Scanadian Floorball
Zone and Unihoc floorball equipment
What is Floorball?
Floorball is an exciting, fast-paced game that resembles ball hockey or hockey cosom, in Quebec. The main difference is that the rules do not allow for stick
or body contact. While the game tends to be less physical than hockey, floorball is a skill-oriented, entertaining style of play that promotes high scoring and is designed to limit injuries.
Floorball is a game that is safe, low-cost, and easy to learn. Depending on the level of play, it can be an excellent cardiovascular workout or just good exercise. The rules of the game require and promote fair play among its participants. Floorball is a sport for everyone!
The Players
Two teams are each allowed a maximum of five players and a goalie on the court at one time. Players do not wear protective equipment like hockey; only a jersey, shorts and indoor athletic shoes are required. Floorball goalies, however, wear some protective equipment such as knee pads, chest protector and a goalie mask. Goalies do not use sticks, blocking shots with their hands and body and play most of the game on their knees.
For living images of floorball go here: xfloor-tv
Floorball techniques
The Equipment
The Ball is similar to a whiffle ball and is made of hard plastic with 26 evenly distributed holes. It is 72 mm in diameter and weighs 23 grams.
The Sticks are lightweight, durable, around 100 cm in length and vary in flexibility. Shorter than hockey sticks, floorball sticks are engineered for superior stick-handling, ball control and shooting.
The Nets are at either end of the rink, 160 cm wide x 115 cm high. They are similar to hockey nets except they are a little smaller to compensate for the
lack of large protective gear for goalies.
The Rink is officially 40 m long x 20 m wide but can vary in size. It is surrounded by plastic or fibreglass boards 50 cm high. The goalkeeper area is 2.5 m x 1 m and the goal area is 5 m x 4 m.
Game Length
Like hockey, a standard game is three 20-minute periods. However, a game of floorball can be played virtually anywhere by varying the game length, rink
size and the number of players on the court.
Differences between hockey and floorball
Equipment
Players do not need expensive equipment to play floorball, which makes this sport very low-cost compared to hockey cosom and ice hockey. Since no violent contact is allowed, a player only needs running shoes and a stick, retailing between $15 and $200.
Since the stick is shorter and with a rounder shape than a hockey stick, it allows for better handling and control of the ball. The shape of the stick also enables the shots to be whipped as opposed to the "slap shot" in hockey.
Hockey uses a heavy puck but floorball uses a very light ball, which can be more easily lifted or deflected, bounces better and is faster. Each ball costs approximately $1.
Goal Tender
The goal tender plays on his knees and uses his hands and his body to stop the ball and is allowed to throw the ball back in play. The equipment cost is also very inexpensive as only knee pads, chest-protector and a mask are required.
Rink
The floorball rink is similar to an ice hockey rink, as its also surrounded by boards. Since checking your opponent is prohibited in floorball, the boards, made of plastic or fiber glass, are only 50 cm high.
Rules
A player cannot play the ball above knee level and when shooting, the stick can't be raised above the waist. Unlike hockey, player obstruction or body checking is not allowed; only controlled shoulder-to-shoulder contact.
A player cannot intentionally hit an opposing player's stick; he must play the ball.
There are no offside or icing calls.
The ball cannot be played with the hand or head except for goalies, who can also throw the ball with one bounce before the centre line.
Whenever an infraction is committed, possession is given to the opposition, just like in soccer.
Why choose floorball?
Floorball is a safe sport, similar to hockey but without physical violence or high equipment cost. It allows a faster continuous play with fewer game interruptions. It is accessible to all: men, women, children or even wheelchair athletes. Furthermore, Floorball promotes fair play
among its participants and is easily affordable enough for any school program.
Floorball facts
Floorball is played by over 2.5 million people in more than thirty countries around the world, including traditionally non-ice hockey places such as Brazil, India, and New Zealand!
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), an Olympic sport must have fifty officially recognized nations playing it. Floorball is one step away from the Summer Olympics!
Canada officially joined the International Floorball Federation only in 2001.
The world's fastest floorball shot was recorded at an astonishing 188 km/h!
