It’s a muddy, sluggish fourth quarter at the AW Langshaw Reserve in Altona North, home ground for the Newport Panthers. Defender Belal Abou-Eid is waved down by a runner and urged to take a desperately needed drink break.

With sore legs Abou-Eid, 27, runs off the ground, grabs a bottle and sprays out a mouthful of water. He swishes it around like mouthwash and then spits it out onto the side of the field. Abou-Eid has been playing for almost two hours now, but he is not allowed to drink.

This year Ramadan – the holiest month in the Islamic calendar – coincided with the early season of many winter sports. Across the world, Muslims abstain from drinking and eating in a fast that lasts from dawn to dusk for the month through to this Friday, 21 April.

For many Muslim Australians, the fast forces them to withdraw from sport as they struggle to perform on empty stomachs and with dry mouths. Others however are motivated to try to balance their faith with their desire to continue to play sport throughout the holy month.

Abou-Eid plays in the division two senior side for the Panthers, who compete in the Western Region Football League. Aside from one player, the Panthers team is made up entirely of Muslim athletes.

This is Abou-Eid’s first year with the Panthers. He says that the main reason he moved to the club was because he knew it had a culture that supported his faith in observing Ramadan, alongside the strong desire to play sport and see success.

“From an Islamic point of view, you really couldn’t ask for a better football club. It gives us a chance to balance our faith with our hobbies,” he says.

“For me the toughest part about playing football in Ramadan is not being able to drink water.

“My performance takes a hit, I’m constantly fatigued and have no energy.”

“Our team is made up of almost all Muslim players so you could imagine just how low the energy of the group is when we have to run around for two hours without any food or water.”

Just last month in the United Kingdom, which has a growing number of Muslim players in the Premier League, referees were given the green light to allow for a pause in football matches to let players break their fast. This guidance is not only the first of its kind for the code, but for any professional western sporting body entirely.

The AFL and the AFLW presently are each fielding teams with just one practicing Muslim player – Carlton’s Adam Saad and the Giants’ Haneen Zreika.

Australian sports codes are yet to give directions for athletes fasting in Ramadan. At the grassroots level, players take the initiative to speak with their clubs and self-generate coping strategies to manage their participation throughout the month.

Abou-Eid says that during Ramadan his club alters the training schedule time to ensure players are able to break their fast in time for when the sun sets.

“My club is very welcoming and there are always dates and water at the club to break your fast on. If you live local you can leave and make it home in time to eat with your family,” he says.

“If I know I have a footy game to play the next day, I’ll make that at iftar I carb load to keep me full for when I’m fasting on game day. Once everyone eats we also pray Taraweeh at the club, most people come back to join for the prayer.

“That’s one thing I love about the club, there’s a real sense of brotherhood.”

Layla Abdul-Wahed is 16-years-old and plays for the Newlands Basketball team in Coburg. She wakes up before dawn to have the traditional suhoor breakfast, drinking as much water as she can before the fast begins at sunrise.

“Me and another girl are the only two Muslim girls on the team. She doesn’t play in Ramadan because she finds it too difficult,” she says.

“I play a lot worse because it’s too hard to run as much, I can’t play for as long as I normally do.”

“My coach is understanding and gives me less time on the court especially if I’m really tired. In normal games, if you’re tired you usually just have to push through, they don’t give breaks out as easily.”

Layla says that despite the struggles of playing whilst fasting, staying active in Ramadan helps her feel productive and allows her to get the most out of a month centred on discipline.

“I still want to play basketball in Ramadan but it definitely is very hard and it doesn’t get easier.”