Floor Hockey *EXPANDED*

Objective

• Floor Hockey is a team sport in which the objective is to score more goals than your opponent on their goaltender.

Game Length

• Games are 55 minutes in length with a 5 minute stop for halftime.
• Games start and end according to your online SSC schedule. 
• If games start late, games must finish at the scheduled time (e.g. 6:15pm-6:55pm).

Game Set-Up

• Teams are responsible for keeping score and time. 
• Often an SSC Game Coordinator is on-site and will offer to keep score. 
• If benches are present, place them on their side in the corners of the gym for substitute players.
• Goalie nets are set-up against the back wall with a crease line of 3 feet.
• Teams should bring both light and dark coloured shirts to each and every game. 

Equipment  

• Equipment including nets, player and goalie sticks, balls and a selection of goaltender protective equipment will be provided and set-up each week by the SSC Game Coordinator or facility staff.  Teams can use their own goaltender equipment; however they must meet the requirements below.   

• Goalies are required to:
  • Wear a helmet/mask at all times with no exceptions.
  • Wear hockey socks or pants over shin guards with buckles.
  • Use a non-marking goalie stick (VSSC reserves the right to deem a stick ineligible if it is causing damage to the facility floor).
• Goalies are permitted to wear:
  • Ball hockey goaltender pads OR fitted shin guards.
  • Blocker & trapper (any size is permitted).
  • Pants (ice hockey player pants).
  • A chest protector.
• Goalies are not permitted to wear:
  • Wear or use any goalie equipment which can damage the gym foor.
• Players:
  • Must use the provided SSC hockey sticks.  Exception: players may use DOM C6 Cup or DOM EL-93 Elite 54” sticks & blades (based on previous approval from the SSC).  DOM EL-93 XT 60” is not permitted.
  • Can wear eye protection, gloves & shin guards (soccer) although not mandatory but is recommended.

Players on court and gender ratio.

• Teams are comprised of 5 players on the court (4 players and 1 goaltender). 
• The 4 players on the court must be minimum 1 male and 1 female.  The goaltender position is gender neutral. 
• Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding minimum players and gender ratio, however this must be confirmed before the game starts.

General Game Rules

• To start the game a spare player or an SSC staff member will drop the ball in a faceoff formation.
• The ball is always in play, regardless of height (including the ceiling and basketball hoops) until it crosses into an out of bounds area behind the benches.  A ball that has gone out of play is awarded to the team that did not touch the ball last. Play commences with a player passing the ball in from the line where the ball went out of play. Please give the player a couple of feet to make a pass. A player cannot score from this shot even if it hits the goalie and goes in - the ball must be touched by either an offensive or defensive player first (excluding the goalie).
• To score a goal, the ball must enter the net and fully cross the ‘goal-line’.  If a ‘goal-line’ is not present, please use your best judgement.
• Players cannot score by kicking the ball into the net. Any kicking motion done with the intention of directing the movement of the ball nullifies a goal. However, if a pass is made and it inadvertently deflects off a player’s foot and into the net, the goal counts.
• Players may make substitutions ‘on-the-fly’ as long as the player leaving the court is off before the new player enters the playing area.
• No player (with the exception of the goalie) can slide or dive to block a shot. In other words, players must remain on their feet at all times. If in a stationary position, a defender’s knee cannot touch the ground.
• High sticking is not allowed at any time during play.  A high sticking infraction has occurred when the stick of any player comes above their waist level. This includes incidents when the player is trying to knock the ball down, waving for a pass, before/after a shot has been taken, or anytime during play. Goals scored by a high stick do not count. If a high-stick occurs, the non-offending team retains possession with an indirect shot from where the infraction occurred.
• Players and goalies are not allowed to throw their sticks.
• Players cannot make a pass to a teammate by pushing or directing the ball with their hand. Players can catch the ball but they must put it straight down.
• Teams may call a 1 minute time-out per half if needed except during the final 10 minutes of play.

