Floorball is a fast and exciting game that promotes end-to-end plays with quick transitions and fluid game play. The rules stress the importance of safety and sportsmanship and are designed to limit the chance of injury without decreasing the speed or skill of the game. The sport offers a very similar playing style to hockey and is alike to the skills of the sport without needing to go on the ice.

The lightweight equipment allows players to develop better handling. The emphasis is on ball control and all points of contact are directed towards the ball and not to the stick or the player.

Floorball is a great way to introduce players to the first steps of hockey through community programming. The Try Hockey program brings floorball to schools all over the province and brings new faces to the sport each time. The sport is also a fun way for coaches to integrate new off-ice activities into practice plans.

Below is a brief summary of the rules of floorball:

• Stick must remain below waist
• Ball is played below knee level at all times
• No body contact, no blocking/screening of opposing players
• Stick-on-body contact or stick-on-stick contact is not permitted
• No hitting, lifting or pinning of opponents’ stick
• Free hits similar to a free kick in soccer are given for minor rule infractions
• No offside or icing calls
• Game is played with five players and one goalie per team on the court at a time

Floorball sticks are engineered for superior stickhandling, ball control and shooting. They are lightweight, inexpensive, durable and non-marking, which makes them a great activity for school gymnasiums. Floorball players do not wear any protective equipment, only athletic gear is required.

For more information:
Hockey Canada's Floorball Program
What is Floorball