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RULES & REGULATIONS
1) Crutches: Game is played on metal crutches. Wooden crutches are at risk of splintering and breaking. Forearm crutches are the international standard. Underarm crutches are allowed if wing nuts are covered with tape to avoid injuring opponents. Accidental contact between the ball and the crutch is allowed but crutches are not allowed to advance the soccer ball. Blocking, trapping or advancing the ball with your crutch merits the same penalty as a handball.
2) Shin guards must be worn
3) The Goal. Smaller than two-legged game. Goals are approximately 2 m x 3 m x1 m.
4) Ball Standard FIFA
EQUIPMENT
Raising awareness about adaptive sports is essential to connecting both worlds of athletes. Until you go out and try something that is different, it is natural to make assumptions about it. Before playing amputee soccer, it seemed weird and looked easy. Now, I give much more credit to the athletes who play this sport. Like any other athlete, they need to train tirelessly, fine-tune every skill, and dedicate so much of themselves to the game. Even the short time we played allowed us to recognize the amount of focus that learning this game required. It’s easy to point out the differences between athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes: many of them are external. However, the similarities are not so easy to spot. They lie within the personalities of athletes. Whether a person has one leg or two, the love of the game is a powerful feature that all athletes share. Hopefully, increased awareness and inclusion can allow this passion to bridge the gap that separates such similar worlds.
The rules are mostly the same as able-bodied soccer. Exceptions are that offside rules are not used in Amputee soccer and substitution is unlimited. Other exceptions are listed below.
How many can play? 4 on the field at a time, 3 field players plus one keeper.
Who can play? Amputee Soccer is co-ed. Both genders can play on the same team. Amputees or “Amps” who are defined as those “abbreviated” from the wrist to ankle. Field players may have 2 hands but only 1 foot. Goalies may have 2 legs but only 1 hand.
Duration of Play: Two 25-minute periods with a 10-minute halftime.
Field of Play: Outdoors: 40 m x 25 m. Indoors: Standard indoor soccer arenas are acceptable Sidewalls are used for passing as well as bank shots.
REFLECTION