About Goalball
The History of Goalball
Goalball originated in Europe after World War Two (1946) as a rehabilitation for blinded war veterans. It is the only international team sport for the vision impaired played at the Paralympics. The game has been played at international level since its introduction to the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto, Canada and is also included in the World Championships for the Blind.
Goalball is a unique team sport for the vision impaired, played by two teams of up to six players, three on-court players, and up to three substitute players. All players are blinded-folded to enable blind, vision impaired and sighted athletes to compete together. In order to play in a national team, the athletes must be legally blind.
Goalball can be played on any flat surface (Gymnasium or hall) measuring 18m x 9m, but is best played on a polished wooden floor or specially prepared surfaces. The court is divided into two halves and each half comprised 3 equal sections: Neutral Area, Landing Area and Team Area. The ball must land in each of the Neutral and Landing areas before reaching the opponents team area.
Goals extend the full width of the court behind each team area. The court is marked with the player positions with a 5 cm tape with string under to enable player orientation.
The game is of 20 minutes duration divided into 2 x 10 minute halves. The ball weighs 1.25 Kg with 3 bells inside and the throwing action is usually underarm, or with a discus like throw action. Speeds of up to 80Km have been recorded.
- Goalball Commenced in Australia in 1980, in NSW and Victoria, and in Queensland in 1982, and in the Australian Capital Territory in 2000.
- Meetings were called in 1986 and 1987 to promote and discuss the formation of a National Goalball Association in Australia and a steering committee, headed by Nick Gleeson from Victoria, was formed on 4 April 1987. The first committee of the Australian National Goalball Association (ANGA) was formed in January 1988 with Bailey Compton (NSW) as President. The name was changed to Goalball Australia in 1999.
- A composite Male ACT/Qld team competed in the National Championships in 1998.
- A composite Women Victoria/Queensland, and NSW/Victoria team competed on several occasions due to lack of numbers
- There are three (3) current full members of Goalball Australia: New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Tasmania joined in 1991 but the membership did not continue. ACT joined as an Associate Member in 2001.
- Goalball Australia (formerly ANGA) joined ABSF (Australian Blind Sports Federation) in 1988.
- The first international Goalball tournament organised in Australia was the Oceania Goalball Championships in Sydney in 1989.
- The first Australian Goalball team to compete in a World Championships was in 1986, in Roermond, Holland.
- The first Australian Goalball team to compete in a Paralympics was in 1980 in Amsterdam, Holland.
- New Zealand entered a Men’s team in the 2003 National Championships in Canberra being the first international team to compete in the Australian Championships.
| President: | Bailey Compton | 1988 - 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Vogt | 1999 - 2001 | |
| Sam Theodore | 2001 - | |
| Vice President: | Sam Theodore | 1990’s - 2001 |
| Jim Vogt | 2001 - 2002 | |
| Kevin Frew | 2002 - | |
| Treasurer: | Jim Sullivan | 1988 - 1989 |
| Rob Crestani | 1989 - | |
| Secretary: | Robyn Stephens | 1980 ‘s - 1992 |
| Terry Kenaghan | 1993 - 1999 | |
| Barry Harpur | 1999 - |