Goalball: the sport designed for the blind

Bells echoed in the courts of Carmichael last Friday as students competed in NC State’s first goalball event. Wearing blindfolds and kneepads, students dove across the courts in anticipation of blocking or throwing a ball filled with bells. They were participating in a unique, fast-paced sport, originally intended for blind World War II veterans. 

In 1946, physicians Hanz Lorenzen and Sepp Reindle created the sport in pursuance of rehabilitating servicemen that had completely lost their vision. Since then, the sport has risen in popularity among both blind and sighted individuals. Goalball was first played at a Paralympic level during the 1976 Paralympic Games held in Montreal, Canada.

“Goalball is a unique Paralympic sport, as it is the only sport developed for athletes with a disability,” said John Potts, the USABA goalball high-performance director. “Every other sport competed at the Paralympic Games is an adaptation of an able-bodied sport.”

The objective of the game is to roll the ball past the opposing team into the goal. Players use their bodies to block the ball from entering their goal and attempt to remain silent in hopes of hearing the ball approach. 

“There are only three athletes on each side of a court,” Potts said. “While the game pace is very fast and the athletes play aggressively, providing an exciting spectator experience, it isn’t difficult for someone not experienced with the sport to follow the movement of the players and the ball.”

Potts’s directorial position with USABA includes the selection of the national and junior national coaching staffs and also occasionally serves as a coach on the men’s national team. 

“When I came to goalball, I had very little experience with the sport,” Potts said. “When I became more involved with the sport and the athletes, the sport grew on me quickly. It’s been a great experience.” 

One of goalball’s upmost qualities is that it’s just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play. 

The event took place in basketball courts 1-8, starting at 4 p.m. The games were 30 minutes long, divided into two halves of 12 minutes. The championship round started about 6:30 p.m.  

“First, the matches aren’t long,” Potts said. “They take about an hour for a full match. This is great for someone who doesn’t have the time or patience to sit through a longer game in another sport. Additionally, the rules are very straightforward, making it simple for someone to understand the sport quickly without having to figure out a lot of complex rules.” 

Registration for goalball was open for everyone. 

“The purpose of the event is to gain traction; if more people get interested, we could make a goalball league,” said Justin Hall, a junior studying communication and event leader for goalball.

Locally, Bridge II Sports in Durham hosts a competitive goalball program from August–March. Although this program is solely for visually impaired players (as originally intended), volunteers with full vision assist the program. Parissa Fathullahzadeh, program coordinator for Bridge II Sports of Durham, holds admiration for the sport.

“I actually just learned about goalball this year, but it is such an intense sport,” Fathullahzadeh said. “It is really impressive to watch the strategy, fast-paced nature of the game and intensity of the sport at that level. Athletes have to defend a ball that can travel up to 65 mph that they can’t see.”

Bridge II Sports’ goalball program plays at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind on Thursdays from 6:30–8 p.m. Practices consist of skill enhancement through various drills. 

“My favorite thing about goalball is that it is so different,” Fathullahzadeh said. “It is crazy to experience a sport where you can’t see anything; your vision is completely blacked out, and goalball requires a lot of concentration through the use of your hearing.”