subject: Learn How To Play Ball Hockey Step By Step [print this page] Recreational sports offer exercise, fun and socializing to millions of weekend warriors. Unfortunately, for majority of community sponsored league sports, there lies an inherent cost. Ball hockey is an inexpensive alternative, which nearly any able bodied person can play for. The object of the game is to strike the ball with the hockey stick and knock it into the opponent hockey net. Any size or type of non-slip flooring can be used as a playing field.
Things You will Require
Plastic hockey ball, goalie, goal, sticks, shin guards goalie, hockey gloves.
First Step
Determine the amount of players and divide them into two teams. When played on the surface of a hockey rink, six players, including the goalie, compete against the opposing team's six players. Extra players are usually kept on each bench, outside the playing surface, and interchanged with the six on the floor either during play or at a stoppage of play.
Now remove debris from playing court, and thereafter ascertain the center court line, dividing them into defensive and offensive zones. When played on smaller surfaces, fewer players can be used during play. In its simplest form, the game can be played without floor markings and few rules. However, in organized competition regular ice hockey floor markings are used, including goal lines, goal creases, blue lines, center line, face-off circles and neutral zone face-off dots.
Second Step
At the end of both halves, set up the goals. By setting the ball on the ground and tapping sticks to either side of the ball, players face off at the center line. This is done thrice before even making any ball possession attempt.
Third Step
Ball hockey doesn't involve any icing as in ice hockey. Nevertheless, shooting balls into opposing ends with each and every possession is heavily discouraged. As off side counts, players with the ball need to enter attacking zones before any of their off sides or team mates are called. This means that the attacking team has to surrender the ball to the opponent.
Fourth Step
As with roller hockey or ice hockey, players shoot on goals and the goalie tries to block the ball. If the goalkeeper covers the ball, the attacking team retreats to the defensive zone, causing the opposing team to revert to attack.
If barrel goal is used, the play simply continues ahead as no player can legally cover the ball. The scoring team faces off once again at the center line and one goal is awarded. As having a time clock is uncommon, usually teams play to a pre-determined goal. Any team scoring first wins the game.
