Goalball

Goalball is a unique sport, designed exclusively for athletes with a vision impairment. It was invented in 1946 in an effort to rehabilitate the blind veterans from World War II, and made its Paralympic debut in 1976 in Toronto, Canada. Goalball continues to be a Paralympic sport, with pathways for both Men and Women to compete at International level.

Goalball’s distinctive competition atmosphere sets it apart from any other sporting experience. The games are required to be kept silent as 3 players on each team, who are completely blindfolded by “blackout” eyeshades, use their entire body to block a 1.25kg audible ball from making it into the opponent’s goal. Each goal is 1.3 metres in height and spans the entirety of the backcourt – think of it as the opposite of Dodgeball.

This intense game allows players of all degrees of vision to participate at an equal level together. Players are then able to orientate themselves to the 18 x 9-metre court through tactile line-markings. Players must react instantly to the sound of the bells inside the ball that help the players distinguish where the opposition has thrown it from. The duration of a Goalball game lasts for two 12 minute halves with a 3 minute half time break, with the average game lasting around 50 minutes.

The game is played by two teams of three players with a maximum of three substitutes on each team.

The game is conducted on the floor of a gymnasium within a rectangular court which is divided into two halves by a centre line.

Goals are erected at either end.

The game is to be played with a bell ball. The object of the game is for each team to roll the ball across the opponent’s goal line while the other team attempts to prevent this from happening.

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