Floorball Rules

NOTE: These rules are derived from the rules of a game that is called "innebandy" in Sweden and "salibandy" in Finland, or "unihockey" in some other countries. The rules are in international use all over the world.

Game: The game is played with plastic sticks, shorter than in ice-hockey, and with a plastic, very light ball, little bit larger than a tennis ball, at an indoor pitch as volleyball or basketball pitch. Players DO NOT HAVE any other equipments like roller skaters. In the game the size of a unihoc goal and an ice-hockey goal is nearly similar.

Teams: The playing members of a team on a pitch consists of five, male or female, players. The minimum number of players is three. There is a goalkeeper in addition to five players. A goalkeeper do not have the stick.

Substitutes: Both teams can substitute an unlimited number of times at any point during the game, similar to ice-hockey.

Face-Off: At the beginning of each half, as well as after each goal. The team which has lost a goal passes the ball backwards. The ball is in the game as soon as it leaves the stick of the player that had done the Face-Off.The face-off is similar to ice-hockey, except the ball is already on the pitch between the blades of two face-off players, and face-off is executed after the referee's whistle). Before face-off, all players must be on their own sides of the mid-line, and only the player that does the Face-Off is allowed inside the circle at the center of that line.

Crease: Around each goal there is a designated area called the crease, (1 meters by 3 meters). Under no circumstances may a player (either offensive or defensive) stand inside the crease, or have his/her body in the crease while touching the ball. Players may run through the crease while not dribbling the ball, and they may use their sticks in the crease.

Penalties

Free Stroke: The offender's team loses possession; a player from the other team puts the ball to the location of the foul, waits for the whistle, and then passes the ball or make a shot towards the goal you can score direct on a free stroke. Opposing players must stay at least 3 meters from the player taking the free stroke. If there is a free stroke in the immediate vicinity of the goal, then it is taken from no closer than 3 meters away from the goal.

Penalty Shot: The shot is taken from the half-pitch by a member of the opposing team which did not make a foul that caused the penalty shot. The team executing the shot stays behind the half pitch line, and the defending team stays behind the extended goal line, until the ball has passed the extended goal line or bounced off of a goal post.You are not allowed to make the ball go backwards. The extended goal line is the extension of the goal line to the left and right direction across the pitch, and therefore is naturally parallel to the goal line. Play resumes as normal as soon as the ball has passed the extended goal line or bounced off of a goal post.

Send Off: In the case that a player has made a serious foul or has repeated other fouls, it is the prerogative of the referee to remove him or her from the pitch for two minutes (2 min) or five minutes (5 min), with no substitute player for that time. A player can return into the game during two minutes penalty (not during five minutes penalty), after the opposite team scores. For extremely serious fouls a player can be sent off permanently, and his/hers team will get five minutes penalty, as well, that one of his/hers team-mates must take.

Fouls: The referee decides how penalties are related to fouls. The more serious form of a foul, the harder the penalty. Generally all fouls are at least punished by a free stroke. For some of the fouls a minimum penalty is given with the description of the foul in the list below.

- Lifting the blade of the stick above knee-level when trying to touch the ball, regardless of whether or not the ball is contacted.

- Lifting the blade of the stick above waist-level when trying to shoot the ball, regardless of whether or not the ball is contacted. Note that the ball is not allowed to touch above knee-level in shooting but one can speed up one's stick below waist-level before shooting.

- Slashing, binding or hooking another player's stick with the stick.

- Holding another player's stick by hand (2 min).

- Tackling someone with the body. Near the edge of the pitch (2 min/5 min).

- Hitting someone with the stick.

- Hooking someone with the stick (2 min).

- Holding an opponent.

- Touching the ball with arm, hand, or head, unless it is done on purpose by the opposing team. Catching or stopping the ball with "free" hand (2 min).

- Passing the ball with the foot to a player on one's own team (either on purpose or accidentally). It is allowed, however, to kick the ball to one's own stick, and the game does not stop if a person kicks the ball and an opponent gets it. It is not allowed to kick the ball two or more times, not even to yourself.

- Kicking the ball into the goal on offense. (Kicking the ball into one's own goal while on defense counts as a score, and there is no penalty for either team.)

- Moving the goal deliberately (2 min).

- Playing/standing in the crease while on offense.

- Putting the stick between another player's legs.

- Tripping an opponent.

- Taking part in the game on one knee, on two knees, or in a lying-down position (2 min).

- Intentionally delaying the game as, e.g., not following three meter's rule at a free stroke (2 min).

- Playing/standing in the crease while on defense (2 min).

- Throwing one's stick (5 min).

- Misconduct against the referee or the spectators (2 min/5 min).

- All fouls which prevent a player of the other team to make a goal (penalty shot). For instance moving the goal deliberately just before an opponent is trying to score, or stopping the ball standing in the crease while on defense. In addition to the penalty shot, other penalties like sending off for two or five minutes can also be given, if necessary. If the penalty shot is successful, the two minutes penalty (not 5 min) is cancelled.

Back to homepage.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1