What is Intellectual Impairment Football?

Intellectual Impairment football and futsal are formats of the game played to the IFAB and FIFA rules, for athletes with an intellectual impairment or sometimes referred to as a learning disability.

What is Intellectual Impairment Football?

Who can play?

Intellectual Impairment Football is for players with a recognised intellectual impairment.

  • The person must have an IQ of 75 or below
  • The person must have limited ‘adaptive behaviour’ which means they might need help with everyday tasks, for example cooking or travelling by public transport
  • The learning disability must have occurred before the age of 18

Sport Rules

Football Rules

Internationally there are no adaptations to the IFAB Football Laws of the Game as played in FIFA competition.

 

Futsal Rules

  • Internationally there are no adaptations to the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game as played in FIFA competition.

Classification

There are three eligibility criteria which must be met for a player to be eligible to play this format of football:

  • The person must have an IQ of 75 or below
  • The person must have limited ‘adaptive behaviour’ which means they might need help with everyday tasks, for example cooking or travelling by public transport
  • The learning disability must have occurred before the age of 18

There are currently three eligibility groups within Virtus competition:

  • II1 – Athletes with an intellectual disability
  • II2 – Athletes with significant intellectual disability
  • II3 – Athletes with Autism (IQ>75) - Trial group

International Federation

About Virtus

Member of the Para Football Steering Board

Virtus is the international federation governing the sport of Intellectual Impairment Football and Futsal, dedicated to empowering persons with intellectual impairment, autism or Down Syndrome to play football. Virtus is committed to governing and developing the sport of Intellectual Impairment Football and Futsal in line with their respective mission and objectives and collaborate with Para Football, and partner international federations, in facilitating the growth of football for persons with disabilities. 

Virtus Website: www.virtus.sport

 

 

International Federation

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