They arrive single file, hands on each other’s shoulders, stepping delicately on the artificial turf. Each wears a white blindfold, except for the goalkeepers, who lead their teammates into position. The goalkeepers take their places and the referee’s whistle is blown.

Suddenly, all trepidation disappears and the athletes feverishly dash after the rattling ball.

This is football 5-a-side, also known as blind soccer: a fast-paced rough-and-tumble sport in which visually impaired athletes faceoff in a unique version of The Beautiful Game at these Parapan Am Games.

Rules are similar to traditional soccer, with a few notable exceptions. Teams field five players at a time, halves are only 25 minutes, there is no offside rule and the reduced field is surrounded by boards. In addition to a sighted goalkeeper, each team also has a guide that stands behind the opposing team’s net. The guides and goalkeepers constantly shout instructions, essentially acting as their teams’ eyes. The balls — smaller and harder than traditional soccer balls — rattle as they move. While players have varying degrees of visual impairment, the shades they wear level the playing field.

When football 5-a-side made its Paralympic debut at the 2004 Athens Games, Brazil immediately established itself as a powerhouse. Going on to win every Paralympics football 5-a-side gold medal since, their closest competitor in the Americas is Argentina, which finished fourth at the 2012 Games in London.

Canada, however, has no national team.

“We would like to see a program developed for 5-a-side soccer,” Canadian Blind Sports president Robert Fenton says. “The issue we run into as an organization in developing the sport is simple — funding.”

Canadian Blind Sports, Fenton says, is funded by Sport Canada solely for goalball.

“What Sport Canada has told us is that since 5-a-side football is soccer, their priority would be to fund it through Canada Soccer,” Fenton laments.

In an e-mailed statement, a spokesperson from Canada Soccer said the organization has no intention of creating a 5-a-side program. A spokesperson from the Canadian Paralympic Committee, however, says they hope to have a team together for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mexico and Chile competed in the driving rain. Curious spectators filled the stands, braving the weather at the University of Toronto’s Parapan Am Games field.

Arms out at their sides to feel for other players, the athletes confidently darted across the field to shouts of “right” “left” “kick” and “pass.” Collisions were frequent, players toppled. But unlike professional football, no time was spent whining and flopping about on the pitch.

Chile scored its first and only goal early in the game. The team was jubilant — it was their first goal of the Parapan Am Games — but Jorge Lanzagorta of Mexico soon evened the score. A second goal from Lanzagorta in the first half allowed his team to win 2-1.

“We’re very happy to win,” Lanzagorta said after the game, peeling off his soggy blindfold. “But because of the weather, it was very difficult.”

The remaining 5-a-side matches will be held Wednesday and Thursday. The medal matches will be held Friday.

5-a-side football

Plan on checking out a football 5-a-side game? Here are some things to know:

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Turn your cell phone to silent mode. Any noise interferes with the players’ ability to hear the ball.

For the reason mentioned above, keep chatting to a minimum during the game. Only cheer after a goal is scored or play has stopped.