Goalball

TGfU Category: Zone Games

Locations: gymnasium, multipurpose room, outdoor space (e.g., field, tarmac)

Game/Sport Connections

Zone games are activities that involve controlling an object, keeping it away from opponents, and moving it into position to score. Both offensive and defensive players share the same playing area as they work to prevent the other team from scoring. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other zone games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts, and strategies (e.g., soccer, handball, ultimate Frisbee, football, basketball, hockey, wheelchair basketball, lacrosse).

Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practise keeping possession of and intercepting a ball while wearing blindfolds or eyeshades.

Key Movement Skills, Concepts, and Strategies

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies for the defender and the participants playing against the defender. Note that this is not an exhaustive list and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Considerations

• Incorporate some or all of the variations listed in the “Variations” section while planning the activity. This will help to best meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, needs, and interests of participants and maximize the fun, inclusion, participation, and success of everyone.
• To elevate participant voice and choice, periodically pause the activity and share the variations with participants. Ask them to determine how they would like to change the activity to maximize the fun, inclusion, meaningful participation, and success for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.

Equipment

• 1 bell ball or sound-emitting ball per group (e.g., a soft ball or beach ball covered in plastic bags, beach ball with rice added to create the sound). Consider creating various size balls and have participants choose the ball they would like to use.
• 1 blindfold or eyeshades per participant
• Cones, pylons, or floor markers (enough for groups to establish boundaries of their playing area if choosing to play using a court formation)

Safety

• Inspect the equipment and activity area to identify and remove hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction.
• Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area at a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Share the boundaries with participants.
• Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
• Instruct participants to be aware of their surroundings, including the locations of other participants during play.

How to Play

• Divide participants into medium size groups (e.g., 6 – 7).
• Have each group sit in a circle. Groups select the type of ball they want to send from the available equipment. Groups may decide to send various types of balls at predetermined intervals during play.
• Ask a participant to volunteer to sit in the middle of their group’s circle.
• Ask another participant to volunteer to be the “guide.” The guide’s role is to retrieve the ball if it goes outside the circle. They are the only participant who does not wear a blindfold or eyeshades. The guide must also inform the participant in the middle of the circle if they are moving to intercept a ball or if they are getting close to a sitting participant and/or a wall/obstacle. Throughout play, provide opportunities for other participants to play the role of the guide.
• Before beginning the game and before putting on blindfolds or eyeshades, have participants practise various ways of sending the ball to other participants (e.g., with hands, feet) and experimenting with different ways of communicating with each other (e.g., snapping fingers, slapping the floor, clapping hands). Be sure to reinforce safety rules. Explain that the eyeshades are an official part of the equipment of Goalball, an official Paralympic sport. The blindfolds or eyeshades are not meant to simulate the experience of having a visual impairment.
• All participants put on their blindfolds or eyeshades except for the guide.
• Participants sitting in the circle roll the ball to other participants in the circle, working together to try to send the ball without it being intercepted by the participant in the middle.
• Participants can signal their location to others in the circle by making sounds (e.g., snapping fingers, slapping the floor, clapping hands).
• If a pass is intercepted, the participant in the middle changes places with the participant who last rolled the ball. Remind participants to remove their blindfolds or eyeshades when moving to their new positions. Participants can determine when to change positions (e.g., after a certain period of time or number of passes made) with the participant in the middle rather than only when the ball is intercepted.
• After a period of play, groups may choose to remain playing in a circle or change their circle into a court formation. Groups identify the sidelines, end lines, and the centre line using lines on the floor or with cones, pylons, or floor markers. Groups divide into 3 – 4 participants per side of their court.
• Before beginning play and before putting on blindfolds or eyeshades, have participants practise the types of actions used in Goalball, such as rolling or throwing the ball underhand from a standing position, kneeling while waiting for the ball, and blocking the ball while lying down. Be sure to reinforce safety rules.
• Participants attempt to score by rolling the ball across their opponents’ end line while the opponents try to block the ball and defend their end line.
• The guide verbally informs participants what is happening during the game (e.g., how close they are to the boundary line, where the opponents are, where the goal line is in relation to their position).
• If the ball stops moving and participants are not able to locate it, the guide gives the ball to the player closest to it.
• If the ball rolls out of the playing area, the guide retrieves it and gives it to the group that did not have possession of the ball when it went out of bounds.
• After a period of play, provide participants with some or all of the variations. Ask them to decide how they might change the game to enhance the fun, inclusion, and participation for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
• Consider having groups share their variations and select another variation to try with their group.

Video: Visual Depiction of the Activity Instructions

Video link

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions. Examples include:

• What are some ways that you can communicate with other participants in your group?
• How does communication help your group be successful in this game?
• How do you position and move your body and body parts to successfully intercept the passing of the ball?
• What strategies do you use to maintain possession of the ball?
• What strategies can you use to prevent your opponents from scoring?
• Which games or sports have you played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?

Variations

• Increase or decrease the size of the circle/court.
• Have more than 1 participant in the middle of the circle.
• Increase the number of balls.
• Identify a given number of passes (e.g., 3) for the participant in the middle to intercept before switching positions in the circle/attempting to score when playing using a court.
• Set goals for the group to achieve or have groups set their own goals (e.g., count the number of give and go's made, the number of times everyone on one team receives a pass before a shot on goal is taken).
• Choose to play without wearing blindfolds or eyeshades.