Goalball

12 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams compete for a gold medal each

Goalball is one of the few sports that to appear only in the Paralympics, rather than in the traditional Olympics. It is also the only sport that has to be played in total silence so that the competitors can hear the movements of the ball. All players are visually impaired and therefore rely entirely on sound to follow the progress of the ball around the arena.

Goalball was devised during the aftermath of World War II to assist with the rehabilitation of soldiers who had been injured during battle. Since then it has become a popular sport and is played across over 100 countries. It is now one of the most popular Paralympic sports.

The game is played on an indoor volleyball court and each team has three players who try to roll the ball into the net that is on the opposite side of the court. Each game lasts twenty minutes and during this time the team that has scored the most goals will be declared the winner. In the event that both teams score the same number of goals there will be a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.

Goalball became part of the Paralympics as a demonstration event during the 1976 Toronto games and then became a full sport in Arnhem in 1980. Today, more than 70 countries take part in the games and it is one of the most competitive of all Paralympic sports.