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The England partially sighted team in a group huddle listening to coach Stephen Daley MBE.
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How to support partially sighted players

Here, we explain what it means to be partially sighted and how coaches can support players with sight loss.

Disability football
Communications and relationships
England Football Learning logo on a red background.

England Football Learning

2 mins - Mar 25, 2024

Partially sighted people are those with sight loss who are slightly sight impaired. This is different to blindness, which is when someone is severely sight impaired.  

Partially sighted people have some level of sight. This level depends on their specific condition. 

 

The vision of some partially sighted players varies from day to day. It could even vary at different times of day.
  
Some players are sensitive to bright light.  


The effects of sight loss could be: 

  • poor balance  
  • low confidence to explore new environments 
  • problems with orientation during an activity 
  • less developed social skills, because it’s harder to understand non-verbal communication
  • tiredness from the extra challenges involved in travel and training.  

 Not all players will experience these issues, but it’s good to be aware of them.  

And bear in mind that players with a detached retina must avoid blows to the head. Otherwise, their retina could detach further. That means they shouldn’t head the ball.   

These are just a few key differences that we’ve highlighted. So, if you want to find out more, download this PDF. It has loads of key information and tips to help you support partially sighted players.  

But remember, no two partially sighted people are the same. Get to know them. Understand what motivates them. Find out how their sight loss affects them and what support they might need.

 

Adapt sessions with the STEP framework (Youth Sports Trust, 2002). Space: be mindful of any hazards and obstructions around, on or near the pitch. Task: play short duration games to help with physical and cognitive fatigue. Equipment: ensure there’s a strong colour contrast between the colour of the ball, the pitch surface, and any walls – you can use high contrast hazard tape on goalposts to make them easier to identify. Players: consider how far away players can perceive a ball approaching and ‘where’ in their field of vision.
Adapt sessions with the STEP framework (Youth Sports Trust, 2002). Space: be mindful of any hazards and obstructions around, on or near the pitch. Task: play short duration games to help with physical and cognitive fatigue. Equipment: ensure there’s a strong colour contrast between the colour of the ball, the pitch surface, and any walls – you can use high contrast hazard tape on goalposts to make them easier to identify. Players: consider how far away players can perceive a ball approaching and ‘where’ in their field of vision.

Here are five top tips to help you support partially sighted players: 

  • It can be harder for players to learn from demonstrations, especially from a distance. Give clear verbal instructions.  
  • Use names when communicating to avoid confusion.  
  • Work out whether there’s a good position to stand in when talking to someone. Some players might have no sight in a particular area. 
  • Don’t stand with your back to the sun. This makes it harder for partially sighted players to see you. 
  • If they give permission, consider using touch to help explain things to players. 

If you haven’t already, download this PDF for more information on how to support partially sighted players. It’s a handy resource to take with you to training.  

And if you want to find out more about sight loss or disability football, check out these useful links:  

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