Rules and Playing Tips

This page contains some general tips and techniques that will hopefully improve your ability to play the game more competitively, as well as more safely and with more enjoyment.
In addition you can find a copy of the rules that GNZ is playing under for all National competitions.

Current Rules
General Tips
Offensive Tips
Defensive Tips

General Tips

• Warm up before the game and warm down afterwards. Goalball is strenuous and uses many muscles that are not exercised in daily activity so warming up and down really helps in reducing that stiffness the day after, as well as helping with preventing injuries.
• A groin protector (cricket box) for men and chest protection for women is not only essential but is compulsory at most tournaments.
• Wear padding. The ball can hurt when it hits you, and diving on the floor to block the ball can also hurt if protective padding is not worn. Elbow and knee pads plus hip protection are the most obvious. Shin pads also really helps in reducing bruising. Some players also like to wear half gloves with the fingers free. Sailors and some rugby players use the right sort of gloves.
• Before the start of a game put on your eye shades and spend some time getting orientated on the court. Listen to the sounds from the other end of the court and try and work out where the edges of the court are. Using one of your team to bang the ball on the ground at the centre and the wing corners is a good idea to help get used to the sound on a particular court. Spend some time finding your position from various places on the court, so that you are comfortable with moving around.
• Talk to your players when not throwing the ball, help them get back into position by letting them know where you are.
• Goalball is a game when from time to time, one can get a little hurt. This is part of the game so try not to let it affect your confidence. Everyone has those times when things are not going right. Grit your teeth and keep playing as well as you can.
• A ten minute half is a long time so conserve your energy. Use substitutes and time outs to rest and give your strong throwers a break.

Offensive Tips

• The place to throw the ball is either into the corners, or between the centre and the wings. These are known as the pockets and are the weakest places on the court.
• You may not throw the ball three times in a row, so keep a count of your throws. Help out your fellow team members by telling them if you know they have thrown twice in a row.
• The three throw rule applies across timeouts and even half time, so watch out!
• Pace is very important, so keep your throw smooth and try not to bounce or drop the ball when letting go, this wastes ball speed.
• You can throw the ball at any place up to the six metre line and coming forward towards this line changes angles and means the ball does not have to travel so far. Just make sure the ball is on the ground before the six metre line or you will be penalized.
• Putting spin on the ball can make it curve on the right sort of surface. Spin can also stop the bells from ringing and making it hard to hear. Finally it can make the ball jump up when it hits a defensive player.
• A ball thrown to the middle of the court is a wasted shot.
• When you score, try throwing to the same place again, it may be a weak point in the defensive wall. If it is exploit it.
• Vary where you throw the ball from.
• You have ten seconds to throw the ball. This is quite a long time, use it if you are ahead.
• A very quick throw back to the place the ball came from can catch a player off guard and out of position.
• Try not to let your centre player take too many shots. They are the key defensive player and taking throws does not give them much time to set up for defense as well as sapping valuable energy.

Defensive Tips

• The key to defense is body position body position and body position. Lie on your side with your back to the goal. Stretch your legs out as far as possible, point your toes and lift the heel of your top foot up whilst leaving the toes touching the bunion point of the bottom foot, or slightly above this point (It is very important the top leg is forward of the bottom leg). Stretch your arms out above your head as far as possible and form a net with your fingers. Now lean slightly forward and tilt your head back out of the way. Now practise practise practise.
• The above position is known as the blocking position which you move into when you know where the ball is going and have moved to a position on the court that will allow you to intercept the ball. The defense position is how you wait until you have to move. There are a number of styles used, but the basic rule is keep as low to the ground as possible whilst still allowing yourself to move as quickly as possible.
• There are four weak points on the court. The two wing pockets and the gap between the centre player and each wing. The main responsibility of the wing players is the corner pocket, but must try and cover the pocket between themselves and the centre as well. The centre player is the key defender and must trry and cover the pockets on either side of them by choosing which way to dive.
• Get to know all the markings on the floor and get someone to tell you how and where you move from each position so that you know exactly where to set yourself for best effect.
• When playing centre, don't always position yourself directly in the middle of the court. If you know that the ball is being thrown from the left (the opposition right wing) then set yourself half a metre to the left and vice versa. This cuts down angles. The same goes for the wing players but not to the same extent.
• If you know where the opposition is throwing from then let the other players know by calling 1 for the left hand side of the court (the opposition right wing), 2 for centre and 3 for the right.
• The defensive clock starts from the moment the ball touches one of your team, and you have only 10 seconds to throw the ball back or you will be penalized, so either get control of the ball as quickly as possible, or make sure that it goes out at least half a metre away from the side lines - the clock will then be stopped until placed back into play by the ref.
• Let your fellow players know - quietly - if you are lost on court. Don't panic, and if you have to, just set yourself into your defensive position. You may not be as far away from your mark as you think.
• If the opposition is scoring goals in the same place, change your tactics. Change where you set yourself into your defensive position so that you better cover the gap, or change places with one of your team members. Try to do this without letting the opposition know.
• If the ball is bouncing up when it hits you, lean further forward.
• If the ball is hurting when it hits your body, tighten those muscles up and this will help a great deal, as well as improving your blocking as a whole.