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Goalball UK – A safe return to playing goalball

Goalball UK, the national governing body for the Paralympic sport for blind and partially sighted people, has launched its official return to play guidance. This allows the goalball community to get back on court safely while considering the implications of the new environment.           

Female playing Goalball

The document includes all the essential information that each club must follow before returning to training to reduce the risk before, during and after playing goalball.

The guidance has been approved by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and follows the Government’s ‘return to recreational team sport framework’. The NGB also reassures clubs and players that its advice will continue to adapt as the ever-changing situation evolves.

To support clubs, players, officials and volunteers as much as possible, Goalball UK is hosting a webinar on Wednesday 26th August to discuss the guidance and answer any questions. Furthermore, the NGB has also launched a grant for goalball clubs of up to £100 to be used towards purchasing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation products.

Currently, this guidance only allows for club training to resume. Before reintroducing Goalball UK competitions, the NGB will monitor the success of returning to play, as well as the latest measures from the Government.

Mark Winder, CEO of Goalball UK, said:

“Firstly, we all want to thank everyone for their patience.  This is a fantastic first step for our sport on our journey to getting back to playing at full capacity. For us to continue making great progress, it is so important that everyone follows the new guidance and does everything they can to keep as safe as possible when playing goalball.”

To support the development of its return to play guidance, Goalball UK launched a comprehensive survey for everyone associated with the sport. This gave the opportunity to help shape the initial steps back onto the court.

Mark continues:

“The results from our survey were incredibly valuable in the process of developing our return to play preparations.  As 86% of respondents said that they can’t wait to resume goalball or are happy to play again as long as appropriate measures are implemented, we believe that our guidelines echo the feelings of the goalball family.
“What’s more, with 74% indicating that hygiene and cleaning protocols would give more confidence about playing again, the £100 grant initiative was developed. As an organisation, it is fundamentally important that we do everything we can to support clubs to give players that peace of mind at this time.
“We hope that everyone that wants to play again has a fantastic time!”

Find out more about Goalball UK’s return to play guidelines here.