Blind football words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 39 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Stopped clock

The timekeeper stops the clock for a free kick, kick-in, goal clearance, corner kick, referees' time-out, team time-out, treatment of an injured player, substitution, penalty or double penalty, and goal. It restarts when the referee whistles or drops the ball. A period ends at the acoustic signal, except that a kick for a fifth accumulated foul or a penalty kick awarded as the period ends is completed first. A match must always finish with the ball in play.

Pitch and equipment

Thirds

A dotted line 12 m from each goal line divides the pitch into the defensive, midfield and attacking thirds. They are also the guides' areas: the goalkeeper gives directions from the defensive third, the coach from the midfield third and the guide from the attacking third. Team officials, guides, goalkeepers and substitutes must respect these areas while the ball is in play.

Also called: Guides' areas; defensive third; midfield third; attacking third

Goalkeeper's area

A rectangle 5.82 m wide and 2 m deep, starting 1 m outside each goalpost. The goalkeeper's special rights apply here, and a goal clearance is taken from it.

Penalty spot

The penalty spot is 6 m from the midpoint between the goalposts. A second penalty spot is 8 m from it and is used for double penalties.

Also called: Second penalty spot; second penalty mark

Guide's area behind the goal

An area outside the pitch behind each goal, 2 m deep and 5.82 m wide, centred on the goal. It must be kept clear of obstacles so that guides can work.

Technical area

A line painted 1 m outside the kickboards on the substitutes' bench side. Only one staff member of a team and a translator, if needed, may be inside it, and only one person at a time may give tactical instructions from it. The benches are on the same side as the secretary's desk, each closer to its team's defensive area.

Light perception

The offence of deliberately touching the eye mask or eye patch without the referee's permission while the ball is in play, to gain light perception. It is an indirect free kick offence. A person sent off twice at one tournament for trying to gain an advantage from light perception is suspended for the rest of the tournament.

Players and officials

Timekeeper, scorer and PA speaker

The timekeeper and scorer are appointed by IBSA and the local organiser provides a PA speaker, who should use English. All three sit outside the pitch at the halfway line on the substitutes' bench side. The scorer records time-outs, accumulated fouls (showing a sign when a team commits its fourth), goalscorers and cards. The PA speaker announces stoppages, fouls, substitutions and time-outs and asks for silence. All three are compulsory in international matches.

Substitutions and time

Substitution opportunities

Each team has up to five opportunities per half: three team substitution requests, its own time-out and the opponent's time-out. The number of substitutions is not limited. Several substitutions at the same stoppage count as one opportunity, and substitutions at half-time are unlimited and do not count. A team may name four outfield substitutes and one goalkeeper. A substitute enters from the team's substitution zone only after the leaving player has crossed the goal line and a referee has allowed it.

Substitution during a time-out

If a time-out ends before a substitution is completed and the team has no requests left, the player who left stays off and the team plays short until the next stoppage, when only the same player may complete it. If the team still has requests, a substitute may enter and it counts as one of the three.

Temporary concussion substitution

A substitute for a player under a concussion check. If the injured player comes back on time and the TCS substitute goes off, no request is used. If the TCS substitute stays on, it counts as one request. The laws set out a table of cases for a 10 minute TCS period. IBSA has adopted a separate policy for all official championships.

Also called: TCS
See also: International Blind Sports Federation

Fouls and discipline

Accumulated fouls

The fouls punished by a direct free kick. Eight are fouls when careless, reckless or with excessive force: kicking or trying to kick an opponent, tripping, jumping at, charging, striking or trying to strike, pushing, tackling, and playing or tackling the ball with the head down. Five are fouls whatever the force: failing to say voy, deliberate handball (except by the goalkeeper in the goalkeeper's area), holding, spitting, and a sliding tackle among opponents. The first four per team in each half are recorded; the fifth and later ones bring a double penalty.

