Ninh explains the Rules of Rink Hockey The object of the game is for your team to
score more goals than the opposing team.
Rink Hockey, sometimes referred to as Roller Hockey or Quad Hockey, is a variation of the
sport of hockey that is played indoors on a dry land surface.
This sport is popular in Latin countries particularly those with a lack of ice rinks.
This video refers to the sport that is played on Quad Skates, and is not to be confused
with Inline Hockey played on inline skates which is almost identical to ice hockey.
Rather confusingly, different countries have different names for these two sports, so double
check which sport it actually is before you start playing.
To score a goal, a player must use their stick and shoot the ball into the goal.
The stick is a double sided stick, similar to those used in Bandy and the ball is a hard
ball similar to that used in Field Hockey.
The rink is a maximum of 44m x22m.
Goals are 1.7m wide and 1m high and the penalty areas are 9m x 5.4m in front of the goals.
The game is played with two teams of 10 players, with 5 players of each team taking to the
rink at any one time.
This consists of 4 skaters and a goalkeeper.
The game starts with a centre pass, with two players of one team passing the ball to each
other.
Once a team has possession of the ball, they will try and move the ball towards the opposing
goalkeeper and try and score.
You can pass the ball directly between teammates, or skate and control the ball with either
side of the stick, just like in ice hockey or bandy.
The idea is to set up in good position to be able to shoot the ball towards the goal.
The opposing team will try and stop you by tackling.
They are allowed to try and take the ball away from you and move the ball in the opposite
direction so that they can score themselves.
One major rule difference between ice hockey and rink hockey is that: intentional forceful
contact between players is not allowed – and there are varying degrees of punishment if
you break, this or any of the rules.
Breaking the rules may result in a Verbal Warning – which is a warning given to the
offending player by the referee.
A Blue Card – which means that the offending player has to serve a 2 minute time penalty.
or a Red Card, similar to soccer and results in a player being ejected from the game.
This also results in the offending team serving a 4 minute time penalty, or until the opposing
teams scores, whichever comes first.
Another rule difference is that in rink hockey, you are only allowed to move the ball with
your stick.
You cannot deflect the ball off your skates or body, or kick the ball in any direction.
Doing so results in a foul.
The only exception to this is the goalkeeper, who whilst in his own penalty area can handle
and kick the ball as they wish.
Should he leave his goal area, he becomes a skater just like the others.
The game is played in two halves of up to 25 minutes each.
Highest score at the end of time wins.
If there is a tie, up to two 5 minute periods can be played to determine a winner.
If the scores are still tied, the game goes to a penalty shootout.
That’s basically the gist of it, but there’s a few other things you’ll need to understand
before playing or going to a game.
For example:
Substitution.
There are unlimited substitutions in rink hockey, and they can be made at any time.
All substitutions must be made within the gate that is directly in front of the teams’
benches.
Time Out A team is allowed 1 x one minute time out,
and 1 x 30 second time out per half.
Timeouts are not permitted during extra periods or penalty shootouts.
Faceoff
If an infraction where neither team was at fault, such as the ball being deflected out
of bounds or both teams are at fault, the game restarts with a faceoff.
Players from opposing teams will put their sticks 20cm from the ball.
When the referee blows the whistle, the ball is fair game and either player can take possession
of it.
Passive Play Similar to a shot clock in basketball, you
only have 45 seconds in order to shoot the ball at the opposing goal.
The referee will give a passive team a 5 second warning to shoot the ball.
Failure to do this results in the ball being awarded to the other team.
Anti Play.
If a team is making zero effort to shoot at goal, i.e. holding the ball to make the clock
run down – the referee will blow their whistle to stop the game immediately.
A faceoff is awarded at the centre circle and should they commit the same infraction
again, this results in yellow and red cards.
Fouls There are many things you cannot do in Rink
Hockey, for example … Obstruction – you cannot impede the forward
progress of any opposing player.
High Stick – you cannot raise your stick above shoulder height.
Displacing the goal – you cannot move the goals at any time.
Forceful contact – you cannot hit your opponent intentionally.
These are some of the most common fouls, and this results in your opponent being awarded
a free hit.
Free Hit
A free hit is awarded to the other team if a player breaks one of the rules, usually
after a foul.
The ball is hit either from the spot of the foul and can be an indirect free hit, where
a player must pass the ball, or a direct free hit from the spot where a player is eligible
to shoot directly at goal.
Penalty Shot Some fouls are awarded with a penalty shot.
The ball is placed at the penalty spot, and the attacking player has 5 seconds in order
to shoot the ball directly against the opposing goalkeeper.
Any goals scored count towards the overall score.
Penalty Shootout.
If a game is still tied after extra periods have been played, a penalty shootout determines
the winner.
Each team will take penalty shots in turn, and the best of 5 penalty shots, wins.
Check out my other videos on the other hockey related sports, and if you have found this
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Ninh Ly - www.ninh.co.uk - @NinhLyUK