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Goalball is a
team sport A team sport includes any sport where individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win or cooperate to entertain their audience. Team members act together towards a shared objective. This can be done in a number of ways s ...
designed specifically for athletes with a
vision impairment Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...
. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded inside of it into the opponents' goal. The ball is thrown by hand and never kicked. Using ear-hand coordination, originating as a rehabilitation exercise, the sport has no able-bodied equivalent. Able-bodied athletes are also blindfolded when playing this sport. Played indoors, usually on a
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
court, games consist of twelve-minute halves (formerly ten-minute halves) with three-minute
half-time In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in ...
. Where there is a tie,
golden goal The golden goal or golden point is a rule used in association football, lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the end of normal time. It is a type of sud ...
overtime occurs in the form of two three-minute periods (and a second three-minute half-time). If the tie persists, a paired shootout ('extra throws' and 'sudden death extra throws') determines the winner. Teams alternate throwing or rolling the ball from one end of the playing area to the other, and players remain in the area of their own goal in both defence and attack. Players must use the sound of the bell to judge the position and movement of the ball. Eyeshades allow partially-sighted players to compete on an equal footing with blind players. Eyepatches may be worn under eyeshades to ensure complete coverage of the eye, and prevent any vision should the eyeshades become dislodged. The
International Blind Sports Federation The International Blind Sports Federation () is a non-profit organisation founded 1981 in Paris, France. It was formerly known as the International Blind Sports Association. IBSA's mission is to promote the full integration of blind and parti ...
(), founded in 1981 and responsible for a range of sports for blind and partially-sighted people, is the official governing body for the sport.


History

Goalball was originally devised in 1946 by the Austrian Hans Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindle as a means of assisting the rehabilitation of visually impaired
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
veterans. Goalball gradually evolved into a competitive game during the 1950s and 1960s. It was eventually nominated as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German: ') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, of which roughly a quarter consisted of students ...
,
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
, and became a
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
sport at the
1976 Summer Paralympics The 1976 Summer Paralympics (french: Jeux paralympiques d'été de 1976), branded as Torontolympiad – 1976 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled, was the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were hosted by Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 4 ...
in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. The sport's first
world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
was held in
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in 1978. In 2011, the long-standing IBSA Goalball Subcommittee sought to separate from IBSA and form a new international body, the World Goalball Association. IBSA responded by appointing a new committee. , there were 81 competing nations, and 270 international referees.


Essentials


Court and ball

IBSA goalball rules require the field of play to be long by wide. Goals span the width of the pitch.
The court is divided into six even sections, . At either end, just in front of the goal, is the team area. Beyond that is each team's landing zone. The middle two sections are collectively referred to as the neutral zone. The lines of the court are made by placing tape over lengths of twine. This makes the line both visual (for officials) and tactile (for players). The team area and landing zone, including the boundary, goal lines and high-ball lines, are always marked in this way. Furthermore, the team area has six hash marks (three at the front, one on either side, and one on the goal line) to assist with player orientation. The ball weighs and has eight holes and contains several noise bells. The ball's diameter is around . A non-official ball of about has also been produced by several companies for use by younger players. At Paralympic level, the ball has been measured leaving the hand in excess of . Despite this, through training and some padding, there are very few injuries.


Officials

For competitive games, the following set of officials are on the court: *referees (2) — Each referee remains along the sideline at one half of the court. One referee is 'table-side', the other 'off-table side'. *goal judges (4) — Positioned to the side of each goal edge, the goal judge raises their hand to confirm to the referee when a ball crosses the goal line. Goal judges are also crucial to the game's speed since they retrieve a ball going off court and drop it at the side hash mark of the team area so play can resume. *ten-second timers (2) — Keep track of the time between when a defending player contacts the ball and when the ball is thrown, calling '10 second' penalties when applicable. The role was expanded in the 2018 rule changes to include watching for eyeshade and illegal coaching penalties. *scorer — This technical official keeps track of the number of time-outs and substitutions taken by a team and, as the term suggests, keeps score. *game timer and back-up timer — Usually, as with a basketball scoreboard, the period's time counts down to zero. It is stopped and started by the referee's whistle. A back-up timer is used in case of power failure to the venue.


