Safety Considerations In Sports

d. Safety considerations Safety when not on the court requires the help of those without a visual impairment. Due to the participants wearing black out masks, it is important that assistants are present to prevent accidents such as bumping into walls that are out of bounds, bumping into other students, or tripping over equipment. Safety when on the court differs slightly, but will vary based on the experience of the athlete. The boundaries of the court require a heavy string be laid down with duct tape covering it; these are the designated boundaries for each court (Goalball, 2015). As individuals become more skilled and understand the spatial aspects to the court, one can use the boundary to their advantage not only in staying safe, but as a strategy during the game. As a result of goalball being played on a hard surfaced court, it is necessary for the children to wear kneepads and …show more content…
For beginners, lighter and softer balls are available as the purpose of the training program is to teach skills and techniques, which is easier with a lighter ball (Goalball UK, 2016). Participants are provided with blindfolds and elbow and knee padding. Members of the training program will only be required to wear elbow and knee padding when practicing blocking or participating in mock gameplay. For those who want extra protection, players can request extra hip padding. Also, groin protection for male participants, and chest protection for female participants are extra precautions that can be used for those interested (2016). For competitive play, 9 meter long goals that stretch the length of the court will be used (2016). For non-competitive play, 7x14 meter courts for teenagers and 6x12 meter courts for children under the age of 13 will be used. We also use string as well as marking tape to mark the boundaries of the court, and to prevent players from straying from the court.