Discovering the Uniqueness of Goalball: A Game of Skill, Strategy, and Teamwork

I think we might have found your new favorite sport. It’s called goalball. Here’s how it works. Goalball is one of the most unique sports to watch. The game takes concentration, communication, and a high level of skill. The goal of the game is for the visually impaired athletes on offense to roll the ball across the opponent’s goal line while the other team attempts to prevent this from happening by diving on the ground and blocking the oncoming throw. The team with the most goals at the end of two 12 minute halves wins. Team USA’s Christian King said that every ball that is thrown is an opportunity to score. There’s a 90% block rate for the amount of balls that are thrown, and every ball is a shot on goal. You have to have pinpoint defense and you have to be so spot on to be able to block every single goal ball. Goalball players might not be able to see their teammates, but the game is fueled by the fact that it is a team sport. Team USA’s captain Callahan Young expressed that whenever you add the team sport atmosphere and the fact that everyone is blind, you have to think about it for a minute and figure out how it’s going to work. Young said that he loves the uniqueness of goalball. The sports impact on its competitors is clear, as veteran Tyler Marin said, in his regular day life, he uses a cane and reads Braille. But when he puts on the blindfold to play goalball, he doesn’t feel blind.