Goalball words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 42 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Team and substitutes (goalball)

Each team has three players on court and at most three substitutes, with up to three staff on the bench and no more than nine people in a team bench area including the three starting players. A team that cannot start with three players, or has only one eligible player left, forfeits.

Competition categories and sport classes (goalball)

Competition is in two categories, male and female. In IBSA-sanctioned competition every player must hold a current IBSA sport class of B1, B2 or B3.

Officials (goalball)

At the Paralympic Games and IBSA-sanctioned tournaments each game has two referees, four goal judges, one scorer, one timer, two ten second timers and one back-up timer. Their duties are in the IBSA Goalball ITO Manual.

Court and equipment

Team area, orientation area and landing area

In front of each goal is a team area 6.0 m long and 9.0 m wide, split into two equal sections: the orientation area closest to the goal and the landing area furthest from it. The team areas have player orientation lines.

Neutral area

The middle area of the court, 6.0 m long and 9.0 m wide, divided in two by the centre line.

Tactile court lines

All lines are 5 cm wide tape with a string about 3 mm thick under the top layer of tape, so players can feel them to orient themselves.

Goal (goalball equipment)

A goal across each end of the court, 9.0 m wide and 1.3 m high inside, at least 0.5 m deep, with a rigid crossbar and round or oval posts no thicker than 0.15 m.

Team bench area

A marked area 4.0 m long and 3.0 m deep on either side of the officials' table, at least 3.0 m from the sideline. Everyone except the three players on court must stay in it, with some part of the body on or behind its tape line, during play. Teams swap bench areas at half time.

Uniform (goalball)

Players wear identical jerseys with numbers from 1 to 19, at least 10 cm high on the front and 18 cm on the back, not covered by padding. Clothing and padding may not extend more than 10 cm in any direction from the body.

Eyeshades and classification

Eye patches

Gauze patches or similar material worn under the eyeshades at IPC and IBSA championships and applied under supervision, of a type the organiser announces 60 days before. A player who tampers with eyeshades or patches to see may be banned from IBSA events for up to two years.

Hearing aids (goalball)

Players may not wear or use hearing aids on the field of play, and a player who does is removed from the game and may be substituted.

Game procedure

Length of the game (goalball)

A game is 24 minutes in two halves of 12 minutes, with a 5 minute half time. Players starting a half must be on court and ready for the eyeshade check 90 seconds before it begins.

Coin toss (goalball)

The winner of the toss chooses to throw or defend first, or which end to start at, and the other team gets the remaining choice. Teams change ends at half time and the team that defended the first throw makes the first throw of the second half.

Warm-up (goalball)

Teams warm up on court at the end they will defend and may not throw the ball towards the other team's half. A first such throw gets a warning, and a second is a team penalty for unsporting conduct.

Ten-goal lead

The game ends at once when one team is ahead by 10 goals, called the maximum goal difference.

Dead ball

Called when a thrown ball stops in the defending team's team area without a defender touching it, or hits the post or crossbar without touching a defender and stops in the team area or first half of the neutral area. The ball is given to the defending team.

Out and blocked out

Out is called when a thrown ball goes over the sideline without touching the defending team. Blocked out is called when a blocked ball in the team area is more than half over the sideline and moving off the court. The ball is dropped 1.5 m in front of the goal post nearest where it left the court.

Ball over

Called when a blocked ball rebounds over the centre line or over the sideline in the neutral area, when a ball rebounding from a post or crossbar does so, when the ball hits an object above the court, or when a player carries it over the centre line. The ball is dropped to the opposing team area it was blocked from. It does not apply to extra throws and penalty throws.

Premature throw

Throwing the ball before the referee has called play. It is an infraction, so the ball goes to the other team.

Reorientation

A goal judge or referee putting a player back in position at the goal post. It is allowed after a penalty situation, and at other times only if the player asks, and an unrequested reorientation costs a personal delay of game.

Hand signals (goalball)

Non-verbal signals coaches and players use to ask for a time-out or substitution, or to decline a penalty. A time-out may be signalled by hand before the team has control of the ball but must be asked for verbally only after it has.

Throwing and defending

Control of the ball and possession

A player has control when they have stopped the ball so they can hold, throw or pass it, and a ball passed in the air is still under control. A team has possession as soon as it becomes the throwing team.

