On October 8, 2007, Team USA earned a landmark victory by winning the first ever World Cup competition in Tokyo, Japan. As members of the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) our mission is to repeat this historic World Cup win through our commitment to teamwork, training, leadership, organization, and enthusiasm with respect, integrity, sportsmanship, and a positive attitude on and off the court.
Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for people of all ages and genders who use a power wheelchair. Participants include people with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, spinal cord injury and other disabilities.
Power Soccer is the fastest growing sport for power wheelchair users. It combines the skill of the person with the speed and power of the chair to create a fun, competitive, and accessible opportunity to play the most popular sport in the world. The rules are similar to outdoor soccer with a few modifications. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four athletes in power wheelchairs attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in an attempt to score goals.
The sport was originally developed in France in the early 70s and was introduced to the United States in the early 80s. Since then many countries have created their own version of the sport, which led to an international meeting in Atlanta, GA, in 2005. It was the vision of the six countries that attended to create an international organization and unify the rules for international competition. The international organization, Federation Internationale de Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA) was born in 2006, the same year the US formally organized the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA).
