The Sport of Goalball
Stephen Michael Kerr
How would you like to have a three-pound ball the size of a
basketball fired at you at 50, 60 miles an hour, and you have to
hurl your body in a diving attempt to stop it while blindfolded?
This isn't some fraternity initiation prank. It's a real sport
played by blind and visually impaired athletes all over the
world.
History of Goalball
The game is called Goalball, and it's not for the
fainthearted. In a recent article from the Herald Palladium
(Michigan) newspaper, Nikki Buck of the U.S. National Goalball
Team described the sport as "kind of like dodge ball but in
reverse." In 1946, Hanz Lorenzen of Austria and Sepp Reindle of
Germany invented Goalball as a way to help rehabilitate veterans
blinded during World War II. The game was first introduced to the
world at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto, and has been a
Paralympic sport ever since. The game is played with three
players a side facing each other across a court nine meters wide
and 18 meters long. A heavy string taped to each end of the court
marks the area, or zone, the players can use to orient themselves
to the court. They do this by feeling the string with their hands
or feet. Each zone has three orientation lines that each player
can use to make sure they are lined up properly. A
basketball-size ball with bells inside is used so players can
hear it when it's thrown. The object of the game is to throw the
ball in such a way that it rolls over the opposing team's goal
line.
How Goalball is Played
Don't let the word "roll" fool you; players can put amazing
speeds of 50 miles an hour or more on their throws. The defensive
players listen for the ball, and attempt to block it with their
bodies by diving on the floor. Once the ball is stopped, that
team takes control of the ball and may attempt a throw of their
own. The main defensive player on a team is the center. He or she
is the main defensive player, and is responsible for defending a
majority of the court. The center is placed in the middle of the
court in front of the player's zone, and is flanked by two other
players who play the wing positions. The primary job of the wings
is to provide scoring. The center usually stops the ball, and
passes it to one of the wings for a throw. A team also has three
other players who can be used a substitutes during the game. All
players, regardless of their degree of vision, must wear
eyeshades, or blindfolds, while in the game. A Goalball game is
played in two 10-minute halves, with a three-minute intermission
between halves. Should there be a tie at the end of regulation,
the two teams play two additional three-minute overtime periods,
and the first team to score is the winner. Over the years,
Goalball has become one of the most popular sports for the blind.
Various tournaments and championships are held each year around
the world. In the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games this past
September, Denmark defeated Sweden to capture the men's gold
medal, while the U.S. took the bronze. In the women's division,
Canada captured the gold by beating the U.S., while Japan won the
bronze. If you'd like more information on Goalball, visit the
International Blind Sports Federation website at:
http://www.ibsa.es You can also check
out the site of the United
States Association of Blind Athletes:
www.usaba.org
Stephen Michael Kerr is the publisher of Adaptive Sports &
Recreation, a free newsletter dedicated to promoting sports for
people with disabilities. Read about baseball for the blind,
wheelchair hockey, amputee soccer, and many other similar sports.
There's also a health and fitness section that anyone, disabled
or not can benefit from. Visit his official
website:
http://www.adaptivesports.afreepress.com
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