What is Floorball? 

Floorball? 

Floorball can be seen as a combination of ice hockey and indoor hockey, which results in a very fast and dynamic sport, in other words: fun! Floorball originated in Scandinavia (Sweden) where it currently is one of the most popular sports. However, floorball is also becoming popular outside of Scandinavia in a fast pace: in Europe it is currently one of the fastest growing sports! Next to the Scandinavian countries, floorball is also in the top 10 of most popular sports in the Czech Republic and Switzerland and lately also The Netherlands got Hooked on the sport: more and more club are emerging across the country!

The main reason why the sport is quickly gaining popularity is because it is so easy to learn: no experience in for example field hockey is needed to start playing. This is facilitated by the materials needed and the rules of the game: next to sport cloths and shoes, material needed for floorball consists of synthetic sticks which can be used on both sides (similar to ice hockey sticks) and a light weight plastic ball. Some rules that facilitate the game: you are allowed to stop the ball with your feet and to play the ball with both sides of the stick. The boarding also makes the game easier: the boarding is a rink in which you play and which can also be used to play against; as long as the ball does not go over the boarding, the play can continue. This is the main advantage of the boarding: by keeping the ball within the field, the play is not interrupted very often (leaving aside the interruptions by the referees of course).

Well, enough about the material, what does the play look like? Floorball is played indoor and games are played in different set-ups:

• Unihockey: this variant is played on a small field of 27m x 15m with a small goal and without a goalie. A team consists of 4 field players, either men or women. In the official competition this is the type of game that is playedini the mixed competition; this means that one team consists of 2 men en 2 women. During the open hours on Mondays and Fridays this type of game is also played.
• Swiss variant: this type of game is also played on a small field, however with a big goal and a goal. Consequently this means that a team consists of three field players and a goalie. Currently, this variant is not played in the official competition, neither at Hooked's. However, it is practiced during some tournaments.
• Big field: this variant is played on a field of 40m x 20m and a team consists of 5 field players and a goalie. in contrast to the other to variants, a team consists of either men or women; there is no mixed team. This variant is also played in the official Dutch competition for both men and women. This is also the type of game played during the Hooked practices on Tuesdays.

Remarkable about the sport is especially the goalie: as you can see on the picture, the goalie is sitting on his knees and is the only player in the field that is wearing protective cloting and a helmet. Another noteworthy feature is that the goalie does not have a stick as do the field players. Next to this, the goalie is the only one in the field that is allowed to grab the ball with his hands, however, he/she is only limited to a specific field within which he/she is allowed to do so.

Wanna play?

If you've become interested and want to play floorball, then please feel free to join one of our practices! Experience is not necessary; floorball is easily learned and rules will be explained during the practices sessions. All practices and open hours are held at sports hall Randwijck, located at the Sorbonnelaan 180.

One option is to join our open hours, these are held every Monday from 17:00 to 19:00 and every Friday from 17:00 to 18:30. During these open hours we will play the unihockey-variant without goalie. To be able to join, all you need is a sports card and sport cloths and shoes; all other material will be provided for (sticks, balls, boarding, goals, etc.).

As a member if Hooked you can also join our weekly bigfield practice on Tuesdays from 20:00 to 23:00. Of course, if you are interested in becoming a member you are free to try out the Tuesday practice twice before subscription.

If there are any remaining questions, please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it !