Five-a-side football

What is 5-a-side football? We introduce the sport and its roles on this page. You can read about our weekly football activities on our blind football page.

Five-a-side football is a 5-v-5 game in which the goalkeepers are sighted but the outfield players wear eyeshades. Because of this the ball contains bells, as is already familiar from many other sports popular with visually impaired athletes. It is one of the most widely played Paralympic sports and its popularity is growing all the time around the world. Five-a-side football has been a Paralympic sport since the 2004 Athens Paralympics. The sport is an adaptation of futsal, which is where the size of the pitch and the goals comes from, among other things. The most significant adaptations are the boards used along the sidelines to keep play flowing, the eyeshades, and the ball containing bells. The ball may also not be held still and silent for longer than four seconds. A player going for the ball must always announce their approach out loud. You will find more detailed descriptions, the rules and video material on the website of the international blind football organisation: Rules and videos on the English-language site.

Sighted participants also matter enormously in this sport. As mentioned above, the goalkeepers play sighted. In addition, the sport involves guides behind the goal who assist the attack verbally, and of course coaches, referees and kit managers. Under the rules of the sport, the coach's job is to guide the team's players verbally in the middle third. In blind football there are roles for everyone, and we are more than happy to bring enthusiastic people on board.

At the blind football camp we ran in August 2021 together with the Espoo club Old Power, IBSA and the Football Association of Finland, a photographer from the Finnish Paralympic Committee visited and interviewed our coach Akseli and a few of the campers. Watch the superb video in this clip uploaded to YouTube.

Roles in 5-a-side football

In the Paralympic sport of 5-a-side football — blind football — sighted participants have significant roles alongside the players in making the game work as a whole. These roles matter in everyday training too. Get in touch and come and find out more by helping us in training.

Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper is the only sighted player on the pitch and an important part of the coaching group. As well as saving shots, their job is to organise and direct the defence. The pitch is divided into three thirds, and when the ball is in the team's defensive end, only the outfield players and the goalkeeper may speak. In B1 football the goalkeeper may barely move out from their goal, so the goalkeeper needs good reaction saves and strong verbal delivery.

Coach

Even a good team cannot manage without a skilled coach. Compared with coaches in team sports for non-disabled players, anyone coaching visually impaired athletes must remember that verbal instruction takes on far greater importance, and that players' individual needs and differences must be taken into account in everything they do. During the game the coach is responsible for the team's tactics and substitutions. The pitch is divided into three thirds, and when the ball is in the middle third, only the outfield players and the coach may speak. The team's play in midfield therefore leans heavily on the coach's instructions during the game.

The guide behind the goal (goal guide)

Without sight, players need help locating the goal and choosing the right angle when shooting. The pitch is divided into three thirds, and in the team's attacking end only the outfield players and the guide behind the goal may make sound. Their job is to direct and coordinate the attack, completing the coaching trio.

Referee

Matches sometimes get heated, and that is when a referee who knows their job really matters. The referee officiates the game, but in blind football also assists the players when needed. Verbal communication is important, since it is hard to reach outfield players with hand signals. In addition, announcing the ball's position during stoppages and guiding players into position — at substitutions and free kicks, for example — are important referee duties in B1 football.

Other duties

Official matches always need more people. A scorer, a timekeeper and an announcer are appointed separately. Before matches and tournaments, volunteers are needed to bring the pitch and its surroundings up to B1 football pitch standards.

A good team is made up of many pieces. Team managers do the administrative work, kit managers keep the equipment in order and in place, and assistants are needed in all sorts of situations — not forgetting the supporters! In B1 blind football there is guaranteed to be plenty to do and a role for everyone who wants one. Just come along and give it a go!

Want to take it up?

Would you like to try football and take it up, or find out about the rest of what we do? Click through to our sports pages.