Inline hockey

Inline hockey is a variation of roller hockey very similar to ice hockey, from which it is derived. The game is played by two teams, consisting of four skaters and one goalie, on a dry rink divided into two halves by a center line, with one net at each end of the rink. The game is played in two 20-minute periods, or similar. For rink dimensions and an overview of the rules of the game, see USA Hockey Inline Rules (official rules). Generally speaking, only competitive level inline hockey is strictly bound by governing body's rules. Recreational hockey leagues may make modifications to certain aspects of the rules to suit local requirements (size of rink, length of periods and penalties).

Inline hockey has similarities to rink hockey, but differs in the type of skate used and game rules.

Chief differences from ice hockey

Many persons encountering inline hockey for the first time may already be familiar with ice hockey. Beyond the physical differences between ice skates and inline roller skates, the chief differences between inline and ice hockey are:

inline hockey has no offsides in the USA (this varies from country to country)
no icing (rink-long passes are allowed) (again, this varies from country to country)
no neutral zone
is usually played with 4 players (instead of 5 for ice) and a goalie from each team on the surface at any one time. The game is played with a plastic puck (lighter than an ice-hockey puck) or with a ball. The ball may be hollow or be filled with a liquid.

Rules and equipment

Rules of the game vary by sanctioning body. For an up to date version of the rules in the USA, USA Hockey Inline makes them available at its official rules site. Briefly, each team is made up of a goalie, a defense man, and three forwards - a center and a right and left wing. Each side attempts to shoot the puck or ball into the opposing team's net. Play is stopped for goals, penalties, time out (usually limited to one per team per game), or the ball/puck going out of play.

Face offs occur at the start or resumption of play according to where the stoppage occurred or whether a period is starting or a goal has been scored (the only times when the center face off is used).

Protective equipment includes a HECC- or CSA-approved hockey helmet, typically with a full face mask, hockey gloves, elbow pads, and shin guards. Other protective equipment includes a jock or a jill, inline hockey hip pads, and hockey shoulder pads. All players should refer to local rules for a complete list of equipment.

The inline hockey skate is similar to the ice hockey skate and differs from normal inline skates in the following ways:

Inline hockey skates have no brake. Stopping is achieved at slow speeds by dragging one skate across the playing surface at an angle to the forward motion of the player (the "T-stop") and at high speeds by turning both skates simultaneously at 90 degrees to the forward motion of the player, in the same manner that ice skaters stop (the "Hockey Stop").
The chassis is made from metal (often aluminum) to accommodate the stresses that stopping places on the skates, instead of plastic as is normally found in inline skates.
A popular design for inline hockey skates is to have larger wheels on the back than the front. This is supposed to maximize both speed, where the back wheels are primarily in use, and turning, where the front wheels are in play.
Hockey skates are generally lace-up instead of the 2/3 clip design of modern inline skates.

Popular brands include CCM, Bauer, Tour, Graf, Nike and Mission. Speed is chiefly only restricted by the ABEC scale rating of the bearings in the wheels. The ratings as of this writing are ABEC-3, ABEC-5, ABEC-7, ABEC-9, and "Swiss". The higher the rating, the faster the bearing. Grip is governed by the hardness or softness of the wheels. The hardness of a wheel is often referred to as the wheel's durometer.

The hockey sticks used in indoor inline hockey are the same as used for ice hockey. For outdoor surfaces, the blade material found in the more sophisticated (expensive) sticks may be inappropriate. A graphite blade may disintegrate with less than 1 hours use on an outdoor surface. Blades made with laminate technology quickly de-laminate. The most durable blades for outdoor use are composite, wooden or ABS plastic.

Playing surface

Outdoor playing surfaces vary from plain asphalt for street hockey to sealed concrete surfaces. Street hockey is almost always played with a ball, as the ability to control a puck is directly linked to the smoothness of the playing surface. Indoor inline hockey is played on any suitable non-slip surface. Dedicated inline facilities use Sport Court or similar surface, which allows maximum traction to inline hockey wheels whilst providing a smooth, unbroken gliding surface for the puck. The playing area may be surrounded by full boards similar to ice hockey with glass or fencing to a height of around 2m, half boards (approximately knee height), or for street hockey matches the playing surface may be simply marked out with cones.

Sanctioning bodies

There are two lines of sanctioning bodies for inline hockey: those that are related to the rollers sports community and those related to the ice hockey community. Worldwide inline hockey is governed by International Ice Hockey Federation, which organizes IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships.

In the United States, inline hockey is actively organized by USA Roller Sports and USA Hockey Inline. The Roller-sports groups are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee to oversee roller sports; however, as inline hockey is not presently an Olympic sport, this appears to have had little bearing on the development of the sport. See the related links below for national bodies and further information.

Worldwide

IIHF Inline

United States

Canada

United Kingdom

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Inline hockey

Chief differences from ice hockey

Rules and equipment

Playing surface

Sanctioning bodies

Worldwide

United States

Canada

United Kingdom

Ireland

Australia

New Zealand

Hong Kong/China

External links