Age at the Youth Parapan Am Games: 13-18 years

Unlike other Paralympic sports, goalball was devised exclusively for people with visual impairments. The court is the same size as a volleyball court (9 metres by 18 metres) and on each end of the court, there is a goal measuring 9 metres by 1.3 metres. Matches consist of two halves of 12 minutes with a 3-minute interval. Each team has three players and three substitutes. Players simultaneously attack and defend, rolling or bouncing the ball towards the opposing goal.

The ball has an interior rattle to help players locate it. Goalball is a sport based on tactile and auditory perception, which is why the court must remain in silence during the match, except during the period after a goal is scored and before the game is restarted. The ball has a diameter of 76 cm and weighs 1.25 kg.

 

 

In goalball, visually impaired athletes compete alongside one another regardless of their functional classification (B1, B2 or B3). All classifications are made by measuring the sight in the athlete’s best eye and the maximum possibility of correction. Regardless of their level of visual impairment, all athletes use blindfolds during the match in order for everyone to compete on an equal playing field.