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 Download Floorball Basics PDF document (3MB),
and FAWA (Floorball Association of WA) - www.wafloorball.org
Floorball is an innovative new sport that is quickly spreading across the world. Floorball is a fast paced indoor sport that blends the greatest elements of ice hockey with some characteristics also found in soccer and basketball.
It started in Sweden in the 1970s as an alternative to the form of hockey, which is played outdoors on a grass playing field, and since then has enjoyed unparalleled growth in Scandinavia and rest of the Europe.
In 1986 the International Floorball Federation was founded in Huskvana Sweden by the floorball associations of Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.
In fact, Floorball players already outnumber ice hockey players in both Finland and Sweden. The 2002 World Championships in Helsinki attracted over 15,000 paying spectators to the final match. Floorball has become so popular that players can make a substantially comfortable living playing for a top club in many European countries.
Floorball is now played in more than 31 countries worldwide and is officially one of the world's fastest growing sports. In 2008 floorball was recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
The Australian Floorball Association was formed in 1996 to oversee development of the sport nation wide.
Floorball is an exceptionally easy game to play even for the first time, whether you are playing socially or competitively. It’s said that floorball takes minutes to learn and years to master.
Floorball is not only fast and exciting, but its great exercise too. This makes floorball an incredible overall workout. It’s suitable for people of all ages and all abilities.
Finally, floorball is an inexpensive sport compared to others. Essentially all that you need to start playing are some gym apparel and a floorball stick.
Floorball can be played in a regular gymnasium/sports centre or even on a basketball court. Floorball differs from floor hockey because it's non-contact, making it a perfect sport for players who love playing but who don't like the excessive physical contact which can result in injury, providing a safer and friendlier playing atmosphere.
To get an idea what floorball is...
Floorball is an indoor sport with five field players and one goalie on each team. Each field player usually has a light carbon graphite stick, which is about 3 feet long. The ball is 3 inches in diameter, white, and made of plastic. The ball is hollow and to make it light there are 26 little holes on the sides and weight only 23 grams.
The Floorball court is similar to an ice-hockey rink but smaller, 120 feet x 60 feet with 20-inch sideboards. There is a goal at each end, which is guarded by a goalie without a stick. The goalie sits on their knees and is able to touch the ball over any part of the court as long as they have one part of their body in the goal area.
The aim of the game is to shoot the ball into the other teams’ goal, but you cannot touch the ball with your head, hand or with your arm. However, you can kick the ball forward onto your own stick. You cannot hit the ball with your stick above knee level. The team structure allows for substitutions and line changes, which are encouraged because of the fast pace of the games. Penalties leading to power play situations are also part of the game. The major difference between Floorball and ice hockey is that players are on foot, as opposed to inline/ice skates and physical contact is not permitted.
What Equipment Will I Need?
Used by permission: New South Wales Floorball Association - nswfloorball.org
Aside from comfortable, breathable gym wear and low sitting rubber soled shoes (please no black soles, as they leave marks on the playing field) you'll also need a graphite/carbon fibre stick.
(It is not a prerequisite to own a stick upon commencement. Players have spares and are willing to lend them temporarily to help get you started)
Equipment Suppliers in Australia
The floorball product line covers all equipment required for the game. Sticks constitute the main product. In addition to sticks the product line also includes goalkeeper's equipment, balls, goals, rinks and other accessories.
Exel, Salming and Unihoc equipment is now available in Australia:
- floorballitis.com
- fatpipe.com.au
- floorballnation.com.au
- floorballplayer.com.au
Buying your first Floorball stick
There are a few spare sticks available that can be borrowed, but to really get into this sport you'll most likely want to have your own stick. The benefits of owning your own stick include the ability to extend the practice of ball-handling skills at home.
When it comes to selecting a stick there are several things that should be taken into account. The flexibility or stiffness, weight, shape and material of the grip, length of the stick and type of blade. The sticks flexibility/stiffness is commonly listed in millimeters on the handle of the stick. The weight of floorball sticks varies slightly depending on the model. Naturally most players prefer a lighter stick in comparison to a heavier one for comfort reasons.
The benefits of a lighter stick include the possible ability to handle the ball at greater speed, but a heavier stick can act as a counter weight and therefore increase the speed when shooting the ball.
The Length
The length of the stick varies according to player preference. Commonly stick length is measured from the floor up to your bellybutton with the blade included. just remember to keep in mind the maximum length allowed by the IFF is max 1120 mm. There is no need to say that a shorter stick will give player better ball control as it brings ball closed to you. The down side will be when you are struggle for a ball together with a rival player usually longer stick over will benefit. Remeber: by rules shaft should not have a visible cracks or fractures.
The Shape
The shape of the stick shaft can be round, dual, square, oval, hexagonal and octahedral. But again for selecting the grip it comes down to a personal preference and can be best decided by playing with or trying out a few different ones prior to purchase.
The blade
The blade of the stick can be made of either a hard or soft plastic material. A harder blade enables to make quicker passes and to take quicker shots, while a soft one will assist with ball control. A hot air gun can be used to heat the blade so that you can reshape it. Read also How to bend plate article
How to bend your blade
It is recommended that a player bend the blade to fit his or her style of play. The blade can be angled into the shape that you feel more comfortable. As more bent blade will give you better control, it may make passing difficult.
But on other hand a not as much of bent blade will give you a improved backhand pass.
When bending the blade, use a heat gun to warm up the blade, being very careful not to overheat or melt the plastic. But also same time, make sure it is not too gold as it may crack the plate inside. When the materials is warm and pliable, shape the blade, then while holding the shape, cool it off in crushed ice or cold water. Use of protective gloves is highly recommended. Never leave your stick in car boot as the heat softens the blade. |