In Sweden and Finland, two of the world's hockey superpowers, floorball is more popular than hockey.
Many European-born hockey players and NHL stars play floorball to enhance their skills.
Floorball History
There are a great number of people that think they have invented floorball. It is commonly considered that the roots of floorball go back to the 1950s in the USA. At the time young people played indoors with plastic sticks and a plastic puck. The game was called floor hockey and the first tournament was organized in 1976 in Michigan.
When floor hockey reached Europe the puck was soon dropped in favour of a light plastic ball. The new sport with the name floorball was first played in Sweden in the early 1970s. It soon gained popularity at schools and in leisure clubs. At that time, the goals were much smaller, but there was no goal keeper.
Floorball quickly grew and in the late 1970s the sport spread across Europe. In the early 1980s many national associations were founded. This created the framework that enabled the young sport to grow faster. In 2004 only four countries dominated the international game: Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. However, the gap between them and other countries is narrowing every year.
National associations
The following list shows the year in which a national association was founded.
1981 Sweden
1983 Japan
1985 Finland and Switzerland
1986 the International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded
1989 Denmark, and Hungary
1991 Norway
1992 Russia, Czech Republic, and Germany
1993 USA, Estonia, and Latvia
1995 Poland, Belgium, Singapore, and Great Britain
1996 Austria and Australia
1999 Netherlands, Brazil, Slovakia
2001 Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Canada, and New Zealand
2002 Malaysia, India, and Georgia
2003 France
2004 Pakistan
2005 Korea, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, and Iceland
The International Federation
The International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded in 1986 in Sweden. Founding nations were Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.
In 1994 the first European championship for men took place in Zurich. The following year the first European championship for women was organized. The first world championship for men took place in 1996 in Sweden. The following year the first world championship for women was organized. Since then the world championships for men and women take place in alternating years.
As of 2005 there are 36 member countries in the IFF, with over 3,900 clubs and 230,000 registered players. In addition, there is also organized floorball in some countries that are not IFF members. The IFF gained full membership of the GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations) in 2004. Every year the European Cup is organized. The World Championships take place every other year, with even years for men, and odd years for women.
Floorball is an exciting, fast-paced game that resembles ball hockey or hockey cosom, in Quebec. The main difference is that the rules do not allow for stick
or body contact. While the game tends to be less physical than hockey, floorball is a skill-oriented, entertaining style of play that promotes high scoring and is designed to limit injuries.
Floorball is a game that is safe, low-cost, and easy to learn. Depending on the level of play, it can be an excellent cardiovascular workout or just good exercise. The rules of the game require and promote fair play among its participants. Floorball is a sport for everyone!
The Players
Two teams are each allowed a maximum of five players and a goalie on the court at one time. Players do not wear protective equipment like hockey; only a jersey, shorts and indoor athletic shoes are required. Floorball goalies, however, wear some protective equipment such as knee pads, chest protector and a goalie mask. Goalies do not use sticks, blocking shots with their hands and body and play most of the game on their knees.
For living images of floorball go here: xfloor-tv
Floorball techniques
The Equipment
The Ball is similar to a whiffle ball and is made of hard plastic with 26 evenly distributed holes. It is 72 mm in diameter and weighs 23 grams.
The Sticks are lightweight, durable, around 100 cm in length and vary in flexibility. Shorter than hockey sticks, floorball sticks are engineered for superior stick-handling, ball control and shooting.
The Nets are at either end of the rink, 160 cm wide x 115 cm high. They are similar to hockey nets except they are a little smaller to compensate for the
lack of large protective gear for goalies.
The Rink is officially 40 m long x 20 m wide but can vary in size. It is surrounded by plastic or fibreglass boards 50 cm high. The goalkeeper area is 2.5 m x 1 m and the goal area is 5 m x 4 m.
Game Length
Like hockey, a standard game is three 20-minute periods. However, a game of floorball can be played virtually anywhere by varying the game length, rink
size and the number of players on the court.
Differences between hockey and floorball
Equipment
Players do not need expensive equipment to play floorball, which makes this sport very low-cost compared to hockey cosom and ice hockey. Since no violent contact is allowed, a player only needs running shoes and a stick, retailing between $15 and $200.
