Goalball

Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to roll a ball that has bells embedded inside of it into the opponents’ goal. The ball is rolled by hand and never kicked. It is the most popular team sport for the blind and visually impaired and is played competitively in 112 countries.

Para athletes use blackout masks to ensure equality on the playing indoor court, as the severity of Para athletes’ impairment may differ. The sport consists of three players in each team and two goals. Each game involves two halves of 12 minutes each. The object of the game is for players to throw the ball so that it rolls towards/into the opposite goal, while opposing players try to block the ball with their bodies to avoid conceding a goal. The rubber ball has a bell inside it to orient players, indicating the direction of the on-coming ball. Whilst play is in progress, complete silence is required in the venue to allow the players to instantly react to the ball.