March 27, 2010

Goalball: Paralympic Sport

Goalball, played by visually impaired athletes, is a Paralympic team sport. It

is played in a gymnasium, with three members of each team on the court at a time. The court is outlined in raised tape, allowing players to quickly get into offensive or defensive positions. The two teams alternate taking shots on the other team's goal, a netted goal similar to a soccer goal, except it runs the width of the court. Shots are taken by rolling a weighted rubber ball with bells inside toward the other team's goal.

Players wear protective pads since shots are blocked by laying out across the floor and goggles with blacked out lenses so those with more vision are not at an advantage.

Check out this video from the Beijing 2008 Paralympic's women's final match between China and the US:

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