Goalball Techniques
Senior 4 · Physical Education
Goalball Techniques
Lesson 1 of 3
25 min
Goalball is a Paralympic team sport created for players with a visual impairment. Two teams of three try to roll a ball into the other team's goal, which stretches the whole 9 m width of the court. Every player wears light-blocking eyeshades, so blind, partially sighted and sighted players all play on equal terms, which makes goalball one of the most inclusive games a school can play. The ball contains bells, and players find it, and find their way, by sound and by touch: the court lines have string under the tape. In Senior 1 to 3 you learned the court, the basic throw and team tactics. This unit refines attacking and defending technique under the IBSA Goalball Rules and Regulations 2025, starting with orientation and the throw.
Definition
Eyeshades: goggles that block all light, worn by every player on court so that nobody can see; touching them during play without the referee's permission is a penalty (Rules 6 and 26).
Orientation lines: tactile lines (tape over string) in the orientation area that players feel with their hands and feet to know where they are.
Team area: the 6 m nearest a team's own goal: the orientation area (0–3 m) and the landing area (3–6 m).
Neutral area: the middle 6 m of the court, divided by the centre line.
High ball line: the front line of the team area, 6 m from the goal line; a thrown ball must touch the floor on or before it.
Ten seconds: a team must get the ball back across the centre line within 10 seconds of its first defensive contact (Rule 31).
Before each throw and after each block, players return to their positions by touch: a hand or foot on the orientation lines, a hand on the goal post or the crossbar behind. The wings use the lines that run in from each side line 1.5 m in front of the goal; the centre uses the marks in the middle of the orientation area. Team-mates may call quietly to help each other between plays.
| Phase | Teaching points |
|---|---|
| Set-up | Find the ball's position by touch; check direction by touching an orientation line or the goal; hold the 1.25 kg ball in the throwing hand, other hand under it if needed. |
| Run-up | One to three steps forward in the landing area, staying low, to build speed. |
| Swing | Swing the throwing arm straight back and then straight through, close to the body, like bowling; step forward with the opposite foot. |
| Release | Release low, near the floor, so the ball touches the floor before the high ball line; the hand points at the target. |
| Recovery | Return quickly and quietly to your defensive position: the other team may throw back within seconds. |
Other throws. A bounce throw is released a little higher so it bounces on its way, which is harder to block cleanly but must still touch before the high ball line and again in the neutral area. A spin (rotation) throw, in which the thrower turns a full circle before releasing, adds speed but needs practice to keep direction.
The rules on throwing (Rules 21–25, 30 and 31, summarised). High ball: the ball must touch the floor at least once on or before the thrower's high ball line. Long ball: it must also touch the floor at least once in the neutral area. Short ball: it must not stop before reaching the defending team's area. Each is a personal penalty: the thrower must defend a penalty throw alone. The ball may not be thrown before the referee calls "play", the thrower must not make unnecessary noise, and the team must get the ball over the centre line within 10 seconds of its first defensive contact.
Worked example
Worked example 1: how long do the defenders have? A throw is released about 4.5 m from the thrower's own goal line. The defenders wait about 1.5 m in front of their goal line, so the ball travels about to reach them.
Raising the speed by half cuts the defenders' time by a third and more than doubles the energy they must absorb (energy grows with ). That is why fast, low throws score, and why defenders block with the whole length of the body. Speeds are illustrative.
Worked example
Worked example 2: legal throw or penalty? Distances are measured from the thrower's own goal line (high ball line at 6 m, neutral area 6–12 m, defending team area 12–18 m).
Video: "Goalball Training Video: Basic Throwing", U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. As you watch, notice how the thrower checks direction by touch, keeps the arm swing straight and low, and recovers to position.
Tip
"Feel, step, swing low, get back." Feel the line to set your direction, step with the opposite foot, swing low and straight, and get back to your defensive position at once.
Warning
Common mistakes. Releasing too high (high ball). Curving the arm swing so the ball drifts off line. A slow, loud set-up that tells the defenders where the throw will come from. Forgetting to recover after the throw.
Inclusion and safety. Say "players who are blind or partially sighted" or "players with a visual impairment", not "the blind". Everyone wears eyeshades, and nobody touches their eyeshades during play. Keep the court and its surroundings clear of bags and benches; spectators must be quiet during play. Throw only when the referee or teacher has called "play".
Practice
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Why do all goalball players, including sighted players, wear eyeshades?
