Goalball was first introduced in the 1976 Toronto Paralympic games.  From its modest beginnings as an activity to aid in the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans, the game continues to gain more popularity around the world.  It is now played in all 115 International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) regions.  Both the men’s and women’s tournament begins with a round-robin stage.  The 12 men’s teams are divided into two groups of six teams, while the 10 women’s teams are divided into groups of five.  The top four teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, from which point the tournaments are played in a knockout format.

To learn how to become a Goalball Paralympian go to the United States Association of Blind Athlete's How Do I Become a Goalball Paralympian? factsheet.