Soccer / Football Adaptations
Soccer / Football Adaptations
"The World Game" continues to grow in popularity around the world, even in countries like Australia where traditionally sports like AFL and rugby have always held the countries spotlight.
Blind soccer/football is a Paralympic sport for those students classified as a B1 athlete, with international events being held for B2 and B3 athletes. If you would like to know more about this sport please visit the blind soccer / football page under PE at SASVI on the top banner.
Like all information on this website it is important to understand that these are just possible adaptations and for further information please contact your advisory teacher or Andrew Whisson (PE teacher at the SA School for Vision Impaired).
Potential Rule Changes
Communication is key in all sport adaptations and soccer (or football) is no different. Enforcing that all students or athletes playing the game communicate their position allows athletes with vision impairment to feel confident on the field. This can be done by enforcing all athletes to communicate "Voi" when intending to take possession of the ball, either as an offender or defender. The failure to do so results in a penalty kick from this point on the field. In enforcing this rule, we are able to ensure that an athlete with a vision impairment can have confidence in where their peers are and not have the ball taken from under their feet when dribbling.
Reducing the number of players in each game or drill also acts to reduce the confusion, clutter and any reserved reactions from athletes or students with vision impairment. Rather than playing 1 full field game with 10 players and 1 goalkeeper on each team, half the size of the playing area and reduce the teams to 5 players and 1 goalkeeper on each team.
Equipment
Depending on the individual students the equipment will differ greatly. For all student's, however, the choice of ball is an important first step to ensure an inclusive unit or lesson. Depending on the vision of the individual student it may be important to include a blind soccer ball, or a ball of high contrast to the environment being played in (see PE adaptations pages). Blind soccer balls are audible balls with rattles sewn into the seams to ensure they are able to roll true and with a sound that is easily tracked by the students or athletes with vision impairment. While only B1 athletes use the rattle ball when playing in high level competition, the use of the audible ball can be useful for all students with vision impairment while they are learning to track a moving ball.
Blind soccer ball
Audible markers for the goals are also useful, this allows athletes to orientate themselves while playing. An audible marker in soccer can be simple buzzers (see below) or a volunteer, coach or teacher behind the goal clapping or tapping the goal with a relay baton or tapping the relay batons together.
A buzzer or beeper allows the teacher/coach to walk away from the goals to support the play and is a constant audible orientation tool for the student or athlete with vision impairment. The downside is the buzzer or beeper does not move as the athlete does to always give the centre of the goal and unless the correct beep or buzz is produced it can bounce off of hard surfaces or not give a clear positional reference.
Clapping or using batons allows the sound to rotate around the goal to give the correct shooting angle to the athlete or student as they move laterally on field. Simultaneously the coach, teacher or volunteer behind the goal can give short instructions like "shoot now" or "top left" so the student has more confidence in their attack. This method also allows the parameters of the goals to be tapped to give a clear representation of where the ball can be kicked to attack the goal. This method does, however, take personnel to work and in many cases this is not possible all the time.
Depending on the number of students with a vision impairment in the game or drill it may be only necessary to audibly mark one goal, as it may just create unnecessary distraction having both goals marked if not required.
Hands clapping as an audible marker
Batons tapping as an audible marker
A simple buzzer can be used as an audible marker
Relay baton used to tap the side of the goals
Relay baton used to tap the top of the goals
Considering the field marking is also important and the use of high contrast cones or drop lines are important as the generic grass marking or court markings may not be accessible or visible to all athletes (see PE adaptations pages). If possible even the introduction of tactile lines can help to provide a tactile indication of location, position, orientation and the court boundaries (see PE adaptations pages).
Selecting the correct colour of cone to ensure high contrast to the environment and surface is important.
Use of drop down lines can be a simple and effective way to ensure the field lines are marked clearly with a tactile element.
Tactile lines are useful to support students or athletes orientate themselves on court.
How can all students be involved?
By ensuring the adaptations above, the lesson, unit or training will automatically become more inclusive and encourage all students or athletes to be involved. However, further rule changes could also encourage inclusive practice. The could be as simple as all students must touch the ball before a goal can be scored. This forces all students to turn to their team members or peers and support their involvement in the game. Reduce or remove the time that the athlete or students with a vision impairment spends in goal as a keeper, not only is it very difficult to trap or effectively stop a fast moving shot it may also reduce their opportunity to be involved in the game at all.
More information
For more information you may wish to visit the Blind Soccer / Football page on this website or contact your advisory teacher or Andrew Whisson (PE Teacher at the SA School for Vision Impaired).