A standard Paralympic goalball court is 18 metres long.
The court is also 9 metres wide, creating the same dimensions as a volleyball court. A team defends the 9-metre end line and throws a bell-filled ball toward the opponents’ goal at the other end.
Goalball was developed after the Second World War as a rehabilitation sport for veterans with visual impairments. All players wear opaque eyeshades during competition so that athletes with different levels of sight can compete under the same visual conditions.
The court contains tactile markings that players feel through their hands or feet to orient themselves. The sport is played by teams of three, and matches are divided into two 12-minute halves. The 18-metre length is therefore a court measurement, not the distance of a typical throw.