To resume play after a goal, the following must occur:

• Players return to their designated sides of the gym and wait until both teams are ready to resume play. 
• The team that was scored upon carries the ball over the centre line.
  • Once the ball passes over the centre line, play resumes.
  • No player, whether they be offensive or defensive, can cross over the centre line before the ball does. If this occurs, the play is reset.
• The team that was scored upon must make one pass to a teammate after they have crossed centre and before they can shoot on net.  If a shot on net is taken before a successful pass, the play is reset. 

Defensive Tactics

• Players are not allowed to defend by placing their stick in between an opposing players legs - this can result in dangerous play.
• A defensive player must stand 1 stick length or 5 feet (approximately) away from the crease line in order to give the goalie room to play the ball from their crease.
• Slashing and pinning sticks is not allowed. Lifting a player's stick is permitted however; you cannot lift a player's stick above waist level as this is a foul.
• Players cannot turn their backs to the opponents and back their way down the court. This should be called a foul as the offensive player is backing into a defensive player who has position.

Goal Crease

• No sticks or feet (offense or defense) may enter the lined or taped crease in front of the net at any time. 
• Only the goalie may occupy this space.
• If an offensive player enters the crease with either their stick or feet, it is the goalie’s ball.  It is up to the goalie, or nearby players to make this call. If a defensive player disrupts/affects the play by entering his/her own crease, the offensive team is awarded an indirect ball two paces out from the edge of the crease. If a defensive player stops a ball in the crease from going in the net, a goal is awarded.
• Goalies cannot leave their crease and must have at least one foot in their crease at all times.

Goaltender Good to Knows

• Goalies can toss/kick the ball to a player on their own side of the court, but cannot toss/kick the ball over the centre line (first point of contact must be on their own side of court). A goalie can pass the ball anywhere on the court with his/her stick. 
• Goalies cannot remove a blocker/trapper and use their bare hand to toss/pass a ball.  This is considered a hand pass.
• Goalies cannot be ‘pulled’ in an attempt to utilize an extra attacker at any point during the game. 
• Goalies cannot score when clearing the ball from their crease. The ball must be touched by a teammate first.

Violations & Making Calls

• It is inevitable incidental contact may occur among players. However, any aggressive contact such as pushing and shoving is not allowed (you should not touch any other player with your body at any time on purpose, and should do your best to avoid unnecessary contact).
• It is extremely important players (especially team captains) make the appropriate calls for infractions and illegal plays. Every high-stick, goal crease violation, roughing, pushing, etc, must be called and play must be stopped.  Only players who are currently on the court at the time of an infraction may make a call.
• If a disagreement cannot quickly be resolved, the two team captains should meet at the middle of the court (without any other players) and discuss a resolution.
• Stopped Games: A Game Coordinator may stop a game before the full time has expired due to overly aggressive play, persistent unsportsmanlike conduct or a general violation of the rules of the game. This decision is solely at the discretion of the Game Coordinator.  If the decision is made to stop the game early, the score will be recorded as a loss for both teams.  In addition, both teams will be given an automatic warning (refer to the SSC Policy sheet for specific details on warnings and discipline).  The exception to this rule is if the Game Coordinator has stopped the game because of the inappropriate play of only one team.  The non-offending team will receive the win, regardless of the score at the time the game was stopped. This is also at the discretion of the Game Coordinator.

Playoffs

• A game can end in a tie during the regular season.
• Playoff games should only be 50 minutes in length in anticipation of needing the extra time to settle a tie.
• In the playoffs, a game that is tied at the end of regulation time is decided by a three-minute sudden death overtime period. If still tied the game comes down to a shoot-out. The 4 players who are on the court at the end of the game take one shot each at a distance of eight paces (this shot must be taken from a stationary position). The goalie that finished the game remains the goalie for the shoot-out. After four shots, if still tied, teams continue taking single shots until one team has scored (and the other team does not). The order of four shooters must be maintained.
• Team playoff position:  Ties in the standings will be broken first by head-to-head play. If there are more than 2 teams that are tied, all the teams must have played each other in order for the results to go to head-to-head. Otherwise, least points against, then +/-, then most points for will determine the placement in that order.
• The SSC office will update the playoff schedule once all scores have been submitted and after the last regular season game.  Please do not assume the time/location of your playoff game until team names have been posted into the schedule.