Goalball uses a ball with bells so players can hear its movement.
Goalball is a team sport designed for athletes with visual impairments. Each team defends a goal spanning the width of the court and rolls the ball toward the opposing goal. Bells inside the ball produce sound as it moves, allowing players to track its direction and speed through hearing.
All players wear opaque eye shades during competition, ensuring that athletes with different levels of sight compete on equal terms. They defend by listening, diving and blocking the ball with their bodies. Court markings are tactile, helping players orient themselves by touch.
Goalball was created in 1946 as a rehabilitation activity for veterans who had lost their sight during the Second World War. It became a Paralympic sport at Toronto 1976. It is often confused with boccia, but boccia uses leather balls and a target ball, while goalball uses a large audible ball and full-width goals.