Thursday 20 October 2011

Paralympic Games 2012 - 7-Aside-Football



Where: Olympic Park - Hockey Centre
When: Saturday 1st Sept - Sunday 9th Sept 2012
Medal Events: 1
Athletes: 96 (all men; eight teams)

One of two Football variations played at the Paralympic Games, 7-a-side Football is a fast-moving and fiercely competitive sport played by athletes with cerebral palsy. At London 2012, the Hockey Centre will host eight men’s teams in a 20-match tournament, culminating in the gold medal match on 9 September.

The Basics
7-a-side Football follows FIFA rules, with some modifications: each team consists of seven players; the playing field is smaller, as are the goals (5m by 2m); there’s no offside rule; throw-ins may be made with one hand only; and each half lasts 30 minutes. Teams are made up of ambulant cerebral palsy athletes, and each side must maintain a line-up featuring players with varying levels of disability.

The Paralympic tournament will feature eight men’s teams, initially two groups of four teams playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winning semi-finalists going head to head for the gold.

Paralympic Games 7-Aside-Football - Past & Present
7-a-side Football has been part of the Paralympic programme since the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games. At London 2012, all matches will be played at the brand new Hockey Centre in the Olympic Park, which will also stage the 5-a-side Football competition.

Jargon Buster
- Extra time: If a match in the knockout stages is tied at the end of 60 minutes, the teams play 20 minutes of extra time in a bid to find a winner.

- Penalty shootout: If a match remains tied after extra time, it is decided by a penalty shootout following standard FIFA rules.

- Pitch: The playing area, measuring no less than 70m x 50m and no more than 75m x 55m.




Courtesy of http://www.london2012.com

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