AFL Blind

A game of AFL Blind looks and feels like traditional Australian football, with slight adaptions to rules and modifications to equipment, it provides the support required to play a game of football.

Games are played indoors, which provides a controlled environment to allow players to utilise their hearing. The football has a USB charging port and an electronic beeper inserted to produce sound loud enough to assist with tracking the ball. To assist with identifying the centre and location of the goals, there are flashing lights behind the goals, high contrast backdrops hung behind the goals, and goal umpires how rattle shakers when the football enters the scoring zone.

The sport of AFL Blind is a modified version of Australian Football played in an indoor football field. The Victorian Blind Football League provides an environment that promotes fitness, fun, friendship and a sense of belonging, enhancing life skills, developing self-esteem, confidence and improved health.

The game is played through Four, 10 Minute Quarters with no time added.

Rules & Equipment

Field

Blind AFL is played in an Indoor Stadium, in a controlled environment allowing players to utilise their hearing to locate the ball, goals and other players more easily.

Goals

Goals are to have lights behind each goal post and Hi-Vis Meshing in order to make the location of the goals more visible to players.

Ball

The ball is to be a ‘Soft Touch Sherrin, Hi-Vis Yellow, Size 4’ that has an electronic beeper to help players locate the ball.

Umpires

Field Umpires are to wear Hi-Vis vests in order to distinguish themselves to the players. Goal Umpires are to have a ‘Rattler’ to assist players in locating the goals.

Classifications

Who is eligible to Compete?

Evidence of being legally blind needs to be sent to AFL Victoria’s Disability Program
Manager. Appropriate evidence which will be accepted, only need to send one, in
order of preference:
1. The Companion Card – Highlighting the condition ‘Blind’
2. Travel Pass Card – Highlighting the condition ‘Blind’
3. Ophthalmologist Report – Highlighting less than 10% vision, or/and less than
20% peripheral vision

Different Classifications

Players will be allocated a classification as per their level of sight. There will be two
groups of classification.
1. Category 1
a. B1: Players with no sight
2. Category 2
a. B2: Players with little functional vision and restricted field (hearing as primary tracking sense)
b. B3: Players with limited vision, with vision as their primary tracking sense

Pathways

At present there are mostly localised pathways for participation, however many athletes travel from around the country to compete in the Victorian Blind Football League.