Introduction to Floor Hockey

• Floor hockey is related to ice hockey, originating from games played by the Greeks over 2,500 years ago.
• Ancient cultures, including the French ("hok") and the English ("hok"), contributed to floor hockey's evolution.
• Native Americans played similar games, such as lacrosse.
• Modern floor hockey began in the 1950s, with the first indoor game in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1962.
• In the 1970s, floor hockey became popular in Sweden, where it was called floorball.
• It is non-contact, fast-moving, and requires good hand-eye coordination and cardiovascular endurance.
• Players use a stick to manipulate a puck or ball to score goals, while the defending team tries to regain possession and counterattack.
• Typically played indoors on a basketball court-sized area, but can be played outdoors, potentially using a ball instead of a puck.

Equipment

• Sticks are made of materials like plastic, polycarbonate, and fiberglass, and come in different sizes for various age groups.
• Goals are usually made from PVC piping and measure 6 feet wide by 4 feet high with a depth of 18 to 44 inches.
• Goalies use masks, pads, chest protectors, gloves, and blockers.
• A puck is typically used indoors, whereas a ball can be used outdoors.

Positions and Players

• A standard floor hockey team consists of 6 players: 1 goalie, 1 center, 2 forwards, and 2 defenders.
• The goalie stays in the crease, and the center covers the entire court.
• Forwards play in the offensive half, while defenders guard the defensive half.

Key Techniques and Skills

• Essential skills include shooting, passing, gaining possession, and defending.
• Shooting includes the drive for long-distance and the flick for close, finesse shots.
• Passing uses the forehand push pass for accuracy and the backhand pass for short passes.
• The two-touch technique—first touch to stop, second to move the puck—is key for gaining possession.
• Defending requires anticipation and the ability to jab or block effectively.

Goalie Specifics

• Quick reflexes are essential, and goalies can use their feet and hands to stop the puck unless rules are modified.
• A goalie cannot use their hands to pass the puck out of the crease.

Penalties

• Major penalties include tripping, elbowing, throwing a stick, hooking, intentional holding, and delay of game.
• Minor penalties include abuse of equipment, high sticking, holding, interference, offsides, icing, stick lifting, kicking, and illegal grip.

Common Terms

• Clearance involves passing the puck out of the defensive zone.
• Face-offs restart the game with an official dropping the puck.
• Icing occurs when a player sends the puck across the center line without it being touched by a teammate.
• A power play happens when one team has more players due to a penalty on the opposing team.

Game Setup

• Understanding the court dimensions helps visualize player movement and positioning.

Strategies and Team Play

• Passing, receiving, and shooting are central to the game.
• Coordination involves defenders holding off the opposition while forwards attack and shoot.
• Quick reaction, agility, and foot speed are essential.
• Play is continuous unless there's a penalty, face-off, or the puck goes out of bounds.