Act of throwing

The time from when the thrower begins the backswing until the ball first touches an opposing player.

Illegal defence

The first defensive contact with the ball must be by a player who has at least some part of the body in the team area. Play continues until the ball is controlled, blocked out or scores, and if it scores the penalty is not called.

Penalties

Eyeshades penalty

A personal penalty on a player on court who intentionally touches their own or another player's eyeshades without the referee's permission. A player off court during a penalty situation, or leaving on a substitution before it is announced, also may not touch theirs. The ten second timer may draw attention to it.

Personal delay of game

A personal penalty for not being ready at the start of a half, for being reoriented by anyone other than an on-court teammate except as the rules allow, or for placing extra orientation aids on court.

Personal unsporting conduct

A personal penalty for unsporting behaviour such as insulting an official or an opponent, deforming the ball on purpose, using grip-altering substances, wetting the ball, kicking the ball after first contact, or throwing it out of play over hip height towards the officials or spectators. Two in a game mean ejection and an automatic suspension from the next game.

Noise (goalball)

Unnecessary noise by the thrower, or by any member of the throwing team on court, from the start of the throw until the ball touches the defending team, crosses a sideline or touches the defenders' goal post. It is a personal penalty for the thrower and a team penalty for others. It includes animal noises, stomping, excessive clapping, whistling, singing, shoe squeaking and shouting.

Team delay of game

A team penalty for any action that prevents the game continuing, such as late arrival for the eyeshade check, asking for too many time-outs or substitutions, leaving the bench area, or not telling the scorer of half-time substitutions.

Team unsporting conduct

A team penalty for breaking the warm-up rules or for unsporting behaviour by anyone in the delegation. Further conduct can mean elimination from the game, the venue or later games, decided by the technical delegate with the protest committee.

Illegal coaching

A team penalty if anyone not on court communicates with the players other than during a whistle stoppage and before quiet please. A second incident in a game ejects the person. Electronic coaching from the spectator area is allowed, if it makes no disturbing noise.

Time-outs and substitutions

Team time-out (goalball)

Each team has four 45 second time-outs, at least one of which must be taken in the first half or it is lost, and one in overtime. The team with control of the ball may request one, and either team may at a whistle stoppage. After a time-out at least one throw must be made before the same team asks for another time-out or a substitution.

Official's time-out

A stoppage a referee may call at any time, with no time limit. The ball stays with the team that had it, and the bench may talk to the players until the referee calls quiet please.

Medical time-out and blood rule

A medical time-out is at most 45 seconds, called by a referee for injury or illness, after which a player who cannot continue is substituted. If blood is seen, the player is removed and may not return until the bleeding has stopped, the wound is covered and the uniform changed, otherwise a medical substitution is needed.

Substitution (goalball)

Each team has four substitutions in a game, at least one in the first half or it is lost, and one in overtime. The team with the ball may request one, and the outgoing player may take off the eyeshades only after the referee announces it. A medical substitution does not count against the four.

End of the game

Overtime (goalball)

If a winner is needed after a tie, one extra period of 6 minutes is played after a 5 minute break and a coin toss, and the first team to score a goal wins.

Extra throws

If overtime is also tied, a one-against-one shoot-out decides the game, with every player wearing eyeshades. Players throw and defend in pairs in the order on the line-up sheet, with the order reversed in each pair, and a winner is declared when one team is ahead by more goals than there are throws left.

Sudden death extra throws

If the score is still level after extra throws, the same players throw and defend again in pairs until one team is ahead at the end of a pair of throws.

Tournament terms

Round robin ranking (goalball)

Teams get 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie and 0 for a loss. Tied teams are separated by goal difference, then fewest goals against, then goal difference in the games between them, and a draw if still tied.

Forfeit (goalball)

A loss given to a team that does not show up when the game is due to start, leaves the field of play, or has too few players. The winning team gets 3 points and a ten-goal score, and a team that leaves the competition has all its results cancelled.

Gross misconduct (goalball)

Behaviour contrary to the spirit of the game, such as violent conduct, abuse, spitting, dissent or not attending a game without reason. The technical delegate and protest committee sanction it and report it to the IBSA Goalball Sport Committee, which may disqualify the person or team from future tournaments.

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