PATTERING FOOTSTEPS,
CHILDREN'S VOICES
UPBEAT MUSIC
AND CROWD CHEERING
SELINA: I鈥檓 Selina Prieto.
MEGAN: And I鈥檓 Megan Brierley. We are part of the England's Women's Blind Football Squad.
BOTH: And this is blind football.
UPLIFTING MUSIC
MARTIN: Blind football is a sport that鈥檚 becoming more and more popular across the world, and both Megan and Selina play internationally for the England Women鈥檚 team.
It鈥檚 fun, fast and played in teams of five.
And the aim of the game is simple - to score more goals than the other team!
SELINA: Our kit is more or less the same as any football kit, except for these鈥
Blindfolds!
MARTIN: When you watch or play in a blind football match, you鈥檒l notice all the players wearing blindfolds.
This is because the sport is normally played by people who are either visually impaired or blind, meaning they all have slightly different levels of sight.
By covering everyone鈥檚 eyes with their blindfolds, it makes the game fair.
SELINA: I have a rare eye condition which means I have gradually lost my sight.
So now, I can only see lights, such as when the sun is shining.
I'm used to running at high speed with limited sight.
Actually, I think my speed surprises people.
I love the sport because it tests so many of my skills.
I have to be fit because the game is fast, and I have to be focused so I can hear the ball.
MARTIN: The ball in blind football is very special.
It鈥檚 been designed to make a noise like a rattle.
RATTLING
This way, all the players on the pitch know where the ball is and which direction it鈥檚 moving.
This means the crowd watching has to be very quiet鈥
SSSHHH!
鈥hat is until a goal is scored and the supporters can go wild!
CROWD CHEERS
Players shout the word 鈥榁oy,鈥 when they are going for the ball.
鈥榁oy鈥 means, 鈥楪o,鈥 in Spanish and by shouting clearly, players can let their teammates know exactly where they are on the pitch.
TEAM CHATTER
Listening is a really important part of playing blind football.
The goalkeeper is the only player on each team who doesn鈥檛 wear a blindfold and can be fully sighted.
And behind the net, each team has their own guide to help with getting the ball on target.
COACH: Away from goal鈥
The team guide and goalie are allowed to shout directions and instructions to the rest of the team.
MEGAN: I love being the goalkeeper in a blind football team because there's so many elements to it.
Coming from a mainstream football background, I'm sometimes used to not really doing a lot in some games, but in a blind football game, I've got more of a role, I'd say.
Communication is such a fundamental part of playing blind football.
If we couldn't talk to each other if we couldn't shout at each other, we wouldn't be able to play the game to the standards that we play it.
Teamwork and trust are such huge parts of the game, especially when we're the eyes for the girls.
We're gonna get them on the pitch safely, we're not gonna make them run into other people.
They're not going to run into the boards, so trust is huge.
Putting on an England shirt is just, words can't describe it.
I remember the first time, I was so excited, I was sending pictures to all of my friends.
SELINA: Getting to compete at the Paralympics would be my absolute dream.
There's nothing like representing your country.
The most rewarding thing about playing blind football for me is the people that I've met and the fact that this shows
that football is for everyone, and everyone can play the sport.
So, what are you waiting for?
We've shown you the sport we like to play.
Now it's your turn!
PATTERING FOOTSTEPS,
CHILDREN'S VOICES
Watch this film with British Sign Language
Watch this film with audio description
Watch this film with British Sign Language and audio description.
Find out about blind football with Martin Dougan, and Megan Brierley and Selina Prieto from England Blind Football Women鈥檚 Team.
Blind football is played in teams of five and the aim of the game is to score more goals than the other team. A match is played in two halves of 20 minutes.
As different players have different levels of vision, to make the game fair, the players wear blindfolds (also known as eye shades) so that each player has the same vision.
The goalkeeper is the only player who doesn鈥檛 wear a blindfold and can be fully sighted.
The ball is an audible one. It has a rattle or bells so that players can hear where it is on the pitch. When players go in to tackle for the ball, they need to shout voy (Spanish for I'm going).
Players need to have good listening and communication skills and be fast!
You can watch the 2024 Paralympic Games between 28th August and 8th September on Channel 4.
