Australian Blind Football

What Australian Blind Football does

Australian Blind Football is a non-profit initiative of Blind Sports Australia and the recognized national pathway for blind and vision impaired people to play football in Australia. It serves two athlete populations: totally blind athletes (B1 classification) who play Paralympic-format outdoor 5-a-side blind football on a 40m x 20m pitch with side kickboards and an audible ball, and partially sighted athletes (B2/B3 classification) who play vision impaired futsal with lighting and contrast adaptations. The organization operates the ABF4ALL grassroots participation program in partnership with community football clubs in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, runs the National Blind Football Series competition, hosts national training camps in Melbourne, and fields three national team squads (Mens Blind Football, Womens Blind Football, and Partially Sighted Futsal) under International Blind Sports Federation rules.

Its product set extends beyond playing programs to educational resources (the ABF4ALL Handbook and the IBSA Blind Football Coaching Manual), coaching and volunteer training, and international tour coordination. Core technology is not applicable; delivery relies on physical club infrastructure, coach-led sessions, and digital channels (website, Facebook, JotForm registration) for awareness and intake. There is no proprietary software platform.

The business model is donation and grant funded. Revenue streams include donations processed through the Australian Sports Foundation, grants from AMP Foundation and the Professional Footballers Australia Footballers Trust, program support from Paralympics Australia, and percentage-based merchandise revenue through a Macron apparel partnership. Programs appear to be delivered free of charge to participants. The organization runs with approximately 5 employees, led by National Performance Director Dave Connolly, and coordinates with state-level blind sport and football federation partners for local delivery.

Name

Australian Blind Football

Legal name

Australian Blind Football

Website

https://ausblindfootball.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Australian Blind Football is a non-profit initiative of Blind Sports Australia that serves as the national pathway for blind and vision impaired athletes to play football in Australia, operating grassroots ABF4ALL programs across five cities, the National Blind Football Series, and three national team squads funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive Disability Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAL

Disability & Adaptive Sport Governing Bodies (Paralympic & Sport-Specific)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

SECONDARYMPAKACAH

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYHSADAEAM

Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Sports Coaching & Athletic Performance

Keywords

• Blind football programs
• Adaptive sports programs
• Vision impaired football
• Disability football development
• National football pathway

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization runs fundraising campaigns throughout the year to support development of blind football. Donations accepted via Australian Sports Foundation platform with options for one-time or regular donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Australian Blind Football is the national initiative under Blind Sports Australia that develops and delivers football programs for athletes who are blind or vision impaired. It runs grassroots participation through the ABF4ALL program in five cities, three national teams (Mens Blind Football, Womens Blind Football, and Partially Sighted Futsal), a National Blind Football Series competition, and national training camps with a pathway to IBSA-affiliated international competition.

Product overview

Australian Blind Football operates as a sports development organization offering multiple interconnected programs: the ABF4ALL grassroots participation initiative partnered with community football clubs across five cities; the National Blind Football Series providing competitive match opportunities; national team programs across three squads (Mens Blind Football, Womens Blind Football, and Partially Sighted Futsal); and national training camps. The organization also provides educational resources including the ABF4ALL Handbook and IBSA coaching manual, and generates revenue through ABF Apparel merchandise sold via Macron partnership. All blind football (B1) activities are governed by International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) rules and serve as pathways to Paralympic representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ABF4ALL: Grassroots participation program aiming to increase football participation by people who are blind or partially sighted through partnerships with community football clubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• First international tours completed in September 2018 to India and Malaysia
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blind Sports AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Blind Football is an initiative of Blind Sports Australia, which serves as the parent organization. Blind Sports Australia coordinates state-based programs in partnership with state blind sport organizations.
• Football Federation AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Football Federation Australia (FFA) to be the recognised national pathway for people who are blind or vision impaired to play football for Australia.
• International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational governing body for blind football. Australian Blind Football works closely with IBSA to increase participation in blind football in Australia while being a leader and advocate for development of the game across Asia and Oceania.
• Australian Sports FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFacilitates donations and fundraising campaigns to support development of blind football across Australia. Donation portal available at asf.org.au/projects/australian-blind-football/
• Paralympics AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Paralympic Committee manages the National Classification Program for Vision Impairment. Paralympics Australia provides funding support for the National Blind Football Series.
• MacronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for ABF Apparel merchandise store. Percentage of all Macron store purchases for Australian Blind Football merchandise goes towards development of blind and partially sighted football initiatives.
• Adelaide Comets Football ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABF4ALL partner club for 2021, hosting local blind and partially sighted football programs in Adelaide.
• Brisbane Olympic Football ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABF4ALL partner club for 2021, hosting local blind and partially sighted football programs in Brisbane (trading as Olympic FC).
• Perth Soccer ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABF4ALL partner club for 2021, hosting local blind and partially sighted football programs in Perth.
• South Melbourne Football ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABF4ALL partner club and participant in the National Blind Football Series competition.
• Blind and Low Vision Football NSWminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABF4ALL partner organization for 2021 to develop opportunities within NSW as a standalone organization.
• Football VictoriaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState football federation partner supporting blind football development in Victoria.
• Football WestminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState football federation partner supporting blind football development in Western Australia.
• Blind Sports NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState blind sport organization partner providing support for blind football programs in NSW.
• Blind Sports and Recreation VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState blind sport organization partner providing support for blind football programs in Victoria.
• Western Australia Blind Sports FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState blind sport organization partner providing support for blind football programs in Western Australia.
• United AbilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting development of blind and partially sighted football initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Blind Football England: UK national body for blind football. Directly comparable as another country-level organization delivering community participation programs and national team pathways under IBSA rules.
• US Blind Soccer: US national governing body for blind soccer (B1/5-a-side). Comparable as a directly analogous national blind football organization operating in a different geography with similar IBSA-aligned structure and grassroots programs.
• Canadian Blind Sports Association: Canadian national body for blind sport. Comparable as a cross-disability blind sport organization delivering programs and pathways similar to Blind Sports Australia/ABF.

Direct peers

• Blind Sports Australia: ABF's parent organization coordinating state-based blind sport programs. Directly comparable as the umbrella national body for blind sport in Australia.
• Deaf Sports Australia: National body for deaf and hard-of-hearing sport. Comparable as a parallel disability sport governing body delivering grassroots programs, national teams, and state federations.
• Goalball Australia: National governing body for goalball in Australia — another IBSA-affiliated Paralympic adaptive sport for vision impaired athletes, structurally and operationally analogous to ABF.

Broad incumbents

• Paralympics Australia: National body managing the Paralympic movement in Australia. Comparable as a high-level disability sport governing/funder providing funding to ABF and managing classification.
• IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation): Global governing body for blind sport and ABF's international federation. Comparable as the apex body overseeing B1 classification rules, international tournaments, and coaching standards that ABF operates under.
• Football Australia (FFA): National federation for football in Australia. Directly comparable as the strategic partner governing mainstream football to which ABF aligns blind football pathways.
• Special Olympics Australia: National body for intellectual disability sport. Comparable as an Australian adaptive sport organisation delivering grassroots inclusion programs and international pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ausblindfootball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-blind-football

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Blind Football