Incorrect grip and stance

Mistake: New players often struggle with holding the stick correctly and maintaining a proper stance. An incorrect grip can affect passing, shooting and tackling, while a poor stance can negatively impact balance and movement.

Solution: When you first start playing ball hockey, constantly think about your physical position. Ensure your hands are spaced comfortably apart on the stick, with your lower hand near the middle and your top hand high, near the butt end. Your stance should be slightly bent at the knees, with your weight balanced on the balls of your feet. Positioning your body like this will mean you’ll have better reactions and be ready to move in any direction. It’s not quite gaming the sport, but a decent grip makes everything easier.

Progression: As you practice, your grip and stance will become automatic. Until you get this right, you’re going to struggle to to focus more on the strategic aspects of the game, so this really is the first step on your road to successful play.

Poor communication

Mistake: Many beginners grossly underestimate the importance of team communication, a very common starter mistake in many team sports and perhaps an edge for those betting online. Lack of clear communication leads to missed passes, missed plays and overall disorganization.

Solution: Develop simple, clear calls and signals with your teammates, and learn how to use stick position and body language as non-verbal communication. Always keep your head up and be aware of your teammates’ positions. This is an instinct you’ll have to work to develop, but it’s critical to winning games.

Progression: Over time, effective communication will make for coordinated plays and more goals. Success in team sports always, without exception, depends on cohesion with the other players. Focus on learning how to work with others.

Neglecting defense

Mistake: Now you’re holding the stick correctly and you’re communicating effectively, it’s all about the goals, right? Wrong. Focusing too much on scoring is a common rookie error that leaves your team vulnerable to counterattacks.

Solution: Even if you’re primarily an offensive player, you always have to be mindful of defense. Try to learn to anticipate the opponent team’s intentions and position yourself to intercept their passes.

Progression: Developing strong defensive skills will ensure you’re a well-rounded player, contributing to your team’s success both offensively and defensively.

Inaccurate passing and shooting

Mistake: Beginners often struggle to make accurate passes and shots, leading to missed opportunities and turnovers. Inaccurate ball skills just mean your opponents will profit.

Solution: Practice is key. Spend time away from live games to work on passing and shooting techniques, on hitting targets at various ranges and at various movement speeds. Focus on making crisp, accurate passes and hitting different parts of the goal.

Progression: As your accuracy improves, you’ll find it easier to set up plays and score goals, increasing your confidence on the ball. Your value as a team player will dramatically increase and you’ll soon be receiving more passes from the rest of the squad as your teammates learn to rely on you.

Over-reliance on individual skills

Mistake: This is often called “trying to be the hero,” and is inherent in all team sports. Trying to do everything yourself can be tempting, but often leads to turnovers and, critically, to losing matches.

Solution: Trust your teammates. Ball hockey is a team sport. Constantly assess opportunities for your next pass, try to set up give-and-go plays and always work with teammates to score goals and close down your opponents’ attacks.

Progression: As you learn to trust and collaborate with your team, you’ll see an improvement in match results. You should almost never be going it alone.

A great sport

That’s it! Ball hockey is a fantastic sport which explains why so many are betting online and gaming with hockey in mind, but if you’re just starting out you need to be aware of the traps beginners often fall into to the detriment of their team. Follow these tips and your passing, shooting and team-play will all improve over time, meaning a more rewarding experience for the entire team and, most importantly, more wins. Check out the International Street & Ball Hockey Federation’s official website for information about upcoming events and the sport itself.

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Stick: The Heart of the Game

The hockey stick is a key piece of ball hockey equipment. It should be lightweight, durable and flexible. Choosing the right stick depends on your style of play. Forwards are suited to sticks with a bias towards attacking, while defenders prefer more durable options for blocking shots.

Ball: Reflecting the Quality of Play

A quality hockey ball provides accurate passes and allows for better control of the game situation. Balls with good cushioning provide more predictable movement, which is important for accurate shots and techniques.

Protective Suit: Safety First

The protective suit includes helmet, bib, elbow pads, lower body protection and kneepads. It is mandatory to ensure the safety of the players. A helmet with face and chin protection prevents head injuries, while a bib and elbow pads reduce the risk of upper extremity injuries.

Skates: Confidence on the Ice

Ball hockey skates should be lightweight, stable and provide good grip on the ice. Depending on individual preference, players can choose between skates with metal blades or blades made of high-strength materials.

Gloves and Key Palms: Comfort and Control

Gloves are designed to provide comfort and protection for the hands. Key palms with reinforced inserts provide a firm grip on the club for increased ball control.

Equipment Bag: Order and Convenience

An equipment bag allows you to conveniently carry and store all of your equipment. It should be sturdy, with compartments for various items, providing easy access to the equipment you need.

Choosing the right equipment for ball hockey plays a crucial role in the comfort, safety and performance of the game. Remember that every player is unique, so try to choose equipment that meets your individual needs.

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In an organized form close to the modern one, ice hockey was formed at the end of the 19th century. Initially, it was ball hockey. In 1891, the National Bandy Association (as the game is called in Europe) was created in Great Britain, which developed the official rules of the game. Initially, bandy was a kind of winter training for football teams, but later it developed into an independent sport.

Ball hockey

Court

Rectangular, measuring 90-110 meters in length and 45-65 meters in width. The markings are simple, applied in one color. The center line divides the court in half, and the center throw-in point is marked on it. The goal is surrounded by a 17-meter penalty line with two more throw-in points.

Goal

Located in the center of the short sides of the court in line with it. There is no playing field behind the goal. Gate dimensions: 2.10 m in height and 3.50 m in width. In addition to the main net, a so-called damping net hangs inside the gate. The gates must be stable but movable, it is forbidden to “freeze” them into ice.

