Showdown

Showdown is a Paralympic table sport for visually impaired athletes in which two players use flat paddles to hit a ball containing bells across a table with a raised center net. Players wear blindfolds to ensure equal levels of visual impairment, and the ball's bells allow them to track its location by sound.

Showdown is governed by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and is played internationally, though it is not currently part of the Summer Paralympic Games program. It is recognized as a competitive sport within blind sports federations and has its own world championships.

Players need a specialized table with raised side rails and a center barrier, a ball containing small bells for auditory tracking, and solid rectangular paddles. All players must wear opaque eyeshades regardless of their degree of visual impairment to ensure competitive fairness.

While both sports use balls with bells and require eyeshades, Showdown is played on a raised table by two players striking a ball with paddles, whereas goalball is a court-based team sport where players roll a larger ball across the floor toward the opponent's goal. Showdown is more akin to table tennis, while goalball resembles a court invasion game.