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JDFA

Deaf Football / Deaf Futsal

Japan Deaf Football Association (JDFA)

What’s deaf football and futsal?

Football and futsal for the hearing impaired

Deaf football/futsal is 11-a-side football/5-a-side futsal for persons with hearing impairment. They communicate with each other on the pitch, not with their voices, but with eye contact and sign language.The IFAB/FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game generally apply to it in the same way with some modifications. In one example, a referee in deaf football uses not only a whistle but flags in making their calls so that players can obtain visual information.

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International governing body:

What are the rules?

Deaf football

Team members
11
Game duration
90 minutes (Two halves of 45 minutes)
Pitch size
Same as stipulated in the IFAB Laws of the Games
Players
Persons with hearing impairments
* The scope of hearing impairments that are eligible to deaf football differs in Japan and international matches
Classifications
None
Other rules
The IFAB Laws of the Game generally apply to it in the same way. There are some modifications such as:
  • A referee in deaf football uses not only a whistle but flags in making their calls so that players can obtain visual information.
  • In international matches, with 2 more assistant referees standing behind both goals, 5 referees in total use flags to provide information for the players.

Deaf futsal

Team members
5
Game duration
25 minutes (Running time) or 20 minutes (Playing time)
Pitch size
Same as stipulated in the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Games
Players
Persons with hearing impairments
* The scope of hearing impairments that are eligible to deaf futsal differs in Japan and international matches
Classifications
None
Other rules
The FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game generally apply to it in the same way. There are some modifications such as:
  • A referee in deaf football uses not only a whistle but flags in making their calls so that players can obtain visual information

Conatct

JDFA
Japan Deaf Football Association (JDFA)
Emailjdfa@outlook.jp

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