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Floor Hockey
Photo from Lansing State Journal,
page B1, 11/18/01. Special Olympics rules specify sticks without blades
and a felt puck rather than the equipment shown in this photo. |
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Floor hockey is an
official sport of the Special Olympics World Games. Floor hockey is
offered as a winter sport so that athletes who live in warm climates may
participate in the Special Olympics winter sports program.
.
Did you know?
Athletes who use wheelchairs play a version of
floor hockey called "wheelchair hockey" or "electric wheelchair
hockey." Click
here for more information. |
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Athlete Eligibility and Classification
Athletes who compete in Special Olympics
events must have a primary diagnosis of mental retardation. They
are classified according to a process called divisioning,
in which athletes are grouped by ability level for competition.
In floor hockey, divisioning is based upon the aggregate score
from the following individual skills tests. In tournament play,
classification is also based upon the results of early round
competition.
 | Shoot around goal. The player
takes five shots from different positions near the goal.
Points are scored for each successful goal attempt. |
| Pass. The player has five
attempts to pass the puck a distance of 8m through a 1m wide
target. |
| Stickhandling. The player
is timed while s/he dribbles the puck 21m from a start line to
the goal, weaving in and around six cones. Players are
penalized for missing cones. |
| Shoot for accuracy. The player
performs five shots on goal from a spot 5m away from the goal.
The player's score depends upon the area of the goal where the
puck hits the net (more points for corner shots). |
| Defense. The player has two
attempts to steal the puck from two opponents who try to keep
the puck away from the athlete being tested. |
Events
Special Olympics floor hockey events
include team play and Unified Sports team play. Games consist of
three 9-minute periods with 1-minute rest periods. A 9-minute
overtime period is played if needed. Play stops when a goal is
scored in overtime. Special Olympics also offers the 10m puck
dribble and target shot events for floor hockey players with
less ability.
Playing Area
The playing area for Special Olympics
floor hockey is called a rink. The rink may be a maximum of 15m
x 30m, or a minimum of 12m x 24m (basketball court dimensions).
The rink is marked with a center line, five face-off
circles/lines, and goal "creases" (half-circles in front of each
goal). The goal is 1.8m wide, 1.2m high, and .6m deep. The goal
is placed 1.2m from the end of the court, allowing play behind
the goal.
Rules
Special Olympics, Inc., is the
international governing body for floor hockey. The Special
Olympics rules are posted at
http://www.specialolympics.org. Click on "sports," then
"floor hockey," then "rules." The rules are similar to the rules
for ice hockey. A brief synopsis follows:
| Players. Each team may have six
players on the rink at any given time - a goalie, two
defensive players, two wings, and a center. Each team must
play three lines during each period, except that the goalie
may play the entire game. |
| Face-offs. Face-offs are used to
begin play, after each stoppage of play, after each goal,
after each penalty, and in the event of unsafe conditions. |
| Goals. The puck must pass
completely beyond the goal line to score. The puck must be
propelled by a stick to score. |
| Playing the puck. Athletes use
sticks to propel the puck toward the goal. Kicking the puck is
acceptable during play, but a kick may not be used to score a
goal. The goalie may throw the puck. |
| Minor fouls. Minor fouls include
a broken stick, throwing the puck (except the goalie),
standing on the puck, holding the puck for more than three
seconds, a player falling near puck, or a crease violation. |
| Minor penalties (two seconds in
penalty box). Minor penalties include holding, tripping,
charging, interference, delay of game,
hooking/slashing/kicking, high-sticking, roughing, goalkeeper
outside crease, charging from behind, cross-checking,
inappropriate use of stick by goalie to stop shots, abuse of
officials, or unsportsmanlike conduct from players on the
bench. |
| Major penalties (ejection from
game). Major penalties include unsportsmanlike behavior,
intentional fouls, fighting, provoking fights, deliberate
minor penalties with intent to hurt another player, or
deliberately throwing or swinging a stick at another player. |
| Off-sides. There is no off-sides
rule in Special Olympics floor hockey. |
Equipment
| Sticks. Floor hockey sticks may
be 90cm to 120cm long. They are 7.5cm to 10cm in
circumference, and they must have rounded ends. |
| Puck. The puck is a felt disk
that is 20cm in diameter and 2.5cm thick, with a 10cm center
hole. |
| Protective gear. Goalies must
wear gloves, a helmet with face mask, and leg guards. Other
players must wear a helmet with face guard, and shin guards.
All players must wear running shoes. |
Links
Page prepared by Walt Bazylewicz and
revised by Gail Dummer
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