Goalball is a
Paralympic sport. It is the ONLY blind team sport played at the
Paralympics. Goalball is an indoor sport played by the vision
impaired. The court has the same dimensions as a volley ball court, with
goals like soccer goals, but at chest height (1.3 metres high) that stretch across the
full
width of the court (9 metres wide).
Each team has up to six
players, with three (one Centre and two Wingers) on the court at any one
time. There are a maximum of three substitutions during a game , and
players can also change at half time. All players are 'blindfolded', to
ensure that all residual light is blocked out, visual advantages are
eliminated, time-out will be called if the 'blindfolds' become loose or
if the referee suspects that they are incorrectly worn. Sighted people
are able to play Goalball in local and Australian National competitions but
International events are strictly for the vision impaired.
The court is
marked with tape that has string beneath it so that players are able to judge their position and to
determine their orientation by touch. Once in position the players lunge
and slide across the floor, creating a wall of defence. This must be
done as quickly and quietly as possible so that the position of ball can
be heard and blocked effectively.
The ball itself is a heavy, hollow, 1.25kg rubber ball, larger
than a basketball, which contains a bell. The object of the game is to
roll the ball down to the other end of the court and past the
oppositions' defence and into their goal. Often players will curve and
spin the ball in such a way as to make the bells less audible, and
therefore making it more difficult for the opposition to hear where the
ball is. Many players throw the ball similar to a discus throw action,
or a ten pin bowling ball style, and the majority of the throws are hard and
fast. There are a number of different ways in which a player can incur a
penalty, and when this happens the penalised player must face a free
throw from the opposition alone on court. (see Rules of Goalball)