For the past eight years, I have been involved with the Pararoos, Australia’s national team for people with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and stroke. My role has spanned coaching, sport science and analysis, and has given me the opportunity to travel across Asia and Europe supporting the team in tournaments.
The intent of this article is to provide a beginners guide to the game, give insight into this adaptive sport and the intriguing football complexities within it.
Game format
Cerebral palsy (CP) football is a modified version of the game. In the mens game, it is played as 7-a-side on a 70m long and 50m wide pitch (roughly box-to-box and slightly wider than penalty box width on a typical 11v11 field), utilising 5m x 2m goals (a common goal size for 7v7). Halves are 30 minutes long.
Beyond these adaptations, the three main modifications from the traditional laws of the game are that:
- The ball can be rolled in underarm or overarm from throw-ins
- There are no offsides
- Players are classified based on their level of functional impairment, and teams must meet certain classification requirements when fielding teams (this is explained more in a later section)
The rule change regarding throw-ins is designed to provide athletes with alternative ways to restart the game, considering that the eligible impairments often affect their ability to control & manipulate the ball behind their head as is required with a traditional throw-in. An example of the underarm restart can be seen below…
…noting that overarm throw-ins can still be utilised. The example below from Australia’s National Para Championships shows even CP football is not immune from the Premier League’s current long throw trend!
The absence of offsides creates a very intriguing game. As you can imagine, teams can use this for various tactical advantages. It also affects defensive approaches & structures (which will be discussed later).
To give an immediate picture of how it affects the game, see the goal below from the 2024 IFCPF European Championships…
…where you can see how deep the English defence is as a starting point, and also, how just immediately before the goal, the forward run from a Ukraniain player has to be tracked by a defender, creating space for the goalscorer.
To further understand the tactical wrinkles that emerge from the lack of offsides, however, it is important to firstly understand the classification process and system.
Classification
Classification is an integral part of any Para-sport. It ensures athletes meet the eligible impairment for the sport, and provides a structure to ensure a level playing field. In CP football, the eligible impairments can all roughly be categorised as neurological conditions that affect one’s motor condition, resulting in a permanent activity limitation. In football terms, this is a brain injury that affects their ability to perform football actions.
CP football has a relatively straightforward classification system wherein athletes are classed into either FT1, FT2 or FT3 categories (FT being a shorthand for football). The process of assessing classification involves reviewing an athlete’s medical documentation, a trained doctor or physio performing a physical assessment (including a range of functional motor tests), and a technical classifier observing the player in competition; specifically focusing on how the identified impairment affects their football skills.
The video below, featuring the author and created by the excellent Adam Cavenor, provides a summary of the classification process and more detail around the typical player profiles in each of the three classes.
There are two primary rules in CP football around classification:
- Teams must field at least one FT1 player at all times
- Teams cannot field more than one FT3 player at any time
This essentially means you must have at least one FT1 player (you can play more than one, as some teams do), and you cannot play more than one FT3 player.
Immediately, this presents some intriguing challenges for coaches. These complexities are further increased when you consider that classification occurs immediately prior to a tournament, that a players classification can change before & during tournaments, and that a players classification can change multiple times over the course of their career.
Player profiles
Nevertheless, some common themes can be observed in the types of players in each class.
FT1s
FT1 players typically adopt one of three profiles:
- They are a goalkeeper, typically a player with functional impairment in both legs. They may have restricted side-to-side mobility, but maintain full function in their arms, allowing them to make saves in the same vein as a traditional 11v11 goalkeeper. This player profile typically has a shorter range of passes compared to their peers.
- They are a defender, able to defend 1v1 and change direction competently, although they may have limitations affecting the length and distance of pass when in possession
- They are a striker, able to position themselves in ‘offside’ positions, occupy defenders, and make runs into the penalty area. They typically are able to press effectively, covering the width of the field. They often can get on the end of crosses or passes, but may be limited in their ability to generate their own shots.
Here is a video example of the latter, featuring Australia’s Kaylan van Heer.
You will note towards the end of the clip how Van Heer deliberately moves higher up the pitch, and receives a pass in an ‘offside’ position.
