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Blind football

Can the visually impaired play football? It sounds impossible, but blind football, also known as football 5-a-side, is a popular sport that has been featured at the Paralympics since 2004.

Today, several of the greatest football clubs has integrated a team for blind football, and the sport is rapidly growing all over the world.

ORIGIN

Blind football has been played at special schools for the visually impaired for many years in many different countries. When the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) undertook the task of drawing up a set of shared rules for blind football, the development took off.

National football leagues and continental championships arose, and the first world championship took place in 1998.

Brazil has long been the dominant nation with five world championship titles, followed by Argentina’s two.

Today, Brazil are given a run for their money as some of the world’s strongest football nations are also among the very best at blind football: Argentina, Spain, France, England… followed by countries such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, Morocco and Japan. 

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Our Products

SIMPLE BLIND FOOTBALL RULES

  • The pitch has the same dimensions as in futsal/indoor football, and it is surrounded by 1,3 m tall kickboards.
  • The ball is a size 3 futsal ball fitted with internal bells that make a rattling sound and with a low bounce.
  • The players must wear blindfolds to ensure fair competition. The players locate the ball purely by sound, and they are directed around the pitch by other players, the manager, a shooting assistant behind the opponent’s goal and the goalkeeper. It is very important, that the audience is quiet during the game.
  • A match lasts two periods of 25 minutes with a 10-minute break.
  • There are two teams of five players each, including the keeper.
  • The keeper must be fully or partially sighted.
  • There is no offside rule.

Read the official rules on IBSA’s homepage: https://blindfootball.sport/about-football/rules-and-downloads/

REFERENCES

“I just wanted to write and let you know that the two audible balls we ordered last year (Rattle ball, soccer size and Petito ball) are brilliant. I am a former Paralympic blind footballer with a severely visually impaired son.I wanted him to enjoy football, but felt that at 9 years old, the IBSA specification balls would be too heavy and difficult for him. The Rattle Ball is perfect for him to use for recreation and fun as it makes just as good a sound as the IBSA version, but is much lighter and easy to use.I struggled a lot with access to the right kind of equipment myself as a kid and I’m determined that my son should not have to scale the same obstacles as I did. Your work in this area and the sheer scale and variety of options available is a massive massive benefit to us compared to the situation of my youth – which apparently was back when the dinosaurs were around!”

Will Norman
Former Paralympic Blind Footballer, United Kingdom

“We appreciate all of your help within the past year with Camp Abilities and the different 5-a-side orders. We have shared your name with over 30+ people about your soccer balls and have only heard positive things. We are always recommending you to people who are curious about getting into blind soccer and are looking into order equipment for themselves.”

Lily Jagodzinski
Camp Abilities, United States

“Superb customer service and quality blind footballs and eye shades! Thank you for supporting our blind football initiative in Zimbabwe! zw”

Keon Richardson
Coach and Disability Officer at Palace for Life Foundation

“Handi Life Sport’s footballs for the blind and visually impaired are excellent with regard to quality, sound and playing abilities. The balls are used in Turkey by several sports federations such as The Turkish Football Federation, The Turkish Athletics Federation and The Sports Union for the Blind.”

Volkan Akyuz, Aksport, Ankara

“In the German organisation for the blind and visually impaired (DBSV), we have tested Handi Life Sport’s new football / futsal ball – and we think it is brilliant to play with.”

Reiner Delgado, DBSV, Germany

Supplier to the Rio Paralympic Games 2016 and the Tokyo2020 Paralympics:

THE COURT

The Court is of same size as used in Indoors football court, but fine to adjust the court to the available space.

MASKS / HEAD PROTECTION

Handi Life Sport offers glasses and masks that are used to ensure that none of the participants can see in the various sports for visually impaired.

We offer Justa Blind Sports Mask and polyester masks (red and black). The Justa Blind Sports Mask is also used in goalball, showdown and other blind sports.

The masks can also be used for teambuilding and sense training.

