Introduction

Funding for this video clip series has been provided by The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Power soccer is an action-packed team sport that combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself to create an extremely challenging game very similar to soccer. Power soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. Two teams of four power chair users each attack, defend and maneuver an oversized soccer ball in an attempt to score points on a goal. The ball, which is 18 inches in diameter, is manipulated by plastic formed soccer guards mounted on the front of each player’s wheelchair. The sport is co-ed by design and is usually played indoors in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court, but occasionally takes place in outdoor parking lots.

Benefits of Power Soccer

There are many benefits of power soccer, including the following:

• Participation in a competitive sport that combines strategy, power, and quickness
• Participation in a team sport
• Increased cardiovascular endurance
• Increased upper-body strength
• Increased use of different muscle groups
• Increased mobility skills
• Social benefits of competitive sports

Player Classification

Anyone who uses a power wheelchair is eligible to play. All players must have the ability to operate their chairs safely. Participants include people five years old and up who have quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke or any other physical disability.

There are two divisions of power soccer based upon level of ability. Division I include the players who consistently demonstrate good techniques, strategies and proficiency of the game, while Division II includes players who have not yet demonstrated these skills.

In its advanced form, the game is about court position, blocking, picking and keeping the ball in the opponents’ half. Good players are aggressive but under control. They have good court sense, good ball sense and good concentration. Power soccer is a contact sport, but it is not violent; movement and positioning key.

Equipment

• A power wheelchair is necessary to participate in the sport. Rear-wheel, Mid-wheel or Front-wheel drives are all acceptable. Front-wheel drives, however, offer better maneuverability (faster turns) compared to rear-wheel drives.
• Since power soccer is fast-paced, it is recommended that standard footrests should be used if the chair is equipped with expensive power-elevating footrests.
• Soccer guards, or a specially designed bumper, are temporarily attached to the footplates of the chairs to help in maneuvering the ball, protecting the athletes’ feet and to prevent damage to wheelchairs.
• Players may use head protection, such as a bicycle helmet. Bumpers and helmets are sometimes provided by adaptive sports groups.

How to Play

The objective of the game of Power Soccer is to use the wheelchair to maneuver the ball so as to score on the opposing team’s goal.

The game is played indoors on a standard-size basketball court, with a goal zone designated by two pylons 25 feet apart on each end line of the court.

A Power Soccer game consists of two 25-minute halves (23 minutes straight time), and the last 2 minutes are stop-clock. Each team is allowed two 2-minute timeouts per half. When a team’s equipment breaks down during play, the referee shall allow play to continue, as long as safety is not compromised. When there is a break in the play, the referee shall call a timeout to have the equipment repaired (no more than 2 minutes).

There are four players per team, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Substitutions can be made with players from the bench whenever there is a stoppage in play, provided the official has been notified.

At the start of play, the referee will inspect each chair so to be sure there are no sharp areas or loose or dangling items on the wheelchairs. Play is started by a kick-off, with the team winning the coin toss deciding whether to kick or receive. When the referee blows the whistle, the team kicking off may enter the center circle and hit the ball to start the game (the ball is placed in the center circle of the court prior to kick-off). Opponents must be at least 10 feet from the center line.

A goal is made when the ball passes over the goal line in between the goal post. After a goal has been scored, the game shall restart by a kick-off from the team conceding the goal.

General Rules

• The ball must be moved by the wheelchair – not by the hand or foot of a player or by contact with a player’s body unless it is by accident. Intentionally maneuvering the ball with any part of a player’s body is a violation.
• Only two players from each team and the goalkeeper are allowed in the goal zone at any given time.
• Any ball that goes out of bounds is hit-in by the team not responsible for putting the ball out of bounds, at the point along the sideline where it left the court.
• Fouls result in free kicks and penalty kicks, depending on the severity of the foul.

Minor fouls include:

• Holding: physically restraining the movement of an opponent’s wheelchair.
• Clipping: contacting an opponent’s wheelchair on the side.
• Redirecting: changing the direction of the opponent’s wheelchair by pushing directly against it.
• Backing up: when a player’s wheelchair travels backward in a straight line with all four wheels rotating backwards. Only the goalie is allowed to go in reverse.
• Hand ball: intentionally moving the ball with hands or feet.
• Illegal substitution: player entering the court without the referee’s permission.
• Goal zone violation: a team has more than the allotted number of players in the goal zone.

Major fouls include:

• Charging: a player ramming their chair in to that of another player who has position.
• Goal tending: any player with one wheel over the goal line.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct: deliberate disrespect to the spirit of the game.

NCHPAD would like to acknowledge Christy Cloyd and the Rockford Park District Power Soccer Team coaches and players for their support and participation in developing this video clip series.