Floorball is a game that can be played indoors and out, and it provides great action from start to finish while at the same time allowing all players to participate regardless of their skill, age or gender. It is preferably played indoors, but can be played on any hard, flat surface.

Floorball equipment consists of plastic or composite sticks and a hollow plastic ball. Only the goalkeeper wears extra gear. Proper floorball can be played with five fielders on the court and one goalkeeper. Due to the intensity of the game, substitution is unlimited. Teams generally have two or three lines of five players who change regularly.

Mini floorball is played either with a goalkeeper and three or four fielders, or with small goals and no goalkeeper. The number of players and style of play depends on how large a court is available and the number of players. The best way to play it is with a perimeter boards of some sort, an official rink or just with benches. This way the ball hardly ever goes out of bounds and the action is virtually non-stop.

History

The early origins of the game can be traced to the United States. However, the game was further developed in Sweden where it was first played at schools and universities. Its popularity spread quickly in Sweden and Europe. Floorball has the most similarities with ice hockey due to its speed and action, but it lacks the rough physical contact.

Tiasa Pte Ltd brought it to Singapore 1994. The Singapore Floorball Association was formed 1996 when Singapore participated in the World Championship in Sweden. There is now a domestic National league with two divisions for men and one for women. In the 2001 Ladies World championship in Riga, Latvia, Singapore recorded its greatest success by team placing third in the B group and made history by being the first Asian team to beat European teams. (They beat Great Britain and Poland as well as Japan.)

Floorball has been included in the G.A.I.S.F, an amateur sports association that is seen as the first step of adding the sport to the Olympic family.

Rules

A major reason for the success of floorball in general, but in schools in particular, is the simplicity of the rules. The basic ones are:

Players cannot lift the stick above the waist (except for the back swing at a shot). Players can only use the stick to hit the ball and are not allowed to hit the stick or the body of the opponent. Players can stop the ball with the foot and kick it but only to themselves. Players can score from any part of the court and lift the ball as high as the ceiling allows.
Players are allowed use their shoulders against their opponent’s shoulder in fighting for the ball, as in soccer. Players can bring down high balls with their body, but are not allowed to jump or use their head or arms below the shoulder.

These rules can be explained and understood in five minutes, which means a game can be started, played and enjoyed quickly.
There are more rules for the official version of the game, which include 2-, 5- and 10-minute penalties that create power plays and box plays. A power play is when one side plays with 1 or 2 more players during the penalty. Box play is when one side plays with 1 or 2 fewer players on court during the penalty. Three fielders along with a goalkeeper are the minimum requirement for a team, so if a side receives more than two penalties, the third one starts after the first one expires.

Summary

Floorball is designed to be a fast-flowing, fun game that provides excellent exercise. The flexibility of the rules and the equipment means that it can be played with a large or small number of participants and on a large or small court. The nature of the game—due to its rules and equipment—is fast-paced, action-packed and safe!

If you would like to more about the game, drills, how to join, or have any other inquiries, please contact any the following: