Roller hockey is a category which includes two rollersports. One rollersport is called Inline hockey, sometimes called Roller Hockey, derived from and very similar to ice hockey using inline skates instead of ice skates. The other rollersport, sometimes called Roller Hockey, uses quad skates and is sometimes called Quad Hockey or International Style Ball hockey, but is mostly known as Rink hockey worldwide or Hardball hockey in the United States. Both are very fast rollersports. Hardball Hockey was a demonstration rollersport in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

How The Two Sports Are Different yet the same

The two games have different rules and equipment, and they involve different types of skating. When you watch a game of hardball hockey, you will find it does not look like the same game as inline hockey. Inline roller hockey is similar to ice hockey, in that it includes a lot of fast "racing back and forth" action. The increased maneuverability of quad roller skates makes Hardball Roller Hockey a game filled with fancy footwork, tight maneuvering, and is more similar to soccer or basketball. Both inline hockey and Hardball hockey are exciting games to watch and both are governed Internationally, Nationally, and Locally as Roller Hockey.

Learn More About Roller Hockey

Many people in the United States, Canada, and several other countries have never seen a game of hardball hockey, because inline hockey is much more common in those countries. If you live in a country where inline hockey is more common than hardball hockey or vise versa, you can learn about both rollersports by visiting the following governing international rollersport links CIRH and FIRS, or select the National Federation that apply to you National Federations. The United States offers information and news for both rollersports USARS.

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Inline Hockey

Inline hockey is the game of hockey played on inline skates and while it is sometimes played with a ball, it is usually played with a puck.

International Inline Roller Hockey rules

Roller hockey is played in a rectangular rink. The length is twice the width. The length can vary between 34 and 44 metres, standard length is 40 metres. The goals are 1.05 m high by 1.7 m wide.

The ball is 230 mm and weighs 155 g.

Roller hockey is played by two teams. A team can consist of up to 12 people but only 5 are allowed on the rink at any time with one being the goalie. There may be one or two referees. Players can be given a penalty of 2 or 5 minutes. There must always be at least a goalkeeper plus one other player for each team after play has started.

The game is two periods of 15, 20 or 25 minutes. If the score is a draw at the end of second period and a winner is required, the game will be extended by 10 minutes. If the score is still a draw after extra time, each team will be allowed to take penalty shots.

The collegiate game is played with slightly different rules. The Collegiate Roller Hockey League, formed in the 90's began the first attempt at a united American scholastic roller hockey league. The league was restructured into its current form and renamed the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. With eight regions and nearly 200 teams, the NCRHA is one of the largest hockey orginazations in the world. National championships are held every year with championships being awarded in three divisions determined by school size, and one B division. Rule changes in the college game include three periods of 12 minutes and no overtime. College roller hockey, as well as pure inline hockey uses a six ounce puck that glides on plastic or teflon coated rollers and is most often played on a plastic tile surface known as SportCourt. The penalty structure is expanded to allow for game misconduct penalties and mandatory suspensions assesed for particularly violent actions. Rink dimensions are closer to NHL regulation than in roller hockey.

Inline Roller Hockey US rules

The rink must be as near as possible to 200 by 100 ft (61 by 30 m). The minimum size is 165 by 65 ft (50 by 20 m). The rink can be wood, cement, ashphalt or plastic surface. The layout is similar to ice hockey, with two goals centered 12 feet (3.7 m) from the far ends of each court, four faceoff circles 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter, and one red center line, 12 inches (305 mm) wide. The goals are 4 feet (1.2 m) high by 6 feet (1.8 m) wide.

The puck used is plastic 3 inches (76 mm) diameter and weighs between 3.5 and 6.5 ounces (99 and 184 g).

There must be two referees and sometimes two referees plus a linesman. Players may be sent to a penalty box for minor penalties (2 minutes), major penalties (5 minutes), and for misconduct (10 minutes). In that situation, the team that is penalized must play shorthanded and a power play exists for the other team. However, there must always be at least three players on the penalized team.

The game is four quarters of twelve minutes' duration. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, there is a shootout.

A goal is scored when a player shoots the puck into the net so that it crosses the goal line completely.

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Hardball Hockey

Traditional Hardball Hockey is played with a ball instead of a puck, and it's almost always played on quad roller skates. The stick used in hardball hockey is a different shape than the stick used to play inline hockey, and it is sometimes called a cane because of its shape. Harball Hockey is also called "Rink-Hockey" worldwide and shouldn't be confused with inline hockey. Hardball hockey is a completely different game with one less player on the floor.

Hardball Hockey Rules

Two 5 man (4 skaters + 1 goalkeeper) teams try to drive the ball with their sticks into the opponents' goal. While stopping the ball with the foot or any part of the body except the hand is allowed, the ball can only be put in motion by a stick. The game has two 25 minute halves, with the clock stopping when the ball becomes dead. Each team has a 1 minute timeout in each half. Each team has a minumum of six players (a backup goalie is required) and a maximum of ten.

The USARS Hardball Hockey rink

a rink

The rink has usually a polished wooden surface, but any flat, non-abrasive and non-slippery material such as treated cement is acceptable. Likewise, it is allowed for rink owners to put advertisements in the playing area, as long as they don't interfere with ball or skate motion, which includes both physically (must be at the exact same level as the remaining area) and visually (dark colours or any other pattern which can mask the ball).

It can have one out of three standart sizes (a minimum of 34x17 meters, an average of 40x20 and a maximum of 44x22) or any size between the minimum and maximum values that has a 2:1 size ratio with a 10% margin of error.

The rink has rounded corners (1m radius) and is surrounded by a 1m wall. The wall also has a wooden base 2cm wide and at least 20cm high. Behind the goals there is a 4m high net, even if there are no stands (to avoid the ball boucing back from a wall and hitting a player). If the ball hits the net, it's considered to be out of bounds. The markings are simple. The halfway line divides the rink into halves, and 22 m from the end wall an "anti-play" line is painted. The area is a 9 X 5.40m rectangle, placed from 2.7 to 3.3m ahead of the end table. It has a protection area for goalkeepers, a half-circle with 1.5m radius. All markings are 8cm in width. The goal (painted in fluorescent orange) is 105cm high by 170cm wide. Inside the goal there is a thick net and a bar close to ground to trap the ball inside (before, two extra referees stayed behind the goal to judge goal decisions), and 92cm deep. While not attached to the ground, it is extremely heavy to prevent movement.

USARS Hardball Hockey Equipment

The clothing is similar to that used in soccer-football.
Sticks are the same for both skaters and goalkeepers. They can be of any material approved by the CIRH (although wooden sticks are still most often used), with a minimum length of 90cm and maximum of 115cm. They cannot be wider than 5cm or weigh over 500g.
The ball is made of vulcanized rubber, has a 23 cm diameter, and weighs 155g.
The skates must have two pairs of wheels, with a minimum diameter of 3cm. Players are allowed to use brakes in the front of the skate, with a diameter or larger side not larger than 5cm.
Protective material includes shin guards, knee caps, jock strap and gloves. Specifications for helmets and elbow caps vary from federation to federation.
Goalkeepers (or netminders) use protective padding on the torso (the maximum is being regulated, since, as in ice hockey, many goalkeepers have been using massive protection to make them larger), neck guard, large shin guards (not longer than 75 cm), gloves protecting the whole forearm and an helmet with either a grid or unbreakable transparent material .

External Roller Hockey links

Roller hockey

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