What is goalball? Paralympics rules for unique game at Paris 2024

One of the most unique sports at the Paris Paralympics will be goalball.

The game, which has no equivalent event in the Olympic Games , is exclusively for visually impaired athletes. It is played by two teams of three athletes on an indoor volleyball-sized court with nine-meter wide goals at either end.

Alternating between attack and defense, players use their bodies to block shots from their opponents. To score, players must roll the ball into the net, which stretches across the entire width of the court.

One aspect of the game that sets it apart from almost every other event is the fact it must played in complete silence. This is to allow the players, who wear blackout masks while on the court, to hear the ball, which has two bells inside it.

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Matches are played over two 12-minute halves separated by a three-minute break. At the Paralympics, outside of the group stage, drawn matches are decided by overtime – two halves of three minutes, or until a goal is scored. If necessary, extra throws – goalball’s equivalent to a penalty shootout – will be used to decide the match.

The sport was originally designed for visually impaired World War Two veterans in 1946. It came onto the global stage at the 1976 Paralympics with a men’s event while a women’s tournament was introduced eight years later.

Goalball has also received royal approval with the Prince and Princess of Wales having a go at the sport last year as part of the SportsAid event. The couple “really got stuck in”, according to GB women’s player Lois Turner.

She said: “It was great to spread the word about the sport and enable people to experience what it’s like being visually impaired.

“Goalball provides great opportunities both on and off the course and it’s really enjoyable to raise awareness of this. The Prince and Princess gave it a go – I’m sure they’ve had their own barriers in life and it’s great to see them show that these can be overcome and put themselves in other people’s shoes.”

Team GB will not be represented in either the men’s or women’s goalball events in Paris.