Torball
Torball or Blindentorball as Goalball and blind football a disability team sport that is mostly run by blind and visually impaired people.
It is played by about 200 teams in Europe.
Players set up and game history
The field covers an area of 16 x 7 m. The gate extends across the whole game field width and 130 cm high. At the gates are respectively the spaces of movement of assets in which they have to fend off the ball or throw off the attack. Adusting three on each side firmly glued mats made of carpet ( 1 x 2 m). Right across the game field are at a distance of 2 m to 40 cm height three cords taut. In them bells are attached, which make a contact by the ball or a player audible.
The three players on each team position themselves in the crew compartment at the gate. Since blind and visually impaired play together, wearing all - because of the Equal Opportunities - an opaque glasses. The teams are located alternately in attack and in defense. The game is played with a ball, inside which there are bells, so that the movements of the ball are audible. The attacking team tries to hand to throw the ball among the three lines into the opposing goal. To stave off the ball, the opponent lay stretched sideways on the floor. If the ball touches a line, the thrower must leave for a throw of the opponent ( penalty ) box. After three such errors, the goal for a throw is only defended by a player (penalty ). The winner is the team that the (2 x 5 minutes) could score more goals at the end of the season.
Dissemination
Torball is played in the following European countries:
- Belgium
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Austria
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Switzerland
- Slovenia
- Hungary
In other Eastern European countries have tried to build teams.
Torball is otherwise played in South America (especially in Argentina and Uruguay) and in Africa (especially Nigeria, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Niger).
Currently development
Torball is just like most other disabled sports on the decline. The reasons for this are, firstly, the decrease in the number of disabled young people in general, and on the other part no longer existing structures such as the schools for the blind, which facilitated the promotion of the sport. With the proliferation Torball encounters due to the lack of support from umbrella organizations in some countries, especially in the United States on relatively large resistance. However, it is considered in many countries to establish Torball as ladies sport. The reason is to in relation to the Goalball less effort ( at Goalball the ball weighs 1250 grams instead of 500 ).
Paralympics
Torball is not paralympic, because it is very similar to the competing Goalball. In Torball addition to the national championships and numerous invitation tournaments and international competitions are held. In addition to the European and World Championships for national teams, there is the European and the World Cup for club teams. For these competitions qualify the respective national champion.