Competitive Sports: Football (American)
By NCHPAD News, Vol. 8, No. 3Publication Date: March 2009
Article offers information about different versions of American football which can be played by people with disabilities. Versions discussed include: (1) Flag and touch football, which can be played by people who are ambulatory or those that use wheelchairs. One organization promoting the sport mentioned is The United States Flag Football of the Deaf (USFFD). (2) Universal Football, where participants are divided into a three-level player classification system. Individuals with limited use of the hands, arms and eyes are credited with a catch if the ball hits them above the elbows. Manual chairs, power chairs and/or scooters can be used to participate; and (3) A version promoted by the Universal Wheelchair Football Association in which individuals with all types and levels of disability can participate. UWFA football is played indoors or outdoors with a foam football; participants who have functional use of hands, arms and eyes must catch the ball. A link is provided to video footage of a game of touch football at Access Chicago’s 2008 event at Navy Pier. Resource lists of accessible football organizations and suppliers are appended.
Published by: National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) (Website:http://www.ncpad.org )
Link to text: http://www.ncpad.org/competitive/fact_sheet.php?sheet=28§ion=188
Link to video: http://www.ncpad.org/competitive/fact_sheet.php?sheet=28§ion=2834
