One World, One Ball – Floorball,

IFF School Curriculum for Floorball

1. Introduction

The International Floorball

Federation (IFF) has put
together this School Floorball
Curriculum to enhance the level
and the development of
Floorball played in schools. The
main objective of this
curriculum is to give both
National Floorball Associations
and local School Authorities a
better understanding of how to
teach Floorball and provide
ideas on how to introduce Floorball as a new sport and build your own school curriculum for it.

As Floorball is spreading rapidly all over the world, especially in schools, there is a true need for a
generic school curriculum giving all parties a good tool to enhance the way Floorball is taught in the
school system.

This school curriculum has been built using two different tools to support the teacher or coach in
their work. All the drills have been animated to show how the drills shall be run and give the
teacher/coach the opportunity to teach the right movement, even though he/she doesn’t know
Floorball that well. The drills are animated in a web based program called XFBall and runs from the
[Link]. In addition to that all drills have, if it’s possible, also been drawn in the material by
using Innosport Drawing tool at [Link]. This makes it possible to use the School
Curriculum also if internet connection is not available.

2. Floorball

Floorball is a fast-paced sport officially

played with five field players and a
goalkeeper on each side. It has
similarities with both field and ice
hockey, but also with basketball. It is
played with a carbon composite stick
with a plastic blade and a plastic hollow
ball, with holes. Floorball is a versatile
sport, where a lot of action and changing
situations occur in a split of a second. It
has a low entry level, since it can be
played in any size sports venue, you just
need to alter the number of players to accommodate the available space. It is the true sport of
today, being played in over 75 countries worldwide and it is quickly becoming the sport of
tomorrow.

In a number of countries, Floorball

is one of the fastest growing team
sports, and although at the highest
level, it requires a lot of technical
skills, speed and coordination, it is
still a suitable sport for all ages
and all skill levels. This is one of
the reasons that the sport has
grown so quickly through the
school system. The main objective
is to score as many goals as
possible, while at the same time preventing your opponent from scoring. The skill level of the
players determines the team tactics of the game and sometimes, when less skill is involved, the best
tactic is to have no tactic at all and just play.

One of the reasons behind the popularity of Floorball is the easiness to start playing: no specific skills
are needed in the beginning and the rules are simple, you just need sticks and ball. Floorball can be
played as a fitness sport where equality between the genders is well realised, and mixed Floorball
has been played since the early stages of the sport. In addition to school children and students,
many workplace and special interest groups have also taken up Floorball.

Floorball suits all and it is:

- Easy to start
As long as the right equipment is available you can start
to play Floorball. You can start playing outdoors or
indoors with at least four people. The sport can be played
with or without a goalkeeper in a 3vs.3, 4vs.4 or 5vs.5
game format.

- Easy to modify
Floorball is easy to modify according to the space,
facilities, number of people, skill level and equipment
available. It can also be modified according to physical
ability/disability and age. You need a minimum of 20x10
m field to start playing with two goals.

- Easy to play
You don’t have to be an expert to play Floorball. Anyone
who knows how to use and hold a stick is able to learn
how to play. The rules are simple and easy to learn.
3. Basic Rules

The rules for Floorball are built on the premise of not using the stick for anything else other than
playing the ball, so you are not to hurt the opponent in any way. Despite the fact that Floorball is a
fast sport, there are quite few injuries, especially if these basic rules are followed:

1. The game is played with 3 to 5 court players and a goalkeeper depending on the court size.
2. Teams consist of a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 20 players.
3. Game is played with running time 3 periods of 20 minutes, in some cases 3 x 15 minutes are
used to fit the game inside the one hour limit.
o You can also play alternated versions of 3-4 minute mini games
4. A 50 cm high rink surrounds the field
5. The goal size is 115 cm x 160 cm and in front of it is a
marked area (2.5 m x 1 m) where only the goalkeeper
can be although the ball may be played with a stick if it
is inside this area.
o Smaller goals can be used if there are no goal-
keepers
6. The goalkeeper area is 4 m x 5 m and this is the area in
which the goalkeeper may play normally. The goal-
keeper has no stick.
7. The goalkeeper must not hold the ball for more than 3
seconds and when throwing the ball, it must hit the
floor before passing the centre line.
8. There are no off-sides in Floorball
9. If the ball goes out of the rink the other team can con-
tinue play taking a free-hit from the spot where the
ball went out. If the ball goes out from the end the
other team continues from the corner spot.
10. When given a free hit, the opponent must be at least 3
meters away from the ball (sticks included).
11. The ball may be kicked to a team mate, but you can’t
score a goal by kicking
12. The ball must not be played with the hands or head.
13. Sticks must always be kept below waist level. The ball
may be played from the air if it is below the knee level.
14. No form of lifting, blocking or hitting the opponent’s stick is allowed
15. No form of pushing, screening or physically tackling the body is allowed, but you may play
shoulder to shoulder.
16. Players may not play without a stick.
17. You are not allowed to jump and play the ball at the same time.
18. The ball may not be played if a hand or both knees are on the ground. (Only one knee is al-
lowed).
19. Free shot or 2 minutes penalty is given when:
 High sticking, hitting the opponents stick, playing the ball with hand or head, tackling, push-
ing, obstructing, throwing the stick, wrong distance in the free shot
 A penalty shot is given if the foul is committed when the other player is trying to score from
close to the goal

The rules can be altered depending on the level of the game. The basic idea in Floorball is to try to
interrupt the game as little as possible, so that we can have a floating and fast game.
 4. Equipment:

Playing Floorball doesn’t require very

complex equipment. It is enough to have
a stick, indoor shoes and clothes suitable
for sports. The goalkeeper needs a pad-
ded shirt, knee pads, trousers and a
helmet. Gloves are preferred to be used.

