Performance analysis in goalball: Semiautomatic specific software tools

Abstract

Goalball is one of the paralympic disciplines designed for visually impaired athletes. Two teams, each consisting of three players try to score goals by rolling the ball into the oppositions’ net. All players wear additional blindfolds to guarantee that players are equally impaired. The ball contains bells allowing players to echolocate its movement. Goalball-specific software was developed for performance analysis (“GoalScout”, “GoalView” and “GoalTrack”). For practical and intuitive scouting purposes the software runs on tablet PCs. Additionally, positional data extracted form video sequences provides precise information. GoalTrack accurately measures the speed of the ball. The purposes of this project were to: a) design a software prototype that efficiently analyzes performance and, b) analyzes key aspects of Goalball. Bowling patterns were characterized for all teams and players. Significant scoring sectors were identified (Sector 3 and 7; x2 = 7.50, p £.006). A correlation between ball speed and success rate is, especially in women games, statistically significant (Men: r =.65; Women: r =.90).