How To Play Floor Hockey

Many people who enjoy hockey want to learn how to play floor hockey so that they are not limited by seasonal constraints or the inability to skate. Floor hockey is very similar to ice hockey, with some exceptions due to the game being played on the floor instead of the ice. You will need the following items to play floor hockey. Please note that the items and amount of players can be adjusted according to how official the game is.

• Ten players
• Hockey sticks for each player with the blades wrapped in tape to avoid damage to the floor
• Two goalie nets and safety equipment including, but not limited to, helmets; knee, elbow and shin pads; and a hockey puck or ball
• Official to monitor the game and make calls

1. Designate players. Each team gets five players. Out of those five players, there will be one goalie and one captain per team. The captain is the only player that may dispute calls with the official.
2. Learn the rules. Just as in ice hockey, there are specific rules. For instance, there is no "high sticking." This is not a contact sport, so players should not purposely be in physical contact with one another. Another rule is that the puck has to be hit in the goal by the stick, even if it is an indirect hit, such as being hit by the stick and bouncing off of something else before going into the goal.
3. Face off. The goalie will be in the goal area and will remain in the goal area. One person from each team will be selected to begin the game by meeting the other player in the center of the floor, known as the "face off." The other three players will be strategically placed around the floor. The game begins when the first player hits the puck.
4. Score a goal. A goal is scored by successfully getting the puck inside the net. The goalie will try to block the puck from getting inside the net. A point is scored when the puck is inside the net. The process is repeated.
5. Win the game. Of the three periods of the game, each period of the game lasts twelve minutes. At the end of every twelve minutes, there is a three minute break and then the teams switch goals to start a new period. In the case of a tie at the end of the allotted time for a game of floor hockey, a "sudden death" is called, meaning that the players have one more five minute period in which to score.