Goalball is the flagship team sport for blind and low vision athletes, invented in 1946 and Paralympic since 1976. Two teams of three defend a goal that spans the full width of the court, throwing a heavy ball with bells inside so players locate it by sound. All players wear light-blocking eyeshades, so the game is completely fair regardless of how much sight each person has.
Because everything happens by sound, goalball is played in near silence: spectators stay quiet during play so athletes can hear the ball. The court has tactile lines players feel through the floor to orient themselves. It is fast, physical and one of the most exciting Paralympic sports to watch and to play.
The essential kit is short: an official ball, eyeshades for fair play and tactile court tape to mark the lines. Below are the pieces we recommend to set up training or a club.
This IBSA-approved goalball is the regulation ball: heavy, with internal bells so players track it by sound, and holes so the sound carries. The one essential piece of equipment for any goalball session.
The official IBSA-standard goalball, blue rubber, size 7, 1250 g, with internal bells and sound holes for tracking by ear.
Every goalball player wears light-blocking eyeshades so the game is fair regardless of sight. The Justa Blind Sports Mask is a comfortable, competition-suitable choice for training and matches.
A professional total-blackout eyeshade in soft moulded rubber, one size with an adjustable strap. Choose a red or blue strap.
Goalball lines are raised so players feel them through the floor. This court tape marks a regulation court that athletes can orient to by touch, turning any sports hall into a goalball court.
A pack of 6 rolls of strong Justa court-marking tape (48 mm × 33 m) for marking the tactile lines of a goalball court.
Goalball needs little to get started but rewards good kit. The full adaptive sports range has more balls, eyeshades and court equipment.
Two teams of three try to roll a belled ball into the opponents' goal, which spans the whole court width, while defending their own by listening for the ball and blocking it with their bodies. Everyone wears eyeshades, so it is played entirely by sound and touch.
Yes. Because sight varies between players, everyone wears light-blocking eyeshades so the game is completely fair. Eyeshades are required equipment at every level, from school sessions to the Paralympics.
A goalball is heavier than a regular ball and has bells inside plus holes in the surface, so players can hear exactly where it is as it moves. Only a proper belled ball works for the game, which is why an official ball is the first thing to buy.
Players find the ball entirely by sound, so the audience stays quiet during play and cheers between points. That silence is part of what makes goalball such a distinctive and intense sport to watch.