Football

Vision Sports Ireland is promoting football as part of the “Football for All” programme run by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Football under this programme is also called Futsal or five-a-side. There are opportunities for both the partially-sighted players (B2/B3) and for fully-blind (B1) players.

B1 Football

A B1 team plays on an artificial pitch outdoors with low-level boards forming walls along the side of the pitch. All players must wear block out goggles so that all are equally blind during play. Sighted assistants call instructions from behind the goals. The ball contains a number of ball bearings and therefore emits a sound as it moves about the pitch.In both cases, the teams play with a goalkeeper with good/normal eyesight.Currently the FAI and Vision Sports Ireland have Blind Football programmes in:

Cork

Dublin - Fortnightly training sessions from Saturday, 22^nd January at Inspire Fitness Cabra from 1-2pm. New players of all ages and abilities welcome. For more information or to register, contact Bohemian FC, Disability & Social Inclusion Access Officer James Flanagan at 085 855771 accessofficer@bohemians.ie

Galway - Fortnightly training sessions from Saturday, 8^th January at Mervue United from 3-4pm. New players of all ages and abilities welcome. For more information or to register, contact club coordinator Rob Connolly on 0851406344 or robconnolly184@gmail.com

We are always recruiting new players both male and female. We plan to add more venues in late 2021/ early 2022.

B2/B3 Futsal

B2/3 footballers play indoors and there are minimal differences in the rules from those that apply to the standard game of Futsal. The key difference is that there is a minimum number of B2 players required to be on the pitch at any one time during the game. This game is played using a normal indoor Futsal ball – with high visibility being an option when available.