Overview

Floorball is a fast-paced indoor team sport played with lightweight sticks and a hollow plastic ball. It shares broad similarities with ice hockey and field hockey—teamwork, passing, and goal-scoring are central—but it is played on a dry court without skates and with distinctive equipment and rules designed to emphasise speed, skill and player safety. A standard team on the court consists of five outfield players and a goalkeeper.

Equipment and playing area

Key elements of the game include a thin, usually composite stick with a blade shaped for ball control and shooting, and a perforated plastic ball that behaves predictably on indoor surfaces. The playing rink is typically 40 by 20 metres and is surrounded by low boards (about 50 centimetres high), which keep the ball in play and promote continuous action. Goals resemble those used in ice hockey but are adapted to floorball dimensions.

  • Players: five field players and one goalkeeper on the court per team.
  • Goalkeeper: wears protective clothing but traditionally does not use a stick; allowed to use body to block and to hold the ball briefly.
  • Substitutions: made freely and often on the fly, similar to ice hockey.
  • Match length: senior matches are commonly played in three periods (for example, three 20-minute periods), with shorter durations used in youth competitions.

Basic rules and style of play

Floorball emphasises skillful stickhandling, quick passing and controlled shooting. Physical contact is limited compared with ice hockey: body checks are prohibited, but close shoulder-to-shoulder play is allowed within limits. Field players are not permitted to play the ball with their hands or head, nor to raise the stick dangerously near an opponent. Goalkeepers may handle the ball with any part of the body inside their crease and are subject to special time and movement restrictions. Standard disciplinary measures include two-minute penalties for more serious rule breaches.

History and governance

The modern sport of floorball developed in Northern Europe during the late 20th century, particularly in Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, where recreational indoor stick games evolved into organised competition. To unify international practice, the International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded in 1986 and has since coordinated rules, refereeing standards and international events. The IFF also works with national associations to promote coaching, youth development and referee education.

Competitions and top leagues

Internationally, the sport is organised around world championships for men and women, regional events, and club-level contests. The IFF organises senior World Floorball Championships on a regular schedule, with tournaments hosted by different national federations. The strongest professional and semi-professional club competitions are found in countries where the sport is most popular, including Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Norway and the Czech Republic. Notable national leagues attract domestic fans and develop players for international duty.

Distinctive features and growth

Floorball is known for accessibility: modest equipment costs and simple playing venues—school gyms, community halls and multi-sport arenas—make it easy for clubs and schools to adopt. The sport has a strong youth focus and is frequently used in physical education programmes. Its emphasis on speed, technical skill and inclusivity has helped it expand beyond its Nordic heartland into Central Europe, Asia and North America. For official information and international governance, see the International Floorball Federation.

As a community-oriented and spectator-friendly sport, floorball continues to evolve: rule adaptations, coaching methods and competition formats aim to balance safety, entertainment and athletic development while preserving the quick, skill-based character that defines the game.