Sponsors of the C4 London 2012 Paralympic Games site
29th August - 9th September
Goalball
How it works
It's a game of two 12-minute halves, with two teams of three players who are visually impaired and a hard rubber ball with a bell inside it. The aim is to fire the ball into the opponent's goal while defending your own.
Men's Competition
Other teams participating
Algeria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Finland
Great Britain
Iran
Korea
Lithuania
Sweden
Turkey
Women's Competition
Other teams participating
Australia- Brazil
- Canada
- China
Denmark- Finland
- Great Britain
Japan- Sweden
United States
Event Info
-
Competitors: 132
(72 men, 60 women) -
Medal events: 2
-
Venue: COPPER BOX
60 second guide
What you need to know
- 1
Goalball has been on the schedule of every Paralympic Games since it made its international debut in Toronto 1976.
- 2
All players on both teams are required to wear eye shades. This evens out the playing field to make sure athletes with visual impairments have no advantage over those who are fully blind.
- 3
The pace is lightning fast. Expect to see around 85 shots fired on goal in a typical 24-minute game and ball speeds of up to 60mph on the 18-metre court.
- 4
Originally intended as a rehabilitation exercise for visually impaired war veterans, the sport was devised in 1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindl.
- 5
Goalball is one of the most popular and hotly contended Paralympic events and is played in more than 100 countries around the world.
The Paralympic Games hall of fame
- Who has claimed the men's team Paralympic crown?
- 2008: CHN
- 2004: DEN
- 2000: DEN
- 1996: FIN
- Who has claimed the women's team Paralympic crown?
- 2008: USA
- 2004: CAN
- 2000: CAN
- 1996:
GER