FT2s
FT2 players are the most varied player profiles, but they usually are defenders, midfielders or strikers with hemiplegia – paralysis/spasticity affecting one side of the body. These players often have full function on, as an example, their right side, but limited ability to perform football actions on their left side (or vice versa). These players are usually versatile and can cover a variety of different positions, in defence/midfield/attack, and both centrally or out wide.
It is not uncommon to have an FT2 goalkeeper, and in some countries, a limited talent pool might mean a coach simply does not have any other goalkeepers in other classes. FT2 goalkeepers generally have a wider range of pass and can cover more of the goal by virtue of having more mobility in their lower limbs compared to FT2 goalkeepers.
The following highlights Alessandro La Verghetta, an Australian FT2 defender with hemiplegia affecting the left side of his body, leading to predominantly right-sided actions.
FT3s
FT3 players have, by definition, the smallest level of impairment compared to their peers. Accordingly, these players typically have the ability to accelerate more quickly, generate more power in their actions and/or change direction both ways (i.e. left and right). As a result of this, FT3 players tend to be profiled as central players, although coaches do sometimes use them out wide. They also, more often than not, play in more attacking positions.
There are FT3 goalkeepers, but these are considerably rare. The Netherlands, semi-finalists at the 2024 IFCPF World Cup, are one such example of a team playing with this profile.
The clip below of Thailand’s Chanathip Deeman, Player of the Tournament at the 2025 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Cup and likewise at the 2024 IFCPF World Cup, demonstrates what an FT3 player can look like in action.
This is, of course, a short summary of a complex topic, but hopefully illuminates the kind of players typically available to coaches in this sport.
Team tactics
These profiles inevitably shape team tactics. The type of players you have, and their classifications, are perhaps the greatest influence on the team style of play and formation. It is also important to remember this is international level competition, so there is no transfer market available to purchase new players!
The most typical formation is a 2-3-1. You can think of this like the classic 4-4-2 in 11v11 formats; it covers the pitch evenly, provides cover in defence, and allows players to fulfil simple roles with clear partnerships.
As you can see above, in this shape, the FT1 is normally in goal, however, it is also not unusual for teams to play with an FT1 upfront, and an FT2 in goal.
However, because the FT1 (based on the classification process) sometimes can often lower mobility compared to their peers, teams use a 3-2-1 or 3-1-2 formation, to provide more support to an FT1 striker. Having more attacking players closer together allows the FT1 to play shorter passes and combine with their teammates more readily.
The very best teams in this sport often play a similar shape, but as they tend to dominate possession, the shape can become something that could be described as a 1-4-1. For reference, it’s not uncommon to see the top 4 nations (Ukraine, Iran, Brazil and England) average 80-90% possession against lower ranked teams, as there can be large discrepancies in talent pool & player availability between nations.
In these sort of matches, team style can resemble something like futsal: where the dominant team has such a high amount of possession that they can willingly move the ball around and through the opposition shape close to their penalty area. The defending team will sit in a low block, aiming to get numbers behind the ball and block shots on goal, rather than actively trying to win the ball back. In these situations, mobile FT3 and FT2 players are important, to carry the ball forward on the counter-attack.
Of course, given the rule adaptations, a team can, in theory, position an FT1 player all the way up the other end of the field while they are the defending team. This essentially creates a stand-off: does the attacking team leave a player back to defend the “offside” player (or in some cases, they might have to think of leaving a covering defender as well). This is rare, but it has happened at international tournaments.
Generally speaking, though, team tactics in open play can be considered across three areas:
- How will we progress the ball forward?
The main consideration here is how many players are needed in the build up. Teams can generally build up with two defenders plus a goalkeeper, as you generally only need to eliminate 1 player who is pressing, in order to carry the ball forward.
Some teams do press with 2, so in these situations teams either drop a midfielder or wide player to create an extra player in the build up, or simply play a longer pass direct to a striker from the goal-kick.
In matches where there is a clear underdog, this team may drop so deep in their starting shape that their opponents can carry the ball without pressure to the halfway line. - How will we create shots on goal?
