France

FFH Commission Foot-Fauteuil

Established: 1990

About Us

The practice of Foot-Chair is reserved for anyone with a physical, permanent and verifiable disability, who requires the use of a wheelchair to practice a collective sport, and whose disability does not allow the practice of another sport. Created in 2001, the French team participates in all official competitions organized by FIPFA (International Federation of Powerchair Football Association). 

Rules

  • Two teams of 4 players (including one goalkeeper) compete for two periods of 20 minutes for the French championship D1, D2 and final phase of the Coupe de France. And two periods of 15 minutes for the D3 and D4 championship. The team with the most goals wins the match.
  • The dimensions of the field are 28 × 15 m. The goals are materialized by removable posts 6m apart, and the ball has a diameter of 33 cm.
  • The wheelchair speed is limited to 10.03 km/h. The referees carry a speed check at the start of each day of the Championship or Coupe de France on each wheelchair.
  • In the penalty area, only two defending team players can move simultaneously (goalkeeper included).
  • A fault is committed if a player blocks an opponents movement, hits an opponent violently or if the charge is made with a part other than the bumper. Non-violent and involuntary contact is tolerated, and the ball is then returned to the team that suffered the fault.
  • The front bumper of the chair allows the ball to be struck and driven and ensures the safety of the player.
  • We call “upgrading” any match played by a player in a division higher than his own, in the case where his club has a reserve team. An upgraded player will only be able to play a maximum of one-third of the team’s matches in which he was upgraded. That is six matches in D1 / D2 and four matches in D3.

National Competitions

France has three divisions at the national level (Division 1Division 2 and Division 3).

Championship weekends are organized as “plateau weekends”: several teams travel to the same site and play up to 4 matches.

  • Division 1: 10 teams, A/R matches, ten weekends: title of Champion awarded to the 1st in the final classification, two first potentially qualifying places in the European Club Cup. The teams ranked 9th and 10th are relegated to D2.
  • Division 2: 10 teams, A/R matches, ten weekends: title of Champion awarded to the 1st of the final classification. The teams ranked 1st and 2nd advance to D1, and the 9th and 10th are relegated to D3.
  • Division 3: 8 teams, A/R matches, eight weekends: two climbs to D2, exceptionally no descent to D4 for the 2020/2021 season in view of the reform that will be applied for the 2021/2022 season. Title of Champion awarded to the 1st of the final classification.

Qualification criteria: results of the past season. Teams must confirm their commitment for the following season before June 30 of the current season (latest deadline).

Federation Internationale de
Powerchair Football Association,
Unit 8 & 9, Stadium Business Court,
DE24 8HP, Derby

Charity Number: 1204511