What is Octopush ?

Octopush, or underwater hockey as it is known outside of Europe, is a game played between two teams of 6 - 10 players on the bottom of a swimming pool !

It was invented in 1954 a British diver called Alan Blake who was a member of the Southsea sub-aqua club. Octopush was originally designed as a way of keeping divers fit in the winter when diving expeditions were not possible.

Since it was first developed Octopush has grown to become a truly international sport. The main countries who play it are Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. It also played in other European countries such as France.

The World Championships, or Worlds, are held every year. This year's (1996) were held in Durban, South Africa. Australia won the Men's title with S. Africa coming second. In the Woman's event S. Africa came first and Australia second.

To play the game you will need the following;

Diving Mask

Pair of Fins

Snorkel

Swimming Trunks / Costume

Glove

Pushers

Most clubs will provide equipment for new players, just come along and bring your trunks.

Rules etc.

The full rules of Octopush can be quite complicated to follow if you have never played the game before. The following is a summary of the rules explaining briefly how the game is played.

Octopush is played between two teams of six people. The object of the game is to score a goal by flicking the squid, or puck, into the gully, or goal, using a stick called a pusher. A normal game consists of two 15 mins halves, with the teams swapping ends of the pull at half time. Each team is allowed four subs who can change at any point in the match as many times as they want. This means that everyone gets a good game.

To get a better understanding of what Octopush is like (with out getting wet trying it) take a look at the action pictures in the gallery.

A full version of the CMAS International rules (Version 5) can be downloaded here.