Since five-a-side is a very fast game and the players run around without vision, it’s important that the players protect themselves. Therefore, many players, in addition to masks, use some kind of head protection, so they don’t get hurt too much if they run into each other.

More information about the eyeshades in our shop.

REFERENCES

Will Norman – AWESOME AUDIBLE BALLS

Will Norman – AWESOME AUDIBLE BALLS

Former Paralympic Blind Footballer, United Kingdom

“I just wanted to write and let you know that the two audible balls we ordered last year (Rattle ball, soccer size and Petito ball) are brilliant. I am a former Paralympic blind footballer with a severely visually impaired son.  

I wanted him to enjoy football, but felt that at 9 years old, the IBSA specification balls would be too heavy and difficult for him. The Rattle Ball is perfect for him to use for recreation and fun as it makes just as good a sound as the IBSA version, but is much lighter and easy to use.  

I struggled a lot with access to the right kind of equipment myself as a kid and I’m determined that my son should not have to scale the same obstacles as I did. Your work in this area and the sheer scale and variety of options available is a massive massive benefit to us compared to the situation of my youth – which apparently was back when the dinosaurs were around!”

Boccia Ledo Suede balls

Premium goods (Ledo Suede Supersoft boccia balls and bags)

Vivien Nagy, BC4 boccia player, Budapest, Hungary

Dear Handi Life Sport, Everything arrived in one piece today!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! ❤ I'm going to training today and I will check the new balls on court. I catched them already and I really like them and I'm sure these are supersoft. ?? Before the competition I will use the Bisfed test kit to check the balls with ramp test for sure. You know the new rules are really hard. In the call room if we have a bad ball the referees take them out and we won't get another one and they will check our balls after the match once more so this is a true nightmare I think..??? I always check my balls when I finish the training.?? Thank you very much for a lot of help and for these premium goods. I hope they will help me a lot in competitions. :) I wish the best for all of you! Vivien Nagy
Lily Jagodzinski, FOOTBALL FOR THE BLIND

Lily Jagodzinski, FOOTBALL FOR THE BLIND

Camp Abilities, USA

"We appreciate all of your help within the past year with Camp Abilities and the different 5-a-side orders. We have shared your name with over 30+ people about your soccer balls and have only heard positive things. We are always recommending you to people who are curious about getting into blind soccer and are looking into order equipment for themselves."
Hangchul Jo – BOCCIA

Hangchul Jo – BOCCIA

Boccia Coach, Incheon in South Korea (the picture shows JaeSang Ju, who won the silver medal, and his coach Hangchul Jo)

“I am a Boccia couch in Incheon in Korea who ordered supersoft balls few month ago. I would like to order again those items. Actually, I had joined national competition a month ago and my player got the silver medal with your supersoft balls. That was first time for my player to get the medal. What a suprise!!!”
Gustav Kallan – GOALBALL

Gustav Kallan – GOALBALL

Captain on the Danish Goalball team for men (no. 8 in the picture), Denmark

Feedback from The Danish Goalball Team for Men, who have played with Handi Life Sport’s JUSTA BLIND SPORTS MASK for 7 months: “Your JUSTA mask is clearly the best we have ever played with!” The Danish National Goalball team for men - just loves the Justa Blind Sports Masks - watch here why!
Keon Richardson – FOOTBALL FOR THE BLIND

Keon Richardson – FOOTBALL FOR THE BLIND

Coach and Disability Officer at Palace for Life Foundation, United Kingdom

“Superb customer service and quality blind footballs and eyeshades! Thank you for supporting our blind football initiative in Zimbabwe! ⚽”.
CP Sport logo

Bob Feeney – BOCCIA

CP Sport, Nottingham

“For 15 years, CP Sport, Nottingham, has sold Handi Life Sport’s boccia equipment in England, Scotland and Wales. The popularity of the boccia sport is now strongly increasing and boccia is played by a broad spectrum of people within senior sports, the leisure sector, rehabilitation and disabled sports. CP Sport greatly values our long-term cooperation with Handi Life Sport. We appreciate their support and faultless service – and we look forward to continuing the cooperation for many years to come. Handi Life Sport manufactures boccia balls of fantastic quality – and the balls seem to last forever!”
Fokus Svensk Nyhetsmagasin logo

