Showdown
Showdown is a game similar to air hockey, but is intended to be played by blind and visually impaired people. The sport was invented in Canada during the 1960's by a Joe Lewis, who was totally blind. Today, showdown is more popular in Europe than in North America where it was invented and first introduced.
The game is played on a rectangular table similar to an air hockey table, with a transparent screen placed a few inches above the table surface. The table has goals on both the shorter edges. The game is played with paddles and a ball filled with BB pellets that provide audible clues to its whereabouts. Players also have to wear opaque goggles to ensure level playing field between partially sighted and blind players.
The objective of the game is to score as many goals as possible. Two points are awarded for each goal scored. Points are also awarded for infractions like, hitting the ball onto the centerboard, hitting the ball out of the table, and a few others.
A match is played in a best of three sets format, where each set is played for 11 points with a two point differential format.
Showdown was introduced as a demonstration sport in 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, but is currently not a part of the games.
Similar Sports
- Air Hockey — played on an air-hockey table, participants try to hit a puck elevated on a cushion of air into the opponent's goal.
- Swish — a version of table tennis for the blind.
- Goalball — a Paralympic sport for blind athletes using a ball with bells.
- Ice Hockey — a contact sport that is played on ice while wearing skates and using a stick to hit a puck into a goal.
- Sledge Hockey — ice hockey on double-blade sledges for people with physical disabilities on the lower body.
Related Pages
- Sports for the Disabled
- Sports at the Paralympics
- Showdown at the Paralympics
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
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