goalball: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Sports
Quick answer
What does “goalball” mean?
A team sport designed for athletes with visual impairments, in which players attempt to roll a ball with bells inside into the opponent's goal.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A team sport designed for athletes with visual impairments, in which players attempt to roll a ball with bells inside into the opponent's goal.
The ball used in the sport of goalball.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The sport is governed by a single international body.
Connotations
Strongly associated with disability sports, the Paralympics, and inclusivity.
Frequency
Equally low in both dialects, used only within specific sporting contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “goalball” in a Sentence
to play ~a match/game of ~the sport of ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “goalball” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- goalball event
- goalball rules
American English
- goalball competition
- goalball athlete
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. May appear in contexts related to sports marketing, sponsorship of Paralympic events, or adaptive equipment manufacturing.
Academic
Used in sports science, disability studies, and kinesiology papers discussing adapted physical education or Paralympic sports.
Everyday
Very rare outside of discussions about the Paralympics or disability sports.
Technical
The primary register. Used in rulebooks, coaching manuals, Paralympic classifications, and sports commentary for the event.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “goalball”
Neutral
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “goalball”
- Using 'goalball' to refer to any ball used to score a goal (e.g., in football).
- Treating it as a verb (e.g., 'We goalballed yesterday'). The correct verb is 'to play goalball'.
- Misspelling as two words: 'goal ball'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While primarily for athletes with visual impairments, sighted players may sometimes play for training or awareness events, but all players must wear opaque eyeshades during official matches to ensure a level playing field.
Three players from each team are on the court at one time, with up to three substitutes allowed.
No, it is not a contact sport. Physical contact between players is limited and regulated by the rules. The main action is throwing/rolling the ball and defending the goal.
Goalball was invented in 1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindle as a rehabilitation activity for visually impaired World War II veterans.
A team sport designed for athletes with visual impairments, in which players attempt to roll a ball with bells inside into the opponent's goal.
Goalball is usually technical/sports in register.
Goalball: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡəʊl.bɔːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡoʊl.bɑːl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GOAL in football (soccer) and a BALL. Goalball is the sport where the goal is to get the ball into the goal, but played by athletes with visual impairments.
Conceptual Metaphor
WAR/BATTLE (e.g., 'defend the goal', 'attack the opponent's line'); ACOUSTIC CHESS (due to the reliance on sound and strategy).
Practice
Quiz
In which broader sporting event is goalball most prominently featured?