Equipment

Rubber ball with a diameter of 63 mm and weighing 60 grams.
The stick has a curved “hook”, the outer length of the hook is no more than 125 cm, width 6.5 cm. The weight of the stick is about 450 grams.

Teams

There are 10 players on the field with sticks and one player in goal without a stick – the goalkeeper. Players are divided into defenders, midfielders and forwards. The goalkeeper has the right to play with his hands within the penalty area. The goalkeeper’s gloves are protective, but the fingers are separate and without membranes. Field players are not allowed to play with their hands.

Ice hockey

The ancestors of this sport are Canadians. The first professional hockey team was created in Canada in 1904, and the famous NHL National Hockey League appeared in 1917. At the same time, rules and conditions were developed, which have changed little since then.

Rink

The NHL rules prescribe a court size of 200×85 feet, i.e. 60.96 x 25.90 meters. In the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the width of the rink is slightly larger: 29-30 meters, and the length is the same – 60-61 meters. The corners of the court must be rounded with a circle arc with a radius of 7 m to 8.5 m according to IIHF rules and strictly 8.5 m in the NHL. The court must have strong sides with a height of 1-1.22 meters. In the center of the wide sides there are gates (with the doors facing inward) for players to enter the field. On the opposite side there are similar gates for (and benches for) penalized players. Behind the gates, there must be transparent fences from 1.6 to 2 meters high to prevent the puck from flying to the spectators.

Markings

The central red line divides the court in half. In the middle of this line is the central throw-in point with a red circle of 4.5 meters in diameter, marking the throw-in zone, behind which players who do not play the puck must be located. The goal lines are drawn 3-4 meters from the boards, 17, 23 meters from the goal lines. Blue lines are drawn that divide the court into three zones – the central zone and 2 team zones. There are two more throw-in points 6 meters from the goal on both sides.

Gate

Width 1.83 m, height 1.22 m. The net protrudes 0.8-1 meter beyond the goal. The diameter of the posts is 5 cm. The size of the goal area is determined by a radius of 1.8 meters. The gates are installed on the pins so that they can “pop out” of the grooves in the ice to avoid injuries to players in case of a strong impact.

Equipment

An ice hockey stick is a stick with a flat hook at the end. The rules allow different sizes of sticks for players, according to their individual characteristics, the usual sizes are 150-200 cm. The hook is located at an angle of 135 ° to the stem, the length of the hook is 25-40 cm. The hook allows a slight bend to the side, convenient for the player. The puck is a solid cylinder with a height of 2.54 cm, a diameter of 7.62 cm, and a weight of 156-170 g.

Teams

There are 6 players on the field – 1 goalkeeper, 2 defenders and 3 forwards. Players can be replaced both during breaks and during the game. It is allowed to replace the goalkeeper with a field player.

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The International Ice Hockey Federation was founded on February 12, 1955. The founding members were Finland, Norway and Sweden. The World Cup has been held regularly every two years since 1957.

In field hockey, two teams of eleven players compete against each other on a rink measuring 45-65 × 90-110 meters (a regular football field). In addition, each team has four substitutes, including one goalkeeper.

Players move on skates and try to drive the ball into the opponent’s goal with a special stick (hockey stick). By the way, goalkeepers do not use sticks. The ball has a diameter of exactly six centimeters, is made of plastic and is orange in color, so it is easy to see.

The duration of the game is 2 halves of 45 minutes each, in case of unfavorable weather conditions (low temperature or heavy snowfall), the game can be played in 3 halves of 30 minutes by the decision of the referees.

Ball hockey is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a winter sport, but is not included in the official program of the Winter Olympic Games.

Ice hockey – the most interesting facts

• Games on the ice of a frozen pond with sticks and a round object were popular in different European countries as early as the Middle Ages. Different nations had their own names for these games.
• It is said that the tsar, and later the emperor, Peter the Great, was a great fan of this game. From his trip to Europe at the end of the 18th century, he even brought back iron skates purchased in Holland. Peter the Great wore them on the ice. However, history is silent about the level of Peter’s skating and hockey stick skills.
• The British are known for their desire to give folk pastimes the status of official sports by developing uniform rules for this. Thanks to the British, the whole world began to play not only football and rugby, but also ball hockey. In 1891, the National Association of Ball Hockey Clubs was established in the UK. All teams that were members of this association had to adhere to the general rules of the game.
• The ball hockey stick is made of wood, it should not have metal parts. The length of the projectile on the outside is no more than 125 centimeters. The hook and handle of the stick are allowed to be wrapped with a belt or tape. The color of the wrap can be any color except red. The total weight of the projectile must not exceed 450 grams.
• For the manufacture of modern balls played by hockey players, cork chips are most often used, pressed into a hard ball covered with plastic on top. The ball has a rough surface, and when dropped from a height of 150 centimeters onto the ice, it should bounce 15-30 centimeters. The balls are painted in bright colors: red, orange, crimson. Thus, it is clearly visible on the ice. The speed of the ball can reach 150 kilometers per hour.
• The Ice Hockey World Championships have been held since 1957. Over 40 tournaments have been held since then.
• Despite the fact that hockey players from only four countries have been able to become world champions, the International Ice Hockey Federation unites 27 countries.
• In ball hockey, unlike ice hockey, goalkeepers play without sticks. In the forties of the last century, many athletes successfully combined the two sports.
• As mentioned above, a hockey match, like a football match, consists of two halves. Each half lasts 45 minutes. The break between halves is 15 minutes. However, athletes often have to play on open ice in severe cold. In this case, it is allowed to divide the match into three halves of 30 minutes each.

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