Push & Power

DRSSA runs the Push & Power South Australian competition on Monday nights in 2018, with an anticipated move to Wednesday nights in 2019. The competition is open to anyone who uses an electric powerchair and wants to learn a set of new sports. We play Powerchair Football, Powerchair Hockey, Balloon Soccer and Touch Rugby. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the rules - we can teach you as you go!

We are always looking for new players, and parents, family and carers can get involved in officiating and refereeing too!

You can read about the modified sports below.

Powerchair Football

Powerchair Football is a modified version of Soccer for electric wheelchair users. It is played on an indoor court between two teams of four (including the goal keeper). Each powerchair must have 4 or more wheels, a lap belt and a foot guard. Players use the foot guard to kick and block an over-sized soccer ball (33 cm in diameter).

The game is similar to able-bodied soccer. However powerchair football has two distinguishing rules:

“Two-on-one”: Only one player from each team is allowed within 3 metres of the ball on the court (except in the goal area). This means teammates have to spread out which enables better game flow.
“3-in-the-goal-area”: The defending team is only allowed 2 players in their own goal area.

Powerchair Hockey

Powerchair Hockey is a modified version of Ice Hockey, played on an indoor court between two teams of five players.

The objective is to score a goal by hitting the ball across the opposition’s goal line. The game is won by the team who scores the most goals.

Balloon Soccer

Balloon Soccer is another type of modified version of Soccer. The sport is played with a large balloon on an indoor Basketball court, where players will attempt to score goals with their head or wheelchair. Players cannot move their hand or foot from its usual stationary position on the body or wheelchair and deliberately interferes with play. This keeps the sport as fair as possible.

It is strictly a non-contact sport and has a speed limit of 10km/hr. A team consists of five players on the court, and players try to score by getting the ball into the goals.

Powerchair Touch Rugby

This form of Rugby League is a modified version of Rugby for users of electric wheelchairs. The sport is played by imagining the flight of a ball between numbered players who call the number of their teammate who is intended to receive the ‘ball’, subject to ‘tackles’ by opposing players. This is to make the sport as fair as possible, where players only need a voice and good driving skills to compete. A tennis ball is used to commence play and to convert a try into a goal.

It is a contact sport and players are required to have a foot-guard on their electric wheelchair. It has a speed limit of 10km/hr.