Goalball

Events & Disciplines

Men’s and women’s team events are contested at the Paralympic Games.

Classification

Who is eligible to compete in goalball?
Athletes with a vision impairment affecting both eyes are eligible to compete in goalball at the Paralympic Games.

What are the classes?
Athletes are classified into one of three classes depending on their level of vision. The Paralympic classes in goalball are B1, B2 and B3.

How do I get classified?
Athletes can request a classification using the Get Involved and Get Classified registration form. For more information on classification in goalball, please click here.

Rules & Equipment

Court
The court used for goalball is an 18m x 9m rectangle. Starting from the final lines, where the goalposts are placed, a 9m x 3m team area and a 9m x 3m landing area for each team is marked. The remaining 9m x 6m area, between the two landing areas, is called the neutral area, which is divided into two parts by the centre line. With the exception of the final lines, all court markings are tactile to help players orientate themselves on court.

Goals
Regulation goals measure 9m (equal to the length of the court) x 1.3m.

Ball
The ball used for goalball competition is made of rubber, weighs 1.25kg and has a circumference of approximately 76cm. It has eight holes and there are noise bells inside. The ball must meet the specifications of the IBSA Sport Technical Committee.

Clothing
Teams must wear matching jerseys, pants and socks with a number clearly visible on the front and back of each player.

Blackout masks
All competitors must wear blackout masks at all times on court. At all major competitions all players have their eyes covered by gauze patches under the supervision of the IBSA Goalball Technical Delegate. Penalties are given if a player touches the blackout mask during play. This ensures that the level of vision of all players is equal.

Contacts

We encourage those wishing to explore goalball to contact their state federation in the first instance. The national federation link below provides information on the national high performance program leading to competing internationally and at the Paralympic Games.