Goalball is one of only two sports featured exclusively at the Paralympic Games.
Along with boccia, goalball is one of the only two exclusively Paralympic sports, with no Olympic equivalent. Like blind football, goalball is reserved for blind and visually impaired athletes.
Goalball teams consist of three players who play on a field the size of a volleyball court. Each team’s goals span the entire width of the field and are 1.30m high. Each part of the field is divided into three zones, and throws must be made from the central zone. In general, players lie down in front of the goal to defend the opponent’s shots.
The attacking team has eight seconds after recovering the ball to throw it. The latter must necessarily bounce in the neutral zone of the opposing team to be valid. As in blind football, the ball is noisy to allow the players to spot it, and consequently the public must be silent during the phases of play.
The French men’s and women’s teams will be present at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The boys took part in their first European Championships last year and reached the semi-finals of the competition, while the girls finished sixth at the European Championship in 2022.
Classifications for goalball
Goalball is reserved for blind or visually impaired athletes, and just like in blind football, all players wear a mask to ensure fairness between competitors.
The goalball program at the Paralympic Games
Goalball will take place from August 29 to September 5 at the Arena Paris Sud.
Thursday August 29
- 9am: China – Japan, Men
- 10:30: Türkiye – Brazil, Women
- 1:15 p.m.: Ukraine – Egypt, Men
- 2:45 p.m.: Canada – France, Women
- 5:30 p.m.: Brazil – France, Men
- 7 p.m.: South Korea – Japan, Women
Friday August 30
- 9am: United States – Brazil, Men
- 10:30: Brazil – Israel, Women
- 1:15 p.m.: France – Iran, Men
- 2:45 p.m.: Japan – Canada, Women
- 5:30 p.m.: Japan – Ukraine, Men
- 7 p.m.: China – Türkiye, Women
Saturday August 31
- 9am: Egypt – China, Men
- 10:30: Türkiye – Israel, Women
- 1:15 p.m.: United States – France, Men
- 2:45 p.m.: China – Brazil, Women
- 5:30 p.m.: Brazil – Iran, Men
- 7 p.m.: France – South Korea, Women
Sunday September 1st
- 9am: Egypt – Japan, Men
- 10:30: South Korea – Canada, Women
- 1:15 p.m.: Iran – United States, Men
- 2:45 p.m.: Israel – China, Women
- 5:30 p.m.: China – Ukraine, Men
- 7 p.m.: France – Japan, Women
Monday September 2nd
- 1:15 p.m.: Quarter-final, Men
- 3 p.m.: Quarter-final, Men
- 5:45 p.m.: Quarter-final, Men
- 7:30 p.m.: Quarter-final, Men
Tuesday September 3
- 9 a.m.: Ranking match 7/8, Men
- 10:45 a.m.: Ranking match 5/6, Men
- 1:30 p.m.: Quarter-final, Women
- 3:15 p.m.: Quarter-final, Women
- 6 p.m.: Quarter-final, Women
- 7:45 p.m.: Quarter-final, Women
Wednesday September 4th
- 9 a.m.: Ranking match 7/8, Women
- 10:45 a.m.: Ranking match 5/6, Women
- 1:30 p.m.: Semi-final, Men
- 3:15 p.m.: Semi-final, Women
- 6 p.m.: Semi-final, Men
- 7:45 p.m.: Semi-final, Women
Thursday September 5th
- 1:15 p.m.: Bronze Medal Match, Men
- 3:00 p.m.: Bronze Medal Match, Women
- 5:45 p.m.: Gold medal match, Women
- 7:30 p.m.: Gold medal match, Men