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Torball

Summary

Torball is a ball game developed in the 1970's for blind and visually impaired people. The game suits men and women of all ages. There are lots of facilities in this game for rehabilitation activities as well as leisure, school and top level sport.

Torball is played on a rectangular court of 16 metres in length and 7 metres in width. On the court are six players from two teams, i.e. three players per team. A goal is erected at either end of the rectangular court. The game is played with a bell ball, which must be thrown underneath three cords tightened across the court. The object of the game is for each team to throw the ball across the opponent's goal line while the other team attempts to prevent this from happening. Then, the former defending team takes on the attacking play and former attackers in turn defend their goal.

A particularity of the game is the ball, which weights only 500 grams and is filled with air. Its qualities allow playing very tricky and fast. Torball demands concentration and quick response by the players. Torball has got what it takes to spread even further and become a Paralympics sport. Torball is a speedy and dynamic game. It is enormously popular in Central Europe and Latin America. Thus it is also played on the other Continents, Asia, African and Oceania. Torball is presumably played in about 30 countries by almost 1,200 people.

History

The origin of the game is not totally clear. The game known as Torball today was developed in the 1970s on the basis of Goalball (then known as Torball), which in turn is based on Rollball. As a result there were two varieties of Torball in central Europe. The older version was played with a ball that weighed two kilograms and was later called Goalball (the English translation of the German name Torball), whereas the newer one used a ball of 500 grams and kept the name Torball. Torball can also been played by sighted people, though not as an IBSA sport.

Calendar of main competitive events

www.ibsa.es/eng/deportes/torball/competiciones.htm

Rules and regulations

Torball is a game for blind and visually impaired men and women. Each team consists of three players. The game is played in a gymnasium. There a goal is erected at each of the narrower sides of a rectangular court. The ball used has to be audible when it is moved. For a rule conformity throw, the ball must be thrown underneath three cords tightened across the court. The aim of the game is to throw the ball in such a way that it passes the opponent's goal line while the other team tries to prevent this. The next move is that the defending team becomes the attacking one and the former attackers becoming the defenders.

For a detailed rule book, click here

www.ibsa.es/eng/deportes/torball/TorballRulebook.doc

Records / Landmarks

The men's team from Landshut (Germany) won European Cup six times. And the World Cup twice.

The women's team from Baar (Switzerland) won European Cup five times And the World Cup twice.

Contact details:

Chairman
Dr. Max OTT
Sportplatzstr.5
A-5020 SALZBURG
AUSTRIA
Tel: 44 1422 846915
Mobile: 44 7803711394
E-mail:Max.Ott@austromail.at

Related links

www.torball.org/index_en.html

www.ibsa.es/eng/deportes/torball/presentacion.htm

Top teams

Top Club Teams (winning teams of Worldcup 2002):

• Men: Landshut (Germany)
• Women: Vorarlberg (Austria)

National Teams (winning teams of the World Championships 2001):

• Men: France
• Women: Germany

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