Most commonly, you will see teams looking to create combinations where the ball gets to the byline for a player to do a cut-back. This is possible by using a player positioned on the by-line, as they are not offside per the rules of this sport.
On an individual level, a simple attacking advantage can be created by getting the ball to your best player, which is often [inherently, based on the classification system] the FT3. Due to their lower level of impairment, this player can generally dribble the ball both to the left and the right of defenders, so they have the ability to go past one or two defenders to get themselves free enough to shoot.
Finally, a common method of scoring comes from counter-attacks – just like in 11v11, where you can quickly take advantage of an unorganised opponent. Again, these counter-attacks generally involve the FT3 player, who typically can reach a higher top speed than their peers. - Where/how do we want to win the ball back?
The most typical defensive system you will see is a mid-block, where the team drops in their shape and aims to create a wide pressing trap. This means the opponents backline can carry & pass the ball freely, but the defending team will try to win the ball when it is passed wide.
Again, given the classification system, the wide players tend to be FT2 players who are hemiplegic, meaning they have impairment affecting one side of their body. As a result, it is more difficult for this type of player to dribble out of pressure as they are generally not able to move the ball using both feet effectively.
Some teams will press high, and have a high starting position – this is generally with the aim of forcing a long pass forward, where the pressing team may have taller/stronger defenders.
In more extreme cases of a mismatch of opponents, the weaker team will simply drop all the way to their own box, and aim to defend the goal in a 3-3 shape. It is also not unusual to see FT3s instructed to man-mark their counterpart on the opposition.
Set pieces
Set pieces are naturally an important part of the game, just as they are in 11v11 football.
On corners, teams tend to attack with three players in the box. They typically will attack a lofted ball delivered to the team’s most dangerous aerial threat. The strongest teams (generally those in the top six) tend to play short from corners, using a well-rehearsed combination to get a player free to shoot from outside the box.
There is a wrinkle in the rules when it comes to free-kicks; in 2025, IFCPF introduced the law that the attacking team cannot place any players inside the opposition’s six-yard box when taking a free-kick. This is to essentially protect the goalkeeper, as teams were crowding them out and affecting the flow of the overall game
Nevertheless, despite this rule change in 2025, given the size of the field, the general approach in these situations is still simply just to shoot on goal, and get players positioned outside the box to try and win the second ball.
As mentioned at the start of the article, throw-ins can be taken underarm, so the game generally restarts quickly from these situations, although as we saw, teams with a player who can get the ball into the box are not adverse to “getting it in the mixer”.
How you can support
Cerebral palsy football, like most Para-sports, does struggle from a lack of funding available to athletes and governing bodies. All of the players and teams listed in this article are impacted by a lack of professionalism, meaning they are often required to work full-time alongside training for high performance. In the case of many countries, they are operating independently of the formalised national body for football, which accentuates challenges around access to support and resources to develop their programs. International readers are encouraged to search their countries specific programs to see how they could support and get involved.
In the case of Australia, support can be provided through the following avenues:
- Donating to our Australian Sports Foundation fund
- Following our social media channels on Facebook and Instagram
- Getting along to CP football matches, including the annual Para National Championships
- If you are a coach/club, getting in touch with myself to see if you can support the training of a current or future Pararoos player.
- Likewise, if you are an interested player, you are welcome to contact me on the above email to be connected to a relevant state or club program
Cerebral palsy football is not currently included in the Paralympic Games. A bid has been submitted from the international body, IFCPF, to reinstate the sport in the Brisbane 2032 games. You can find more information and support this campaign via their official website and social media platforms.
A quick announcement
The Pararoos are one of the great joys of my life, and Para-sport is something I’ve been involved in as a coach and athlete since childhood.
To this end, I’ll be exploring this long-held passion of mine through a new lens. In the coming weeks, I’ll be launching Peak Para (as a new Substack publication, to join the rest of the world, it seems).
The aim of Peak Para will be to share insights into high performance Para-sport – across different sports, contexts and athletes, with the aim of going “behind the scenes” of what I think are some of the most interesting sporting environments that we can learn from.
Feel free to hit the button below if you’d like to see more of my writing in this new venture.
