Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball with bells embedded inside it into the opponents' goal.

Goalball was originally devised in 1946 by Hans Lorenzen, an Austrian, and Sepp Reindle, a German, as a means of assisting the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans.

Furthermore, the team area has six hash marks (three at the front, one on either side, and one on the goal line) to assist with player orientation.

At the Paralympic level, the ball has been measured leaving the hand in excess of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph).

At an international level, including the Paralympic Games, the competition is divided into two categories, male and female.

The player typically lines up at the centre orientation mark at the front of the orientation area (the three-metre [9.8 ft] line forward of the goal post), further forward than the wings which helps to avoid collisions between players diving towards the direction of the ball.

Their main defensive responsibilities are keeping the ball out of either corner of the goal, though they also defend towards the centre.

Should a goal difference of ten be reached, a mercy is called and the leading team is declared the winner.

[6] The game relies heavily on the sense of hearing instead of sight, so all outside noise, including cheering, clapping, chanting or ringtones from cellphones, is prohibited.

Players, regardless of the degree of vision, wear blackened-out eyeshades which allow no light in, to ensure fairness.

To score, a player must roll or bounce the ball down the length of the court, past the opposing defenders, and into the opponents' goal.

Typically, the player with the ball will stand, orient themselves using the tactile lines, sounds from teammates, and/or the crossbar of their own goal.

The player will then stride forward, lean low, and roll or side arm the ball down the court.

The defending players stay within the team area, generally in somewhat staggered positions to avoid collisions.

When they hear the other team throw the ball, they 'lay out', that is slide on their hips and stretch their arms above their heads and extend their legs in order to cover as much distance as possible.

Changes over time have seen regulation period halves increase from seven, to ten, to the present twelve minutes.

Team staff were limited to when coaching could occur, but now it is after any whistled stoppage in play.

[8] Competition is open to sighted persons to national level, but for international IBSA-sanctioned tournaments, athletes must have a visual impairment classification of B1, B2, or B3.

In 2006, the animated series Bernard produced a three-minute clip, featuring Eva the penguin introducing the titular polar bear to goalball.

[13] In 2018 and 2024, the sport was featured in the anime Ani x Para: Anata no Hero wa Dare desu ka, in the fourth and eighteenth episodes.

In both episodes, the characters of another anime played a match of goalball: KochiKame in the fourth,[14] and Welcome to Demon School!