Goalball was established to help rehabilitate blinded war veterans by Austrian, Hanz Lorenzen and German, Sepp Reindle in 1946.
It was introduced to the world at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto, Canada, and the first World Championships were held in Austria in 1978.
The rules were formalised by the International Blind Sport Association in 1981 and the first European Championships were held in1983.
Since then Goalball has increased in popularity and is now played globally.
Goalball is a three-a-side team game, developed for visually impaired players, however individuals with full sight can also play.
It has three main features which distinguish it from games played by sighted people:
1. The ball used contains internal bells, which enables players to hear and locate it during play.
2. The game is played on an indoor court or area, with tactile markings to enable players to determine their position on court.
3. All players wear eyeshades to ensure that everyone plays on an equal basis.
The object of the game is to score against the opposition who are defending the width of the court behind them and equally to defend your goal from the opposition.
Rules stipulating that the ball must touch the floor before a certain point, when being thrown, ensure that it is skimmed across the surface (as with ten pin bowling) and not thrown through the air.
As with all sports the team who scores the most goals wins.
There are numerous Goalball teams throughout the country; however there are sadly not teams for every area. Contact us for advice and information on existing Goalball in your area or on starting up a Goalball team.
“Sport loving Jessica Luke, who has a deteriorating sight condition, was introduced to BBS and goalball whilst on a RNIB holiday 7 years ago. She enjoyed the experience so much that she couldn’t wait to become a member of BBS and set up her own goalball team and that’s exactly what she did!
Jessica, now 17, said; “I was immediately hooked … I really liked it because it’s the only sport where everyone competed at the same level”
Jessica now plays for the Great Britain girls youth squad and the ladies squad.
