One event, each day, to help make sense of the Paralympics.
Invented in 1946 to help rehabilitate veterans who had lost their sight during the Second World War, goalball made its Paralympic debut at Toronto 1976. Played exclusively by athletes who are blind or vision impaired, the object of the game is to bowl a ball past the opposition. Teams are made up of three players, who stay on their hands and knees to defend their nine-metre wide and 1.3 metre tall goal. Players must stay within their own ‘landing area’ in their own half to throw the ball towards the opposition net. Games are 24 minutes long, made up of two halves. The ball contains internal bells, which help players locate it during play, and the court has tactile markings that helps players determine where they are.
