History of the game

Key dates:
1978 – France creates “Football in electric wheelchairs” for young people with severe disabilities.

1979 – Without having any contact with France, Canada starts to develop a sport called “Power Soccer”.
Since the beginning of the eighties, “Power Soccer” was exported to the United States and Japan,
while “Wheelchair Football” was being played in Belgium, in Portugal and in Switzerland.

From 1980 to 2005 – During these 25 years several styles of play developed, without the various
countries ever conversing about it. All were inspired by the Canadian and French models and
each adapted their play to meet their own requirements.

January 2005 – At the initiative of France, representatives of the United States, Canada, Japan, England and Portugal, met in Paris to discuss the possibility of making the sport international. A date was set to try and scrutinise the four main styles of the game, in order to create a new international discipline.

October 2005 – The six countries, joined by Denmark and Belgium, met in Portugal, finalised the international rulebook, and officially created Powerchair Football. The nine months that followed were spent writing the new sporting rules and finalising the Articles in order to create the international federation.

July 2006 – In Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the new sporting rules were tested and validated.
The Articles of the new federation were adopted at the General Assembly on July 24, 2006.

On October 16th of the same year, the International Federation of Powerchair Football Association filed its Articles in Paris, France, the home of its registered office.

October 2007 – FIPFA organised its first World Cup in Tokyo, Japan. Eight countries competed to win the first international competition of Powerchair Football. Broadcast live on the Internet, a Japanese website indicated the competition was visited by several thousand players and supporters from all over the world!

2008 – The first international club competition was organized in France. This EPFA Power Champions League brought together the top eight teams from four European countries. Development clinics were also held in Ireland and Switzerland.

2009 – The international training course for referees. 1st Americas Cup: competition organised in Atlanta and bringing together the best teams from the USA and Canada ; development clinic in Poland and Singapore ; FIPFA acquires the status of Federation recognised by the IPC (International Paralympic Committee).

2010 – 2nd Power Champions League in Europe organised in England: Scotland and Wales Demonstrations – 2nd Cup of the Americas held in Vancouver to the Canada.

2011 – Demonstration organised in Australia, including representatives from New Zealand: Paris hosted the 2nd World Cup with 10 countries present – Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, and the USA; 2nd General Assembly held in Paris.

2012 – Portugal hosts an international training course for players under the age of 16; demonstration in Brazil, including representatives from Argentina ; conference and demonstration in Paris with representatives from Germany, Austria, Finland and Italy.

2013 – Demonstration in Austria in Vienna including a training course for players – Promotional conference in Paris organized by FIFPA and EPFA (Europe area), in the presence of representatives from Germany, Italy, Austria and Finland – 1st cup Asia / Pacific in Sydney between Australia, Japan and New Zealand – EPFA Champion’s Cup; Paris hosts 10 European clubs for the 3rd edition of this competition which brings together the best teams of the continent – The Asia / Oceania Zone, with the support of the Australians, organized a promotion event in New Zealand. Argentina joined the FIPFA with the support of its prestigious sponsor, Lionel Messi – International Tournament of Under 18 in Paris, six teams present including France, Ireland, England and France.

2014 – Spain joined FIPFA. In cooperation with France, EPFA is organizing a demonstration of Powerchair Football in the Province of Alicante – INVACARE renews its partnership – the EPFA Nations Cup in Ireland. The biggest European competition is hosting 10 national teams in Ireland. Very successful for this event supported by the University of Liemerick – Ottobock Powerchair Football Cup. In connection with the EPFA, Austria is hosting a tournament for the new member countries of FIPFA, including a very young Finnish team (average age 14) – Cup of the Americas in Brazil which welcomes the five member countries of The area, the USA (world champion), Canadians, Brazilians, Argentines and Uruguayans.

2015 – 32nd edition of the AlterGo Challenge, multi-sport competition organized by the Canadian province of Quebec and welcomes 5,000 athletes with a Powerchair Football tournament for the second time – After Coimbra at the end of 2013, FIPFA is organizing a second international course for players under sixteen In Paris, in cooperation with France – First COPA Powerchair Football Libertaires in Montevideo with the presence of the three countries of South America, member of the FIPFA; Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil.

2016 – Copa Powerchair Football Libertaires in Buenos Aires with several Argentinian, Uruguayan and Brazilian teams – Stage of discovery for young players in England, (English and Irish players) – EPFA Champion’s Cup in Hou, Denmark, competition hosting the ten best European clubs International referee and classifiers in England – Internship of Classifiers in Ireland.

2017 – 3rd FIPFA World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida. Ten countries are qualified; Defending world champion, 3 countries from the Americas, 4 from Europe, 2 from Asia / Oceania – India and Turkey join FIPFA – In 2017, 28 countries practice Powerchair Football.