Welcome to our home page
| Home | Rules | Tournaments | Rankings | Pictures | Links | Contact |
The Sheffield Goalball Group is a bunch of visually impaired people who, for reasons best known to themselves, enjoy throwing themselves on the floor and throwing a large hard ball at each other whilst blindfolded. Strangely enough, we think this is a fun way to spend our time. We also participate in various tournaments around the UK.
We train on Monday evenings from 6-7pm at the Blind Institute on Mappin Street in Sheffield. For more information about training, email sheffield.scorpions@bigfoot.com.
Goalball was originally developed in 1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindle, in an effort to help rehabilitate blinded war veterans. It has been an event at the Paralympics since 1976.
Goalball is played on an indoor court measuring 18 x 9 metres. A team consists of 3 players, all of whom must wear blindfolds (usually blacked out ski masks), so that noone has any sight advantage. The object of the game is to roll the ball past the other team into their goal. In order to defend the goal, the players must dive onto the floor and lie stretched out in order to block the ball with their bodies. The ball has bells inside it so that you can hear it coming, and the court has tactile markings so you know where you are (string taped onto the floor). The game can soon become fast and furious, with balls reaching speeds of up to 50 mph., so the game requires fast reactions, courage, and intense concentration.
For a more detailed description of goalball, see the International Paralympic Committee's Introduction to Goalball.
We welcome your Feedback and comments. This page was last updated on 12 January 2003.