Paris 2024 Paralympics: Blind Football Schedule from August 28 to September 7

Blind football is a variant of football that is played by the visually impaired athletes and they use an audible ball. It got its start on the Paralympic sports schedule at the Games held in Athens in the year 2004. It has been featured at every game since then and the players have performed spectacularly before audiences across the globe with their quickness, finesse and ‘cerebrospinal masterfulness’. The competition consists of a single event: It consists of the following: men’s team.

It has always been a superpower in the sport that Brazil has scooped gold in all previous Paralympic Games.

Brief overview of the rules

Blind football and its teams are similar to those of a typical football team: the teams have four blend outfield players and one goalkeeper. Games are one half of 20 minutes and are played on a pitch that is 40 meters by 20 meters. Both boards patrolling the sideline rake in and out with the ball in an effort to maintain the ball within the field of play. Furthermore, there are rattles, which are sewn firmly into the ball so that players may be able to identify the ball through the sound produced.

This position has to be a sighted or partially sighted player so that when defending he can use sign language to his fellow players. During the attacking plays, the footballers strategically use a second sight, which is a guide positioned behind the opponents’ goal.

Outfield players are allowed to be classified as totally blind and this implies that they have extremely poor eyesight coupled with no ability to discern even the slightest light. Though to promote some fairness in the match, all outfield players are required to wear blindfolds.

Blind football is completely dependent on the ability to hear and this is why the spectators are barred from making any noise during a match. In English, for the purpose of explanation, when the footballers approach an opponent, charge into them, or are in search of the ball, they use ‘voy’ or any word close to it, but when a goal is scored, shout as loud as possible.

Eligible impairments

All outfield players must be classified B1 (very poor eyesight and/or no light perception at all). Nevertheless, to level the playing fields, all outfield players must wear blinkers.

The goalkeeper can be fully sighted or partially sighted B2 or B3 The B2 classification indicates a partially sighted person with some residual vision; the B3 one means that the person is completely blind.

Blind Football Schedule August 28 to September 7

Sun, 1 September:

Mon, 2 September

Tue, 3 September

Wed, 4 September

Thu, 5 September

Sat, 7 September