Goalball

Goalball – what is it?

Goalball is a sport for people with visual impairments. It has been played since 1946 as part of rehabilitation programmes and has been a Paralympic discipline since 1976. In addition, the Goalball European Championships take place every 2 years and the Goalball World Championships every 4 years. In Germany, Goalball is organised under the umbrella of the DBS (German Disabled Sports Association). In a Goalball match, 2 teams of 3 players compete against each other with the aim of throwing the ball into the opponent’s goal. Each team also has 3 substitutes. The special feature: all players wear opaque eye shades so everyone has the same visual conditions. To help players locate the ball, it contains bells that provide clear acoustic signals.

Goalball equipment

For Goalball competitions, training or PE lessons, you need the right equipment. This includes:

• The Goalball: For the game you need a special Goalball, size 8, with a diameter of 24–25 cm and a weight of approx. 1,250 g. It is made of robust hard rubber – typically blue. To create sound, the ball has sound holes and 3 bells inside.
• The Goalball goal: Extra-long goals are typical for Goalball. Each goal is 9 m wide and 1.30 m high. The goals span the entire width of the court and are positioned at each end. The back boundary line of the court is also the goal line.
• The Goalball court: The court is 18 m long and 9 m wide and divided into different zones. For orientation, tactile marking lines are taped to the floor.

Goalball rules – how the game works

A match lasts 24 minutes, split into 2 halves of 12 minutes each. Each team may use up to 4 substitutions and time-outs. The clock stops during interruptions. The team with the most goals at the end wins. If a team leads by 10 goals at any point, the game ends immediately. If a deciding match is tied, the winner is determined by a Golden Goal. Extra time consists of 2 x 3 minutes. If there is still no winner, a penalty shoot-out decides the game.
When throwing, the ball must touch the floor at least once in the team’s own landing zone and once in the neutral zone. If the ball leaves the court during a defensive action, it is returned by a referee or goal judge into the team zone, 1.5 m in front of the goal post. If the ball goes out of bounds during a throw or pass, possession changes to the opposing team.
Once the defending team gains control of the ball, it has a maximum of 10 seconds to attack. Within this time, the ball must cross the centre line.

Requirements for playing Goalball

There are specific requirements for taking part in Goalball. To compete in international events, players must be classified by the IBSA as B1, B2 or B3 (up to a maximum of 10% visual acuity). There are separate competitions for men and women. In national competitions, one fully sighted player per team is allowed on court.

Goalball vs. Torball – what’s the difference?

A Goalball court measures 9 x 18 m. A Torball court is slightly smaller, with a width of 7 to 9 m. Torball goals must have a net depth of at least 25 cm, while Goalball goals require at least 50 cm. In both sports, the goals are 1.3 m high. On a Torball court, bells are suspended over a raised cord to give players additional acoustic information to help them locate the ball. The Torball itself is lighter at around 500 g and slightly smaller with a diameter of 20–22 cm compared with the Goalball. Player positioning also differs: in Torball, players use orientation mats, whereas in Goalball they orient themselves using the goals and the raised lines on the court.