# CP Football

Cerebral Palsy Football, also called 7-a-side football or formerly Paralympic Football, is an adaptation of association football for athletes with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injury. From 1978 to 2014, cerebral palsy football was governed by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA). In January 2015, governance of the sport was taken over by the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, under the umbrella of Para Football.
The sport is played with modified FIFA rules. Among the modifications are a reduced field of play, a reduction in the number of players, elimination of the offside rule, and permission for one-handed throw-ins. Matches consist of two thirty-minute halves, with a fifteen-minute half-time break. Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times. No more than one players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time.
International competition in 7-a-side football began at the 1978 CP-ISRA International Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. The sport was added to the Summer Paralympic Games at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in New York City, U.S., and was played at every Summer Games until 2016.

## Governance

From 1978 to 2014, cerebral palsy football was governed by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA). In January 2015, governance of the sport was taken over by the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football.
Different organizations govern the sport on a national level. In Australia, the sport is governed by Football Federation Australia, with the sport also having state governing bodies in the country. For New South Wales, this is Cerebral Palsy Sporting and Recreation Association NSW. In Queensland, it is Football Queensland. The sport is overseen by Football Federation South Australia in South Australia. In Victoria, it is run by Disability Sport and Recreation. In Western Australia, the sport is governed by Football West. In the Australian Capital Territory, the sport is governed by Capital Football. In Tasmania, the sport is run by Disability Sport and Recreation.

## Rule modifications

While CP football generally follows many of the rules of association football, the sport includes a few modifications. These rules include a lack of an offside rule, and players being allowed to throw in the ball using only one hand. Throw-ins can be done using an underhand technique.
The game is also shorter, featuring two 30-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime break. It also includes only 7 players on the field for each team during play. The goal and the field are also smaller than the non-disability association football game. The field is 75 meters by 55 meters.
In tournament competition, playoff and finals games that end in a draw following regulation time have extra time added. This extra time consists of two 10-minute periods, where the first goal scored wins the game. If there is still a draw following those 20 minutes of play, a penalty shoot out takes place. 5 players from each time attempt to score from the place where penalty kicks take place. The team with the most goals following 5 shots each wins.

## Classification

Four classes participate in the sport. These classes are FT5, FT6, FT7 and FT8. The type of disability for each class is:
* FT5: Athletes with difficulties when walking and running, but not in standing or when kicking the ball.
* FT6: Athletes with control and co-ordination problems of their upper limbs, especially when running.
* FT7: Athletes with hemiplegia.
* FT8: Minimally disabled athletes; they must meet eligibility criteria and have an obvious impairment that has impact on the sport of football.
Originally, classification for the sport was only open to people with cerebral palsy, but the classification system as later changed. This opened up the sport to people with brain injuries and other motor function disorders with functional participation similar to that of people with cerebral palsy.
Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times. No more than one players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time.

## Spreading

The following nations have a football national team:

### Africa

    Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia

### America

    Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela

### Asia

    Australia, China, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Macao, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates

### Europe

    Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales

## Major world competitions

The sport has several major competitions. These include the IFCPF CP Football World Championships, former the CPISRA Football-7-a-Side World Championships. The first CPISRA World Championships took place in Denmark in 1982, four years after the first international competition for the sport took place in Scotland at the Cerebral Palsy International Games.
7-a-side football was also played at the Paralympic Games, making its debut at the 1984 Summer Paralympics. It was dropped from the Paralympic program for the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

### World CP Football Championships
#### Men

* 1990 - 2011 : CPISRA World Championship
* 2015 - 2017 : IFCPF World Championship
* 2019 - Ongoing : IFCPF World Cup
| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | Number of teams |
| 1990 Details | Assen (WC) | Netherlands | 5–0 | Ireland | Belgium | no information available | no information available | 5 |
| 1994 Details | Dublin (WC) | Netherlands | 2–0 | Ireland | Belgium | | Spain | |
| 1998 Details | Rio de Janeiro (WC) | Russia | 3–1 | Ukraine | Brazil | 3–2 | Spain | 11 |
| 2003 Details | Buenos Aires (WC) | Ukraine | 3–1 | Brazil | Russia | 2–1 | Argentina | |
| 2007 Details | Rio de Janeiro (WC) | Russia | 2–1 | Iran | Ukraine | 2–0 | Brazil | 16 |
| 2011 Details | Assen, Emmen, Hoogeveen (WC) | Russia | 6–1 | Iran | Ukraine | 8–3 | Brazil | 16 |
| 2015 Details | Burton-upon-Trent (WC) | Russia | 1–0 | Ukraine | Brazil | 6–0 | Netherlands | 16 |
| 2017 Details | San Luis (WC) | Ukraine | 1–0 | Iran | Russia | 2–0 | England | 16 |
| 2019 Details | Seville (Cup) | Russia | 3–1 | Ukraine | Brazil | 4–1 | England | 16 |
| 2022 Details | Salou (Cup) | Ukraine | 1–0 | Iran | Brazil | 2–0 | United States | 15 |
    2 = There is no information on the homepage of the IFCPF
    3 = no score found
* a.e.t.: after extra time
* p: after penalty shoot-out
1990 - 2022
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Russia (RUS) | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | Ukraine (UKR) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | Netherlands (NED) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Iran (IRI) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Ireland (IRL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Brazil (BRA) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 | Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals (7 entries) | Totals (7 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |

### Level 2 World Championship

* 2022 27th September - 3rd October 2022 (Olbia, Italy) :
1st Colombia
2nd Scotland
3rd Japan
4th Chile
5th Italy
6th Egypt
7th South Korea
8th Denmark

#### Women

* 1st - first-ever IFCPF Women’s World Cup in 2022 - Salou - Spain.
Japan, United States, Netherlands, Australia, Spain
Ranking:
* United States
* Australia
* Japan
* Netherlands
* Australia
×===CP Games===

### International Championships

| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | Number of teams | Ref. |
| 2009 Details | Arnhem (IC) | Ukraine | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (9–8 p.) | Russia | Iran | 1–0 | Brazil | 12 | |
| 2013 Details | Sant Cugat del Vallès (Cup) | Ukraine | 1–0 | Brazil | Russia | 4–0 | Ireland | 16 | |
    2 = There is no information on the homepage of the IFCPF
    3 = no score found
* a.e.t.: after extra time
* p: after penalty shoot-out

## Regional competitions

* Africa: to date, there have been no international championships in Africa since there are too few teams.
* Oceania: to date there have been no international championships in Oceania as there are too few teams. There are only two members of the IFCPF in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand. Australia has participated in the European World Cup 2010 except for competition.

### Pan American Championships

| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | | Third place | Score | Fourth place | | Number of teams |
| 1995 Details | unknown (PSC) | United States | | Argentina | | Brazil | | Chile | | 4 |
| 1999 Details | unknown (PSC) | Argentina | | United States | | Brazil | | Chile | | 4 |
| 2002 Details | Santiago (PSC) | Brazil | 3–1 | Argentina | | / Chile United States | | / Chile United States | | 4 |
| 2003 | Mar del Plata (PG) | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games |
| 2006 | Rio de Janeiro (AC) | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. | In 2006 a CPISRA America Cup was planned in Rio de Janeiro. But this was not done since 2007 the Parapan America Games and the CPISRA World Championship is carried out. |
| 2007 Details | Rio de Janeiro (PG) | Brazil | 5–0 | Argentina | | Canada | 1–0 | United States | | 6 |
| 2010 Details | Buenos Aires (AC) | Brazil | | United States | | Argentina | | Canada | | 6 |
| 2011 | Guadalajara (PG) | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games | no football 7-a-side tournament at the Parapan American Games |
| 2014 Details | Toronto (AC) | Brazil | 3–0 | Argentina | | United States | 3–0 | Canada | | 6 |
| 2015 Details | Toronto (PG) | Brazil | 3–1 | Argentina | | Venezuela | 2–1 | Canada | | 5 |
| 2018 Details | Sangolquí (AC) | Brazil | 4–2 | Argentina | | United States | 3–0 | Colombia | | 8 |
| 2019 Details | Lima (PG) | Brazil | 5–3 | Argentina | | United States | 7–0 | Venezuela | | 6 |
    AM1 = The tournament was played in a group mode.
    AM2 = no score found
* a.e.t.: after extra time
* p: after penalty shoot-out

### Asia-Pacific Championships

| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | Number of teams |
| 2002 Details | Busan (FG) | South Korea | Round Robin | Malaysia | Japan | | | 3 |
| 2006 Details | Kuala Lumpur (FG) | Iran | 5–0 | Australia | China | 4–0 | Japan | 6 |
| 2010 Details | Guangzhou (AsianG) | Iran | 7–0 | China | Japan | 2–0 | South Korea | 4 |
| 2014 Details | Incheon (AsianG) | Iran | 5–0 | Japan | South Korea | 3–0 | Singapore | 4 |
| 2018 Details | Kish Island (AOC) | Iran | | Australia | Jordan | | Thailand | 5 |
    AS1 = The tournament was played in a group mode.
* a.e.t.: after extra time
* p: after penalty shoot-out

### European Championships

| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | Number of teams |
| 1991 Details | Nottingham (ESC) | Netherlands | 3–0 | United Kingdom | / Ireland France | | / Ireland France | 4 |
| 1995 Details | Nottingham (ESC) | Netherlands | 0–0(a.e.t.) (– p.) | Russia | United Kingdom | | United Kingdom | |
| 1999 Details | Brasschaat (ESC) | Ukraine | 4–2 | Netherlands | no information available | no information available | no information available | |
| 2002 Details | Kyiv (ESC) | Ukraine | 6–1 | Russia | Netherlands | 1–0 | Portugal | 7 |
| 2006 Details | Dublin (EC) | Ukraine | 5–2 | Russia | Netherlands | 2–1 | Ireland | 8 |
| 2010 Details | Glasgow (EC) | Ukraine | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (9–8p) | Russia | Ireland | 2–0 | Netherlands | 10 |
| 2014 Details | Maia (EC) | Ukraine | 3–0 | Netherlands | Russia | 3–0 | Ireland | 11 |
| 2018 Details | Zeist (EC) | Russia | 3–2 | Ukraine | Ireland | 2–1 | Netherlands | 12 |
| 2023 Details | Oristano (EC) | Ukraine | 3–0 | England | Netherlands | 6–2 | Germany | 8 |
    EU1 = no score found
* a.e.t.: after extra time
* p: after penalty shoot-out