Floorball rules: How Floorball Works

Would you like to know exactly what the rules of floorball are? In this article you will learn everything about the popular indoor sport of floorball.

spized | Rules

April 23, 2024 |

Whats’ on this page

1. What is Floorball?

2. The Floorball Rules at a Glance

3. The playing field in floorball

4. Floorball rules: Floorball playing time at a glance

5. This is the equipment you need for floorbal

What is Floorball?

Floorball is an indoor team sport. The aim is to use a floorball stick to shoot the small, holey plastic game ball into the opponent's goal. The team that has the most goals at the end of the game wins the game. The game is played on a small or large field. Depending on the pitch size (3 vs. 3 in the small pitch and 5 vs. 5 in the large pitch), the number of field players also varies. Regardless of the pitch size, each team has a goalkeeper. In the article below, we explain how the floorball rules work. From the rules of the game to the playing field to the equipment and other special features: At spized you can find out everything about the floorball rules.

The Floorball Rules at a Glance

The ball must be played below the knee apart from the goal kick
The blade of the floorball stick should remain below the hips
Hard body contact is not allowed
Light physical contact is only within the rules when fighting for the ball
Player changes are possible at any time and without limitation
Similar to handball, the goalkeeper may also be exchanged for an additional field player
Only the team captain may communicate with the referee
Only the team captain may communicate with the referee

The playing field in floorball

These are the dimensions of the floorball fields.

Floorball rules distinguish between large and small fields. In Germany, floorball is played on the small field at regional and national championships. The large field is known as the supreme discipline in floorball and is mainly played in Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. For some time now, there has been a Floorball Bundesliga in Germany, which is also played on the large field.

The large field is 40 x 20 metres, the size of a handball field. The small pitch is slightly smaller at 28 x 14 metres. The playing field is surrounded by a barrier that functions as a fall area. In addition, the players are allowed to use the boards in the passing game. The small pitch has a six-metre and the large pitch a 10-metre "substitution zone".

This is what the large field looks like in floorball.

The goal in floorball

A goal is placed at the end of each playing field, which is 115 x 160 x 64 cm in both the small and large fields. Similar to the penalty area in football, there is also a so-called goal area in floorball. The 3 x 4.5 metre goal area marks the zone in which the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands. In the large field, the goal area is somewhat larger at 4 x 5 metres. Immediately in front of the goal is a 1 x 2.50 metre protective area, which field players are not allowed to enter. Similar to ice hockey, the goal in floorball is also located a little way (2.35 metres for the small pitch and 2.85 metres for the large pitch) from the boards. Accordingly, players are also allowed to play behind the goal.

Floorball rules: Floorball playing time at a glance

A game of floorball has 3 periods of 20 minutes each and two breaks of 10 minutes.
On the large field, time is measured effectively. In case of fouls or other interruptions, the time stops. This is not the case on the small field
The sides are changed after each period of play
Each team has one timeout per match
If the score is tied after the regular playing time, there is an extra time of 10 minutes on the large field. On the small pitch the extra time is 5 minutes
If there is still no winner after extra time, 5 players from each team may take turns to take penalty kicks to decide the match.

The Floorball Team

A floorball team consists of 3 field players in the small field and 5 field players in the large field. In addition, each team has a goalkeeper. The maximum squad size for a match day is 14. Because the large field is much larger, the maximum squad size for a match day is 20 players. Apart from the goalkeeper, all field players have a floorball stick. The goalkeeper is protected with a helmet, gloves, leg, elbow and chest pads. In addition to the protective equipment for the goalkeeper, there are also some floorball products for field players, such as jerseys, which are relevant in competition.

This is the equipment you need for floorbal

The game ball in floorball is a round ball made of plastic. It is usually white, has a diameter of 72 mm and weighs 23 grams. Like the ice hockey stick, the floorball stick consists of a shaft and a blade. In floorball, however, the stick is much smaller than in ice hockey. The shaft is made of carbon fibre, glass fibre or composite material. There are now countless variations of sticks, which also explains the high price range between 10 and 100 euros for a floorball stick.

A floorball stick has a so-called "flex value", which indicates the elasticity of the stick. The hardest flex value is 23 mm and the softest 36 mm. The curvature of the blade must not exceed 30 cm. Ideally, the size of the stick is selected so that the stick reaches the player's belly button. The table below can be used to understand what the shaft length should be for a corresponding body size.

How long should the racket be for floorball?

Height	Shaft length
> 195 cm	102-104 cm
180-196 cm	99-101 cm
170-185 cm	96-98 cm
160-170 cm	91-95 cm
150-160 cm	85-90 cm
135-150 cm	80-84 cm
130-135 cm	75-79 cm

Floorball Jerseys

In addition to a racket and a ball, every floorball team also needs a jersey as standard equipment. At spized, you can design your own floorball jersey. With the help of the configurator, you can design the floorball jersey for your team and according to your taste. This way, you're guaranteed to stand out at your next competition.

What is a face-off, an impact, a free shot and a penalty shot?

A bully, an impact, a penalty shot and a free shot describe a situation in floorball where the ball is retaken. In the following sections, we will explain the four terms in more detail.

Bully: A face-off is taken when the period begins or when a team has scored a goal. Two players from each team face each other at the halfway line and place their sticks next to the cue ball. As soon as the referee blows the whistle, they try to win the ball. A face-off is also taken if there has been a stoppage of play without a free hit or penalty shot being awarded.

Impact: The impact is taken if the ball was out of bounds or if it touched objects above the court (e.g. the ceiling). The opponents must keep a minimum distance when taking the kick-in. A direct shot at the opponent's goal is also allowed.

Free stroke: If an offence is committed (foul play), the team concerned is awarded a free stroke. A free stroke can be the result of the following offences, among others: 1. hard body contact against an opponent. 2. pushing, shoving or kicking. 3. holding the opponent's stick. 4. touching the cue ball with the foot. 5. blocking or lifting the stick of the opponent. 6. field player enters the protected area. 7. the goalkeeper retains the ball for more than 3 seconds. 8. unsportsmanlike conduct (e.g. deliberate delay of game). 9. goalkeeper throws or kicks the ball off the field. 10. stick is thrown between the legs of an opponent. The free stroke is always taken at the point of the offence. However, never closer than 3.5 metres in front of the protected area and behind the imaginary extension of the goal line. The team taking the free kick may take it at any time. However, the ball must first be touched by a team-mate.

Penalty shot: A penalty shot is awarded if the offence was very serious and the team should have a direct chance to score. This is the case, for example, in the following situations:

1. A direct scoring chance is prevented by the foul play.

2. The goal is deliberately moved to thwart the goal against.

3. A team deliberately plays with too many field players to prevent the goal being conceded.

The penalty shot in floorball is very similar to the one in ice hockey. The attacker runs from the centre of the field to score a goal. He may touch the ball with his stick as often as he likes. If the goalkeeper touches the ball, the attacker is no longer allowed to play the ball.