Who Are The Pararoos?

The Pararoos are Australia’s only National Football Team in international 7-a-side competition for athletes with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms acquired from stroke. 

The sport, which is for those with cerebral palsy, is similar to football for able-bodied players with a few modifications. There are seven players on the field at a time rather than 11, the measurements of the playing field are smaller, there is no offside rule and throw-ins may be made with just one hand. Matches consist of two halves of 30 minutes each.

Athletes competing in CP Football have Ataxia, Hypertonia or Athetosis - three impairment types that are most commonly associated with individuals having neurological impairment, with a motor control impairment of a cerebral nature, causing a permanent and verifiable Activity Limitation.

Athletes competing in CP Football have an impairment that leads to a competitive disadvantage in sport. Consequently, a system has to be put in place to minimize the impact of impairments on sport performance and to ensure the success of an athlete is determined by skill, fitness, power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus. This system is called classification.

While the International Federation of CP Football recently announced that Paralympic 7-a-side football will not be included in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, our Pararoos will be aiming to compete in both the 2018 Asia Cup and the 2019 World Cup.

You can learn more about the Pararoos here.