What is Floor Hockey?
Floor Hockey is a popular team sport in which the object of the game is to advance the puck legally down the opponent’s half of the field in order to score a goal by sending the puck through the goal on the ground. While most of the rules of floor hockey are similar to ice hockey, there are a few modifications that make floor hockey more enjoyable!
There will be no heavy hockey equipment used. Checking is not permitted. There is no icing.
· Goals are worth one (1) point.
· A goal cannot be scored on a foul.
· The puck can deflect off a player or equipment to score.
· The puck cannot be kicked into the goal.
Player Positions
In floor hockey, there are six players on each team. The player positions are a center, two wings, two defense, and one goalie. The center may travel anywhere in the gym. The wings play on either side of the center. The wings must cross the middle line and stay on the offensive side of the court. They help the center try to score a goal. There are two defense players. These players must stay on the defensive side of the court and help the goalie prevent the other team from scoring. The goalie’s job is to prevent a goal. The goalie may use their stick, hands, feet, or body to prevent a goal.
Glossary of Floor Hockey Terms
Dribbling: a) Loose-form of moving the puck under control. The puck is pushed 10-15 feet in front of the player, the player then runs to the puck and pushes it again.
b) Controlled-consists of a series of short taps in the direction the player desires to move.
Fielding: Stopping the puck and controlling it.
Tackling: Taking the puck away from an opponent.
Dodging: Avoiding a tackler and maintaining control of the puck.
Face-Off: Dropping the puck between two players. The face-off is used at the start of the game, after a goal, or when the puck is stopped from further play by opposing players.
Goal Keeping: The act of stopping the puck by kicking the puck, stop it with any part of the body, or allow it to rebound off the body or hand.
Goalkeeper: The player who stops shots with his/her hands, feet, or stick.
Center: The only player allowed to move full court and who leads offensive play. The center has a stick with a stripe of tape on it.
Defense: The defense cannot go beyond the center line into the offensive area. Defense help the goalie stop the opponent from scoring.
Wings: The wings work with the center on offensive play and cannot go back over the center line into the defensive area.
Basic Rules of Floor Hockey
The most striking differences between floor hockey and ice hockey are that floor hockey is not played on the ice, there is no checking, and there is no icing.
· On a face-off other players cannot enter the restraining circle until the puck has been hit by the centers.
· The clock starts when the puck is put into play and runs continuously until a goal is scored or a foul is called.
· Substitutions can be made only when the clock is stopped.
· Fouls are penalized by the loss of the puck at the spot of the foul. The following are fouls:
a) Illegally touching the puck with your hands.
b) Wings or forwards moving across the center line.
c) Player other than the goalie entering the crease.
d) Goalie throwing the puck in the air.
e) Holding, stepping on, or lying on the puck.
Defenders must be five yards back when the puck is put back into play after a foul. If the spot where the foul occurred is closer than five yards to the goal, only the goalkeeper may defend. This puck is put into play five yards directly out from the goal.
· Personal Fouls include any action or rough play that endangers other players. A player committing a personal foul must retire to the sidelines for two minutes. The following are personal fouls:
a) Hacking or striking with a stick
b) Swinging the stick above waist height (called high sticking)
c) Tripping with either the foot or the stick
d) Pushing, blocking, or checking
e) Lifting the puck