Players

Each team has three players on the court at a time, with one to three substitute players on the bench. At an international level, including the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
, the competition is divided into two categories, male and female. At other levels, this is a matter for the local organising committees. For example, in the United Kingdom, at the three levels of competition (novice – regional, intermediate – regional (north and south), and elite – national level), teams may be mixed sex. There are three standard positions to play: centre, right wing and left wing. While there is typically no official designation, players often have a position they are best at or prefer, though some players will play any of the three and players are free to change position during a match with no prior announcement (and may do so for tactical reasons). The centre player is the player most responsible for defence. The player typically lines up at the centre orientation mark at the front of the orientation area (the line forward of the goal post), further forward than the wings which helps to avoid collisions between players diving towards the direction of the ball. Other defensive arrangements are possible, but less common. The centre player is the most defensive position simply because the player is able to move both to the left and right to defend, covering a greater proportion of possible attacking shot lines. The centre player may also be the defensive coordinator. The left and right wingers generally line up at the end of the orientation marks from the respective sidelines, at the orientation mark. Their main defensive responsibilities are keeping the ball out of either corner of the goal, though they also defend towards the centre. Typically, the wingers are the main offence because there are some advantages to the angles of shots possible from their positions. This also allows the centre player to reserve their energy for defence, though the centre player may also have an offensive role.


Scoring

A goal scores one point, and is scored when the ball completely crosses the goal line. The team with the higher score at the end of regulation time is the winner. If regulation results in a tie, two three-minute overtime periods are played, for a
golden goal The golden goal or golden point is a rule used in association football, lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the end of normal time. It is a type of sud ...
(first goal concludes the game). If no goal is scored during overtime, penalty throws and sudden death penalty throws are taken. Should a goal difference of ten be reached, a
mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...
is called and the leading team is declared the winner.


Game play and etiquette

The game relies heavily on the sense of hearing instead of sight, so all outside noise, including cheering, clapping, chanting or ringtones from cellphones, is prohibited. The crowd is therefore repeatedly reminded to remain silent, and referees preface their call "Play!" with "Quiet, please!". Coaches cannot speak whilst the ball is in play, and so cannot influence the game. Players, regardless of the degree of vision, wear blackened-out eyeshades which allow no light in, to ensure fairness. Fully-sighted individuals may play the sport while wearing eyeshades.


Beginning of play

The team winning the coin toss usually starts with the ball.


Offence

To score, a player must roll or bounce the ball down the length of the court, past the opposing defenders, and into the opponents' goal. Typically, the player with the ball will stand, orient themselves using the tactile lines, sounds from teammates, and/or the crossbar of their own goal. The player will then stride forward, lean low, and roll or side arm the ball down the court. The ball must hit in the player's own landing zone, and anywhere in the neutral zone. So long as it hits each zone, the style of throw is entirely up to the player in question. Many players will take several strides and release the ball as close to their own high ball line as possible; leaning low to ensure a legal throw. Some players will throw after spinning; transferring the momentum of the spin into additional velocity. Others are able to throw the ball so that it will bounce just once in each of the required zones. Most elite players are effective when using multiple types of throws.


Defence

The defending players stay within the team area, generally in somewhat staggered positions to avoid collisions. When they hear the other team throw the ball, they 'lay out', that is slide on their hips and stretch their arms above their heads and extend their legs in order to cover as much distance as possible. The objective is simply to keep the ball from getting past with whatever part of the body the player can get in front of it. Some players prefer to block the ball with their chests and absorb the impact. Others like to block with their legs so the ball will roll up their bodies into their hands. Regardless of method, the players will always try to make themselves as long as possible to block the greatest area.


Rules


Infractions

Infractions are generally punished by the loss of possession to the other team. * Premature throw – Throwing the ball before the official has called 'play'. * Ball over – The ball rebounds off a defending player, the crossbar or goalposts, and crosses back over half-court.


Penalties

A penalty throw may be awarded for: *Ten second penalty – A team takes more than ten seconds to throw the ball back over the centre line. *Delay of game – This can be caused by many different things. A coach reporting the wrong numbers for substitutions, a team not arriving in time for the coin toss that precedes the game, or too many or too few players taking the court. *Illegal defence – This is called if a defender makes contact with the ball while no part of the body is touching the team area. *Short ball – The ball fails to reach the opponent's team area when thrown. *High ball – The ball does not touch the thrower's landing zone when thrown. *Long ball – The ball does not touch the neutral zone when thrown. *Eyeshades – Touching eyeshades without permission. * Unsportsmanlike conduct – This can be a variety of things, from arguing with an official to pounding the floor and swearing *Noise – Unnecessary noise by the offensive team that prevents the defence from tracking the ball while the ball is travelling down the court. *Illegal coaching – Coaching from the bench during play or after an official has said 'Quiet please' with intentions of continuing or starting play. From 2006, rules allowed coaching from the bench during an 'official time-out'. In a penalty situation, a single player is required to defend the entire goal for one throw. The player chosen is determined by the penalty. For instance, a high ball or illegal defence penalty is defended by the player who committed the penalty. On the other hand, an illegal coaching penalty is defended by a player chosen by the coach of the throwing team (previously the last recorded thrower of that team).