FOKUS – PETANQUE

Swedish weekly magazine, Sweden

The Swedish weekly magazine, FOKUS, selected Handi Life Sport’s Indoor Petanque as being amongst the 3. best products that were shown at the Senior Trade Show in Gothenburg.
Seniors playing Petanque

Lotta Tengberg, centerchef – PETANQUE

Manager of several Activity Centres in the, Gothenburg area, Sweden

“We started with one court, but we have now expanded into several courts. We have had many more visitors since we started Indoor Petanque. This has given positive, social effects. People meet before and after the game and chat together and have a pleasant time”.
Petanque Superior 12 balls set

Kjell Jonasson – PETANQUE

From Gothenburg has closely followed the development of indoor petanque in Sweden, Sweden

“Indoor petanque has become immensely popular in Sweden where it is called “Inomhusboule”. The game is played at senior centres, pensioners’ clubs, senior residences and many other places. It is not strange that it has become so popular because the game is very social and contributes to enjoyment, laughter, activity, fellowship, exercise and excitement. All at the same time. Almost everyone can play petanque and it can be played everywhere on any kind of surface. It is simple and easy to play and the balls are easy to hold and of high quality.”
DBSV logo

Reiner Delgado, DBSV – SOUND BALLS

Germany

“In the German organisation for the blind and visually impaired (DBSV), we have tested Handi Life Sport’s new football / futsal ball – and we think it is brilliant to play with.”
Playing boccia at a nursing home

David Bacon – BOCCIA

Volunteer Den Bosch, The Netherlands

Hello, I just wanted to give some feedback on your boccia ball set. I am a volunteer at an old people's center in Den Bosch, Holland. Every week, when I can, I help with a game using your product. After 4 years the balls are in excellent condition even though they are regularly used. More importantly, the residents really enjoy the game which they can easily manage and provides the possibility of skill and chance. Many thanks.
Peter Pearse, IBC 2008

Peter Pearse – BOCCIA

Chairman of The International Boccia Committee (IBC), 2008

“Through the years, Handi Life Sport has donated their first-class boccia balls to use at international boccia competitions such as the European championships, World championships and the Paralympic Games. In so doing, Handi Life Sport has generously supported the international sport of boccia.”
Andrea Madunová – BOCCIA

Andrea Madunová – BOCCIA

Chairwoman of the Organization of Muscular Dystrophy, Slovak Republic

“For people suffering from muscular dystrophy boccia meant revolution, because it has opened for them the door leading back to the gym. For many people, the Handi Life Sport brand is associated with the balls and the game of boccia.”
Francisco Javier Olmos – BOCCIA

Francisco Javier Olmos – BOCCIA

Coach for the Chilean boccia team, Chile

“Personally, I think that Handi Life Sport is a good company with a very responsible, friendly and professional team of employees. As the coach for the Chilean national Boccia team I have had a long cooperation with Handi Life Sport, which has always provided a fast and very friendly service. The sports equipment we have purchased from Handi Life Sport has been of outstanding quality, which allows the Olympic athletes to develop their social and sporting skills in the best way possible. What’s more is that the importing process from Denmark has always been punctual and without problems. This has played an important role in the mutual relationship for both parties, which over a number of years has been characterised by trust. In brief, Handi Life Sport is an exceptionally credible company with high quality standards and professional employees.”
Balls from Handi Life Sport

Volkan Akyuz, Aksport, Ankara – SOUND BALLS

The balls are used in Turkey by several sports federations, Turkey

“Handi Life Sport’s footballs for the blind and visually impaired are excellent with regard to quality, sound and playing abilities. The balls are used in Turkey by several sports federations such as The Turkish Football Federation, The Turkish Athletics Federation and The Sports Union for the Blind.”