Innebandy, recognized internationally as floorball, is a fast-paced, thrilling indoor sport carefully associated to hockey. Learn on for an introduction to floorball in Norway.
Common readers will know I am a sports activities fan. Though I am primarily a soccer fan, I’ve turn into serious about ice hockey since transferring to Norway. However there’s just a few different sports activities that took for much longer for me to get to know.
A type of is innebandy, which you would possibly know as floorball, or unihockey. Basically, the sport is an indoor model of area hockey. It is extremely popular in Sweden, the place the sport is claimed to have originated, nevertheless it’s additionally standard in elements of Norway.
As I turned extra serious about ice hockey in Norway, each bandy and innebandy got here onto my radar.
Bandy is principally area hockey performed on ice (a lot greater than a hockey rink), whereas innebandy/floorball is an indoor model of area hockey performed on a tough courtroom.
Floorball’s attraction will be attributed to a number of elements. It is accessible, requiring minimal tools, and it is simple to be taught, making it standard amongst all age teams.
What’s Floorball?
Much like hockey, it is performed with light-weight sticks and a plastic ball with holes. The sport emphasises pace, talent, and technique, making it an thrilling sport for gamers and spectators alike.
To get a really feel for the sport, take a look at some highlights on YouTube. That is Denmark v Norway from the 2018 world championships held within the Czech Republic:
Earlier than you watch a recreation in particular person, it is a good suggestion to familiarise your self with the principles of floorball. In case you are accustomed to ice hockey guidelines, you are already midway there.
The sport is often performed on an indoor courtroom, which at 40 by 20 metres is a bit smaller than a hockey rink. As with ice hockey, every crew has 5 gamers and a goalkeeper on the courtroom at anybody time, from a squad of as much as 20.
The target? Rating extra objectives than the opposition. Floorball matches encompass three 20-minute intervals, providing a dynamic and fast-moving expertise. Rolling substitutions preserve the tempo excessive.
Floorball Organisation in Norway
The game is ruled in Norway by the Norwegian Bandy Affiliation (Norges Bandyforbund), which additionally oversees bandy and area hockey.
Eliteserien is the best floorball league for males in Norway. Slevik are the present defending champions, having gained the 2022/23 championship after beating Tunet within the play off ultimate. Different notable golf equipment in Eliteserien embrace Greåker and Vålerenga.
Norway’s Floorball Nationwide Staff
Norway’s nationwide crew competes in worldwide tournaments, showcasing Norway’s expertise on the worldwide stage.
Sweden are the dominant crew in males’s floorball worldwide, securing the title in ten of the final 14 tournaments. In 1996, Norway secured a bronze medal, beating the Czech Republic 6-2 within the essential recreation.
It is a related story within the ladies’s recreation, with Sweden choosing up the final eight world titles. Norway had been crushed semi-finalists 5 instances between 1997 and 2005, occurring to win two bronze medals.
The following males’s world championships will happen in December 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. The following ladies’s world championships will happen in December 2025.
Floorball at The World Video games
The game can be one of many disciplines included at The World Video games, a showcase of non-Olympic sports activities held each 4 years. In 2025, the occasion can be held in Chengdu, China.
Have you ever ever performed or watched floorball? Tell us your ideas and experiences within the feedback beneath.
