Goalball

What is Goalball?
Goalball is a Paralympic sport played by athletes who are blind and visually impaired. Developed after WWII as a way to keep blinded veterans physically active, it has become the premiere team game for blind athletes. Played competitively by men and women, it is a very fast paced, physically challenging, strategic and exciting game.

How Do You Play?
In goalball, two teams of three players each face each other across a court that is nine meters wide and 18 meters long. The object of the game is to roll a basketball size ball with bells inside over the opponent's goal line. Your opponents listen for the oncoming ball and attempt to block it with their bodies. Once they are able to stop the ball and take control of it, they become the offensive team. Complete rules are available at www.ibsa.es.

The Court and Rules
The player's zone is marked at either end of the court by taping a heavy string down to the court for the players to feel with their hands or feet. The player's zone is 3 meters deep and extends the width of the court. Each players zone has three orientation lines which the players use to line themselves up with and maintain their orientation to the court. Three meters in front of the player's zone, is the overthrow line. The goalball must touch the floor at least once before crossing this line or a penalty is assessed. Other common penalties are for holding the ball too long, one player throwing too much and touching the eyeshade. When a penalty occurs, the guilty player must defend the entire court by himself. The game consists of two 10-minute halves and takes about 45 minutes to play an entire game.

Strategy
The defensive team usually sets up a zone defensive. The player in the middle of the court is called the center. The center is the primary defensive player. He or she plays at the front of the player's zone and defends a majority of the court. The players to the right and left of the center are called wings. The wings are usually the primary offensive or throwing players. Defensively they play behind and to the left and right of the center defending their respective areas. During the game, the center will usually stop the ball and pass it to a wing. While the wing is throwing the ball, the center will reorient themselves to the center of the court. Knowing that a thrower is slow to return to his defensive position, or that a player might not be in his defensive position, many teams will attempt a "quick throw" hoping to catch their opponent out of position. Curve balls, off speed balls and various other balls are sometimes thrown hoping to confuse the other team. Players may quietly change wing positions with the ball hoping to surprise the defending team by throwing from a different area.

Goalball Equipment
Goalballs
Clilck here to order goalballs. Price is $75, including shipping, handling and customs fees.

Eyeshades
It is suggested that you contact the local snow ski clubs and ask them to donate their used goggles, scratched or cracked lens are no problem as you will be taping them anyway. The straps and the foam around the edge must be good. It's best to use the metal 2" wide tape as it seems to hold better than other. This can generally be bought at a local hardware store, generally next to duct tape. Be sure to tape goggles so that no light can be seen when place against the face.

Knee and elbow pads
Most any pad will work; however most of the Team USA players prefer to use the Trace brand as they seems to hold up longer. There are two kinds of Trace elbow pads: short ones and the longer variety. Although either type will work, most players prefer the longer pads. For the knee pads, most players prefer the Trace 47000 softball knee pad as it is longer and covers part of the shin. These can be bought at your local sport store. Pants

There is no required pant. Most players prefer to use hockey pants while others prefer to use football pants and pads or soccer goalie pads combined with a variety of other pants. The use of all of these is permitted; however all members of the team must have the same color and style. These can be purchased at local sports stores.

Rules
Complete goalball rules can be found at www.ibsa.es and click on goalball.

Jerseys
Jerseys may be hockey, football, soccer, or any other jersey so long as they match and have numbers that are a minimum of 20 centimeters (8 inches) high permanently affixed to both front and back. It is helpful to the officials and scorers table if the numbers are contrasting colors and easy to read.

Floor tape and string
Two-inch wide gym floor tape is the best to use and may be purchased at most local sports stores. String (.003 meters in diameter) may be purchased at the local hardware.

It is suggest that you not use duct tape on the floor as most of the time it will damage the floor; masking tape is also not advised as it tears easily and is hard to get up.

Eye Patches
Patches are required in all major competition. At most tournaments in the USA patching is done on the basis of the opposing coach asking for certain players to be patch and then the requesting coach must furnish the patches.

Approved eye patches and tape
Prefered
"Opticlude" Eye patches made by the 3M company
Optaiclude eye patch (No. 1539)

Acceptable
Johnson and Johnson Eye pads- Oval (50 per box)

Tape
3M Durapore Tape in 1" and 2" width

Many times additional tape is needed to secure the tape and the product above is the recommended one.

Goals
Once your team becomes competitive you may wish to secure goals for them to practice with. Several teams have made their own from PVC; others have had companies to make them for them. Goals can also be purchased from Spain; however, they are often cost prohibitive. The dimensions of the goals can be found in the goalball rules at www.ibsa.es.

For more information, contact the
U.S. Association of Blind Athletes
33 N. Institute St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 630-0422

USABA Men's Goalball Assistant Coach: Tom Parrigin, faba@aug.com
USABA Women's Goalball Head Coach: Ken Armbruster, armbruster35@aol.com

The United States Association of Blind Athletes, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, which continually draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.