The first round, or group stage, was a competition between the 8 teams divided among two groups of four, where each group engaged in a
round-robin tournament within itself. The two highest ranked teams in each group advanced to the knockout stage for the position one to four. The next two teams played for the position five to eight. The last teams played for the position nine to ten. Teams were awarded three points for a win and one for a draw. When comparing teams in a group over-all result came before head-to-head. In the
knockout stage there were two rounds (semi-finals, and the final). The winners plays for the higher positions, the losers for the lower positions. For any match in the knockout stage, a draw after 60 minutes of regulation time was followed by two 10 minute periods of
extra time to determine a winner. If the teams were still tied, a
penalty shoot-out was held to determine a winner.
Classification Athletes with a
physical disability competed. The athlete's disability was caused by a non-progressive brain damage that affects motor control, such as
cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury or
stroke. Athletes must be
ambulant. Players were classified by level of disability. •
C5: Athletes with difficulties when walking and running, but not in standing or when kicking the ball. •
C6: Athletes with control and co-ordination problems of their upper limbs, especially when running. •
C7: Athletes with
hemiplegia. •
C8: Athletes with minimal disability; must meet eligibility criteria and have an impairment that has impact on the sport of football. Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times. No more than two players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time. == Group stage ==