Inline hockey

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Inline hockey is a variation of roller hockey very similar to ice hockey, from which it is derived. It is a team sport played on a smooth plastic surface intended to allow for least resistance with the puck and players' wheels. Inline hockey is most popular in areas with indoor artificial inline hockey rinks which make it a year-round sport at the amateur, scholastic, and professional levels. It is represented in United States by the Professional Inline Hockey Association (PIHA) and the Major League Roller Hockey (MLRH) at the highest level.

The sport's popularity in the U.S. is concentrated in certain regions, notably the East Coast, Midwest, Texas, Colorado, and California. Inline hockey, or "roller hockey" as most people refer to it, took up its height in popularity during the rollerblading boom of the 1990's. The spread of the NHL and professional ice hockey in Sunbelt cities played an integral role in helping hockey programs grow in Southern cities.

Currently, due to decreasing interest in hockey, inline hockey is played amongst somewhat of a cult-underground status.

Inline hockey has similarities to Roller hockey (Quad), but differs in the type of skate used and game rules. It is traditional that "Roller Hockey," is played with quad roller skates, whereas "Inline Hockey" is played with inline skates.

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[edit] 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:

  1. No checking. Contact is allowed, but only when aiming to play the puck.
  2. Relaxed or no offsides in the USA (tournament rules enforce center line offsides but no neutral zone; varies from country to country).
  3. No icing (tournament rules may enforce this; varies from country to country).
  4. Played with 4 players (instead of 5 for ice) and a goalie from each team.
  5. Instead of a rubber puck, the game is played with a non-bounce plastic puck with hard nubs to reduce friction. Lighter than an ice puck.
  6. Players wear a long and less padded pant specifically made for added mobility in roller hockey and often don't wear shoulder pads (no checking).

The major differences: four players instead of five, relaxed off sides, and no checking, all contribute in giving inline hockey a different style than ice hockey while keeping the spirit. The game moves faster with more of a focus on finesse than strength and is more free flowing often resulting in higher scoring than ice hockey.

[edit] 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, two defensemen, and two forwards. Each side attempts to shoot the puck or ball into the opposing team's net. Play is stopped for goals, penalties, the goalie capturing the puck, or the 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 usually includes a HECC- or CSA-approved hockey helmet, typically with a full face mask, hockey gloves, elbow pads, and shin guards. 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:

  1. Inline hockey skates have no brake. Stopping at high speeds is done 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").
  2. 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. To keep the length of the chassis short, which makes turning faster, the wheels on the chassis are close together.
  3. A popular design for inline hockey skates is to have larger wheels on the back than the front. This allows for larger wheels (more speed) while maintaining a low profile (better turning).
  4. Hockey skates are made with a very stiff low-profile boot, very similar to ice hockey boots.

Popular brands of skates include CCM, Tour, Graf, Nike Bauer, Reebok, and Mission.

Speed of bearings is chiefly restricted by the ABEC scale rating of the bearings in the wheels. ABEC ratings range from 1 to 9, using only odd numbers. The higher the rating, the more precisely manufactured the bearing is. In addition to the ABEC rating, there are Swiss-rated bearings which have a faster spin/higher rating than the ABEC scale.

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 ranging from 74A (very soft) to 95A (very hard).

[edit] Fighting

In most inline hockey leagues, fighting is against the rules, and will probably land the offending player ejected from the game, with a possible suspension from future games. However, certain leagues do allow it, such as the former league Pro Beach Hockey. The former Roller Hockey International was against fighting, as they handed out a one-game suspension without pay to whoever was involved in a deemed fight by the league. Needless to say however, fights did occasionally occur in Roller Hockey International. Also, fighting does occur occasionally in Major League Roller Hockey, as well.

[edit] Playing surface

Indoor inline hockey is played on any suitable non-slip surface. While converted roller rinks may use wooden floors, dedicated inline hockey 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 should be surrounded by full boards similar to ice hockey with glass or fencing to a height of around 2m.

[edit] Street hockey

Street hockey is a form of inline hockey played as pick-up hockey on streets or parking lots. Street hockey tends to have very relaxed rules, as any pickup street game or sport would have.

[edit] 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 and International Roller Sports Federation which organizes FIRS Inline Hockey World Championships.

In the United States, inline hockey is actively organized by the Amateur Athletic Union, which is part of USA Roller Sports, and USA Hockey Inline ([1]). The Roller-sports groups are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee to oversee roller sports. See the related links below for national bodies and further information.

[edit] Worldwide

[edit] Argentina

[edit] Australia

[edit] Belgium

[edit] Brazil

[edit] Canada

[edit] Chile

[edit] Hong Kong/China

[edit] Ireland

[edit] New Zealand

[edit] Norway

[edit] Peru

[edit] Switzerland

[edit] The Netherlands

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] United States

[edit] See also

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