The ANICES Association (Nice Association for Cultural and Sporting Initiatives) organized the French Men’s D3 Torball Championship on March 15, 2008. On this occasion, 6 teams were present including Poitiers, Montpellier, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Martinique. A total of 70 players and about thirty coaches participated in this sports event. Local media followed the event, highlighting ANICES’s initiative.
The association aims to integrate this sport into schools and colleges in the department, just like basketball, handball, or football. Several institutions are working on this project including the “L. Nucéra” middle school in Nice, the “Aimé Legall” primary school in Mouans-Sartoux, and Terra Amata School in Nice. It serves as a vehicle for integration and respect for disabilities. Stephanie Coiffier says, “We were in a school in an underprivileged area. Two students were disrupting the exercise. We asked them to try to understand what it was like to need silence when visually impaired. We blindfolded them, and they realized how essential silence was.”
Torball, created in 1955 in Germany in rehabilitation centers for war-wounded veterans, was introduced in France in 1970 and has been organized in international competitions since 1988. Initially exclusive to visually impaired players, since September 2005, the Torball commission has allowed the inclusion of a sighted person in the team (while blindfolded).
Torball is played between two teams of three players each (two wingers and one center forward). The goal is to score the most goals over two five-minute halves. The playing field measures 16m by 7m; goals extend across each width and are 1.30m high. The field is equipped with 3 ropes with bells located 40 cm above the ground, which ring as the ball passes over; they must not be touched.
Players move on their knees in the playing area, tactile mats providing them with precise navigation. There is no contact between players; each team operates within its own play area. The game is played with a sounding ball the size of a volleyball (500g) containing iron pellets.
The game’s principle is to outpace the opponent to score a goal. In defense, players lie down on the ground to stop the ball. Concentration is necessary to hear the ball.
The game is fast, and stops are often spectacular. To play, you need to be quick, skilled, resilient, and have a good sense of the game.
There are more than 32 men’s and 10 women’s teams in France, totaling over 400 licensees.
Nationally, competitions include the Men’s and Women’s French Championship, structured in national division, Men’s and Women’s French Cup, and school encounters.
Internationally, the European Club Cup, European Championships, World Club Cup, and World Championship are organized.
If you want to try: [ANICES website](https://www.anices.fr/index.php/Accueil)