Since the stick is shorter and with a rounder shape than a hockey stick, it allows for better handling and control of the ball. The shape of the stick also enables the shots to be whipped as opposed to the "slap shot" in hockey.
Hockey uses a heavy puck but floorball uses a very light ball, which can be more easily lifted or deflected, bounces better and is faster. Each ball costs approximately $1.
Goal Tender
The goal tender plays on his knees and uses his hands and his body to stop the ball and is allowed to throw the ball back in play. The equipment cost is also very inexpensive as only knee pads, chest-protector and a mask are required.
Rink
The floorball rink is similar to an ice hockey rink, as its also surrounded by boards. Since checking your opponent is prohibited in floorball, the boards, made of plastic or fiber glass, are only 50 cm high.
Rules
A player cannot play the ball above knee level and when shooting, the stick can't be raised above the waist. Unlike hockey, player obstruction or body checking is not allowed; only controlled shoulder-to-shoulder contact.
A player cannot intentionally hit an opposing player's stick; he must play the ball.
There are no offside or icing calls.
The ball cannot be played with the hand or head except for goalies, who can also throw the ball with one bounce before the centre line.
Whenever an infraction is committed, possession is given to the opposition, just like in soccer.
Why choose floorball?
Floorball is a safe sport, similar to hockey but without physical violence or high equipment cost. It allows a faster continuous play with fewer game interruptions. It is accessible to all: men, women, children or even wheelchair athletes. Furthermore, Floorball promotes fair play
among its participants and is easily affordable enough for any school program.
Floorball facts
Floorball is played by over 2.5 million people in more than thirty countries around the world, including traditionally non-ice hockey places such as Brazil, India, and New Zealand!
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), an Olympic sport must have fifty officially recognized nations playing it. Floorball is one step away from the Summer Olympics!
Canada officially joined the International Floorball Federation only in 2001.
The world's fastest floorball shot was recorded at an astonishing 188 km/h!
In Sweden and Finland, two of the world's hockey superpowers, floorball is more popular than hockey.
Many European-born hockey players and NHL stars play floorball to enhance their skills.
Floorball History
There are a great number of people that think they have invented floorball. It is commonly considered that the roots of floorball go back to the 1950s in the USA. At the time young people played indoors with plastic sticks and a plastic puck. The game was called floor hockey and the first tournament was organized in 1976 in Michigan.
When floor hockey reached Europe the puck was soon dropped in favour of a light plastic ball. The new sport with the name floorball was first played in Sweden in the early 1970s. It soon gained popularity at schools and in leisure clubs. At that time, the goals were much smaller, but there was no goal keeper.
Floorball quickly grew and in the late 1970s the sport spread across Europe. In the early 1980s many national associations were founded. This created the framework that enabled the young sport to grow faster. In 2004 only four countries dominated the international game: Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. However, the gap between them and other countries is narrowing every year.
National associations
The following list shows the year in which a national association was founded.
1981 Sweden
1983 Japan
1985 Finland and Switzerland
1986 the International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded
1989 Denmark, and Hungary
1991 Norway
1992 Russia, Czech Republic, and Germany
1993 USA, Estonia, and Latvia
1995 Poland, Belgium, Singapore, and Great Britain
1996 Austria and Australia
1999 Netherlands, Brazil, Slovakia
2001 Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Canada, and New Zealand
2002 Malaysia, India, and Georgia
2003 France
2004 Pakistan
2005 Korea, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, and Iceland
The International Federation
The International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded in 1986 in Sweden. Founding nations were Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.
In 1994 the first European championship for men took place in Zurich. The following year the first European championship for women was organized. The first world championship for men took place in 1996 in Sweden. The following year the first world championship for women was organized. Since then the world championships for men and women take place in alternating years.
As of 2005 there are 36 member countries in the IFF, with over 3,900 clubs and 230,000 registered players. In addition, there is also organized floorball in some countries that are not IFF members. The IFF gained full membership of the GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations) in 2004. Every year the European Cup is organized. The World Championships take place every other year, with even years for men, and odd years for women.
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