Official rules

The official rules for the sport are provided on the IBSA website. Rules may be adjusted every four years. Referees may be internationally certified under a structured scheme, from IBSA Goalball Level 1 to Level 3. Goalball world championships and Paralympic tournaments are called by Level 3 referees. Participating countries may also have a national referee scheme. Changes over time have seen regulation period halves increase from seven, to ten, to the present twelve minutes. Team staff were limited to when coaching could occur, but now it is after any whistled stoppage in play. Rules such as step-over and third-time throw have been removed. The ball must be thrown back towards the opposition goals within ten seconds from contact. In 2014, this was extended to reaching the centre line to ensure a quicker delivery. Eye patching was introduced under the eye shades to reduce cheating.


Competitions and events

Goalball is a sport played at the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
. During the Games, male and female teams are eligible to compete following various selection requirements. The number of participating teams has changed over the decades, but for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, this was reduced from ten to eight teams per division by the
International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and func ...
. Competition is open to sighted persons to national level, but for international IBSA-sanctioned tournaments, athletes must have a
visual impairment Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...
classification of B1, B2, or B3. The IBSA
World Goalball Championships The IBSA Goalball World Championships is an international goalball tournament held every four years, since 1978, between Paralympic Games goalball tournaments. It is organised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Subco ...
has been held every four years, since 1978. A youth world championships was introduced, and the Fifth IBSA Goalball World Youth Championships were run in Budaors,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
in July 2017, the first outside of
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
, United States of America. Diving as part of defensive skills has been used as a training activity for (sighted) sports teams. Professional teams trying goalball have included the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
ice hockey, Queensland Fire cricket, and
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...
soccer teams.


In popular culture

In 2006, the computer-animated series ''Bernard'' produced a three-minute clip, featuring Eva the penguin introducing the titular polar bear to goalball. In 2018, the sport was featured in the fourth episode of the anime ''Ani x Para: Anata no Hero wa Dare desu ka'', where the characters of the anime ''KochiKame'' played a match of goalball. Goalball was featured in episodes 10-12 of the 2020 Japanese anime, '' Breakers'', where Paralympic sports are featured, originally planned to promote the 2020 Summer Paralympics.


Gallery

File:02 ACPS Atlanta 1996 Goalball general action.jpg, alt=Two goalball players stretch to the left to stop the ball., Goalballer Sarah Kennedy (Qld) makes a save for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. File:Atlanta 1996 Goalball Raelene Bock.jpg, alt=A goalballer throws the ball forward., Goalballer Raelene Bock (NSW) competes for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. File:Goalball-2015 IBSA World EGY-CZE M throw.jpg, Egypt men's goalball team throwing towards Czech Republic. IBSA World Games, Seoul, South Korea (May 2015). File:Goalball-2015 IBSA World UKR-GRE F defend.jpg, Ukraine women's goalball team preparing to defend against Greece. IBSA World Games, Seoul, South Korea (May 2015). File:Goalball-2015 IBSA World CAN-ALG F throw.jpg, Canada women's goalball team throwing to Algeria. IBSA World Games, Seoul, South Korea (May 2015). File:Goalball-2019 Asia-Pac Regional IRI-CHN M line-up.jpg, China and Iran men's teams lined-up for the introductions before the start of the game. Regional championships, Chiba, Japan (2019). File:Goalball-2019 Asia-Pac Regional KOR-AUS M line-up.jpg, South Korea men's team at line-up. Goalball regional championships, Chiba, Japan (2019). File:Goalball-2019 Asia-Pac Regional JPN-AUS F throw.jpg,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
women's team throwing. Goalball regional championships, Chiba, Japan (2019). File:Goalball-2019 Asia-Pac Regional JPN-AUS F defend.jpg,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
women's team defending. Goalball regional championships, Chiba, Japan (2019). File:Goalball-2019 Asia-Pac Regional JPN-THA M defend.jpg,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
defending a throw from Thailand. Regional goalball championships, Chiba, Japan (2019).


See also

* Goalball at the Summer Paralympics *
World Goalball Championships The IBSA Goalball World Championships is an international goalball tournament held every four years, since 1978, between Paralympic Games goalball tournaments. It is organised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Subco ...
* Paralympic Games goalball athletes * Torball


References


External links


International Paralympic Committee page on goalballBeijing 2008 Paralympic Goalball Information with an Australian slant from accessibility.com.auBBC Sport article with video and commentary on what Goalball isGoalball AustraliaInternational Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) on goalball
{{Main world championships Blind sports Paralympic sports Games and sports introduced in 1946 Sports originating in Austria Sports originating in Germany