Double penalty

The free kick for a team's fifth and each later accumulated foul in a half. There is no wall, and the kicker must be clearly identified and must shoot, not pass. Everyone else stays behind an imaginary line level with the ball, 5 m away. Nobody else may touch the ball until the goalkeeper touches it, it rebounds off a post or the crossbar, or it leaves the pitch. It is taken from the second penalty mark for a foul in the opponents' half or in the team's own half between the halfway line and the 8 m line. For a foul in its own half between the 8 m line and the penalty area, the team may choose the second penalty mark or the place of the foul. It must be taken within four seconds.

Double penalty goalkeeper position

For a double penalty from the 8 m mark (or from 7 to 8 m from the goal line), the goalkeeper stays inside the goalkeeper's area and at least 5 m from the ball. For one from the 6 m mark (or from 6 to 7 m from the goal line), the goalkeeper stays on the goal line.

Four-second rule

The same applies to a goalkeeper who controls the ball with hands or feet for more than four seconds when it can be played, and to a player who stops the ball dead with the feet for more than four seconds.

Forty-second attack rule

An indirect free kick is given against a team that clearly refuses to attack once 40 seconds have passed since it gained possession of the ball.

Sandwich

Active blocking against an opponent at the kickboard by a second teammate. It is an indirect free kick offence, as is holding on to the kickboards with both hands while playing or trying to play the ball to gain an advantage over opponents.

Goalkeeper indirect free kick offences

A goalkeeper concedes an indirect free kick by receiving the ball back from a teammate after releasing it, unless it has gone beyond the halfway line or been touched by an opponent; by touching or controlling with the hands a ball deliberately kicked or passed from a kick-in by a teammate; and by releasing or kicking the ball so that it does not touch, bounce or strike in the goalkeeper's own half (the kick is taken from the halfway line). Holding the ball for more than four seconds also counts.

Cautionable offences

A yellow card is shown for unsporting behaviour, dissent by word or action, persistent infringement, delaying the restart, not keeping the required distance at a restart, entering or re-entering the pitch without permission or breaking the substitution procedure, deliberately leaving the pitch without permission, and intentionally touching the obligatory equipment to gain an advantage.

Sending-off offences

A red card is shown for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or anyone else, denying a goal or obvious goal-scoring chance by deliberate handball (except by the goalkeeper in the goalkeeper's area), denying an opponent heading for goal a clear scoring chance by an offence punished by a free kick or penalty, offensive, insulting or abusive language, and a second caution in the same match.

Replacing a sent-off player

A sent-off player may not return or sit on the substitutes' bench. After two minutes of playing time, and with the third referee's authorisation, a substitute may enter when the ball is out of play. If a goal is scored before then, the team with fewer players is completed only in the cases the decision lists (for example a team of four against five, when the larger team scores); otherwise the numbers stay as they are.

Offences by officials and guides

While the ball is in play, team officials, guides, goalkeepers and substitutes must not break the guides' areas, show dissent, make noise or behave irresponsibly. The offence gives the opponents an indirect free kick and the person may be sanctioned. A coach or guide who deliberately touches their own player gives an indirect free kick and is shown a yellow card; one who deliberately touches an opponent gives an indirect free kick and is shown a red card.

Tournament suspensions

Two yellow cards against one person, in different games of the same stage or in the same game, suspend that person for the next game. A yellow card does not carry into the next stage. A direct red card suspends for the next two games. Serious incidents, such as a racial insult or physical aggression, go to a disciplinary committee, with a minimum of two matches. A remaining red-card suspension carries over to the next official game of IBSA, the IPC or a regional Paralympic committee.

Restarts

Competition

Points and tie-breaks (IBSA competitions)

Three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a defeat. Ties are broken in order by: points in all games; goal difference; goals scored; points between the teams involved; goal difference between them; goals scored between them; fewer red cards among players and goalkeepers; fewer yellow cards among them; fewer red cards among staff; fewer yellow cards among staff; then a draw. Drawn knockout and placing matches go to kicks from the penalty mark.

Forfeited match

A match not played through one team's responsibility is recorded 6-0 against it. A match suspended for lack of the minimum number of players is recorded 6-0, or the score at the time if the winner already has more than six, with the other team's goals removed. If both teams are responsible, both lose 6-0.

All Blind football words

General terms

International Blind Sports Federation

Sight classes (blind football)