 metres of the ball at any time on the pitch. The only player exempt from this rule is the goalkeeper, providing they remain in the box.

The second is the three in a box rule whereby the defending team may only have 2 players in the goal area at a time. In the event of a violation of the rules, a referee often awards a free-kick. The game is played with an oversized football that is much heavier than conventional football to stop the ball from leaving the ground.

Pitch dimensions

The pitch is the size of an indoor basketball court with a maximum length of 30m and minimum length of 25m. It can be a maximum of 18m wide and minimum of 14m wide.

The corner triangles are 1m on both the adjacent and opposite sides.

The area is 5m x 8m box with the goal posts 6m apart.

Time

Matches are 40 minutes in length, comprising 2 x 20 minute halves.

The Ball

The ball is 33cm in diameter and has extra weight to reduce the bounce.

Teams

Teams are made up of 4 players on the pitch including 1 designated goalkeeper. They are permitted up to 4 rolling subs who can be substituted an unlimited number of times during pauses in play.

THE 2-ON-1 LAW

The 2-on-1 law is designed to keep play spread out and prevent blocks in play.

No two players from the same team maybe within 3m of the ball if an opposition player is also within 3m of the ball.

The GK is exempt if any part of their chair is within their own goal area (box).

Penalty

Usually awarded for fouls such as heavy contact or ramming an opponent, it is taken from 3.5m from the goal line. The goalkeeper must remain behind this line, until the ball is struck. All other players must be behind the ball and at least 5m from the ball.

Governing Bodies

The sport is structured in a similar way to the running game. The WFA are the National Governing body for Powerchair Football in England. EPFA, the European Governing Body and FIPFA, the Global Governing Body.