It is a team sport created specifically for people who are blind or have low vision. Therefore, unlike others, it is not an adapted sport. It is the only Paralympic sport with this feature. Goalball is played as a team and basically consists of scoring goals in the opponent's goal from the field itself. For this, a ball is used that produces sound and that allows players to know their position on the court. Precisely because of this need to listen, the public and the players themselves must be silent throughout the game. Only celebrations, applause and shouting are allowed after the goals. History and Origin The history of Goalball dates back to 1946, after World War II. It was then that the German Hans Lorenzen and the Austrian Seep Reindl invented it as a rehabilitation program for veterans who had gone blind or had lost much of their vision. Its purpose was that these people could develop the ability to concentrate while remaining physically active. Although the origin of Golbol was therapeutic, it did not take long to become a competitive sport, and by the 1950s and 1960s, the organization of tournaments was common. When the Paralympic Games came to Germany in 1972, it was one of the exhibition events. It was so successful that in the next edition, Toronto 1976, it was already part of the official Paralympic program, although it took until 1984 for women to compete as well. The first Goalball World Championship was held in Austria in 1978, and since then, it has been held every 4 years, halfway between editions of the Paralympic Games. Official organizations In 1981, the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) was created to manage and organize the different sports practiced by people with visual disabilities. A year later, this federation organized the Goalball Subcommittee, still active. Its main tasks are the periodic review of the game regulations, the training of referees and officials, the dissemination and promotion of the game, as well as the sanction of all official international competitions. In Spain, the one in charge of managing Golbol is the FEDC (Spanish Federation of Sports for the Blind), which emerged in 1990 thanks to a legislative change. Previously, this sport was governed by the Spanish Federation of Sports for the Disabled in collaboration with the ONCE (National Organization of the Spanish Blind). Golbol Elements As in many sports, the national and international Goalball rules differ between them. For this reason, in this article we will focus on the Official IBSA Regulations, which are used in international competitions such as Paralympic Games and World Championships. Game Time and Score A Goalball match is divided into 2 halves of 12 minutes each. This time is tried to be as real as possible, so the clock stops during fouls or if there is any circumstance that causes the game to stop. Each goal in the opposing goal adds a point to the scoreboard. At the end of the game, the team that has accumulated the most wins. However, if at any time there are 10 goals difference, the game is over, regardless of the time that has been played. If, on the contrary, the end is reached with a tie, two complementary times of 3 minutes each are played. During them, the so-called Golden Goal is used, that is, the first team to score wins. In case equality is maintained, the result is decided by penalties. Penalties During penalties, there is only one player from each team on the court. One that shoots and one that tries to stop. But unlike other sports, in Goalball all players perform both functions. The penalty shootout begins with a list of players provided by each coach. The shortest determines the maximum number of throws to be made. The top two players on each list are on the court. One of them executes the first pitch, while the other tries to stop it. Then the roles are reversed. The process continues with the following players until reaching the end of the established penalties. The team that has managed to add the most goals wins. If extra shots are needed, they are executed in the same way until one of the teams scores and the other fails. Goalball court
The Goalball field is 9 meters wide by 18 meters long. Since they are the same measurements as a volleyball court, it is common for these courts to be used. The length of the playing area is divided into 6 zones of 3 meters each: The areas closest to each goal are called defense or orientation zones. Next are the landing zones. Finally, the two most central are the neutral zones. The defense and landing zone of the same side form the so-called team area. Additionally, within the defense areas there are 6 marks that allow players to orient themselves and locate themselves within them. Three are located along the line that separates the targeting area from the landing area. One in the center of the goal line and another two, one in each side line. All lines on the Goalball field are embossed so players can feel them tactilely and easily orient themselves.
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