There is a large variety of Floorball Sticks

on the market. A number of the manu-
facturers offer cheaper school packages
which are not that suitable for longer
school use. When choosing the Floorball
sticks, you should focus on the shaft
stiffness. The sloppy plastic shafts are inexpensive, but are not really useable for Floorball. The best
option is an ordinary Floorball stick, made with a composite shaft and a left or right blade. These are
good to use also if the blade breaks, since here you can exchange the blade if needed.

The basic rule is that the stick should not be longer than above your belly button, when you put it
against the floor with the tip of the blade on the floor.

The stick length can be defined as follows:

Player length: 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 185 cm

Stick length: 70 75 80 85 90 100 105 110 114 cm

The official size of the Floorball goals is 115 x 160 cm. This is suitable to use especially if playing with
a goalkeeper. If no goalkeeper is used
it is better to use a smaller 90 x 105
cm goal, where a field player can play
in front of the goal. If you are playing
on a wooden floor, it is recommend-
ed that the goals have a plastic cover-
ing on the base to help protect the
floor.

It is worthwhile to put extra focus on

the shoes the students are using, in
order to minimise ankle and knee
injuries. In Floorball, there are a lot of
turning movements and changing
directions quickly, so the shoe should stabilise and well-support the front of the foot. If you are play-
ing indoors, the Floorball shoes should not be worn outdoors as to help protect the floor from dirt.

If there is no rink in the venue, you can create a rink by putting benches in the corners of the space,
to prevent the ball from ending up in the corner. If the ball is played over the bench it is out. In the
same way, you can agree that if the ball is played over a certain line on the wall it is out and there is
a hit-in for the other team. This makes the game much faster.
5. Instructions to the teacher

Children learn best by playing differ-

ent types of small or mini games. Any
kind of small games where the play-
ers have a lot of contact with the ball
are the best. The aim is to give as
much ball contact to the players at all
times. If possible, it is much better to
organise two small games side by
side, instead of having one big game,
where the students have to wait for
their turn. The PE Floorball class should be organised so that the drills could be run with as little or-
ganisation as possible (same groups, benches, markers etc.)

Traditional practices with a lot of queuing time should be avoided. It is better to run the practises in
formations, pairs or small groups and station training which secures the students activity and in-
creases participation during the lesson.

Even if you would have a large space available, it is preferable to use so-called ‘small games’ by re-
ducing the size of the playing field. This will increase the participation of the players and the time
they have ball contact, thus giving them more positive experiences and good results. The goal can be
big at all times, so that the players will hit the goal more often. This is of course not fair to the goal-
keepers, but they get more shots to save. In all forms of playing it is important to focus on the team
play and the importance to pass the ball to the team mates – the ball travels faster than the player.

6. Lessons

All lessons are built in three segments with an introduction phase, a testing phase and playing phase.
The introduction phase is when the teachers show how to do things, the testing phase is for the
different drills and the playing is where the students are to use what they learned in different types
of games.

The logic is to build on the learning from

previous lessons, in order to take in new
elements as you go forward in the
process. The first 6 lessons are built on
personal technique, focusing on
controlling the ball and the stick. After
this the lessons are more focused on the
team-related tactics and game plays. In
Lessons 7-12 you are advised to use one
or two of the drills from the first six
lessons, to enhance the stick and ball
handling skills.
The lesson time can be determined by the teacher, depending on the level and number of the
students, but the idea is to keep as many participants as possible moving at all times. If there is
enough space in the gym, try to keep as many groups active at the same time as possible.

Lesson content:

Lesson 1: Floorball Rules & Basic Ball Control

 Basic rules
 Basic ball control – grip, playing stance, ball handling

Lesson 2: Ball Handling

 Controlling the ball
 Moving with the ball
 Protecting the ball

Lesson 3: Passing
- How to pass – individual practice, in pairs and then running
- Receiving the pass – technique, body positioning

Lesson 4: Passing in game situations

- Passing technique
- Moving on the court
- Reading the game and reacting
- Passing under pressure

Lesson 5: Shooting
- Basic shot techniques – wrist shot, drag shot, backhand

Lesson 6: Dribbling
- Moving with the ball
- Dribbling with obstacles
- Dribbling and shooting

Lesson 7: Individual defence

- Positioning and movement
- Defending against a player with the
ball
- Defending a player without the ball

Lesson 8: Team defence I

- Basic defensive formations
- Transition into defence
- Defensive movements and positioning

Lesson 9: Team defence II

- Fore-checking
- Man-on-man defence (Full court defence???)
- Zone defence
Lesson 10: Team offence I
- Individual offence 1v1 / 2v2
- Extra player attacks 2v1 / 3v2
- Transition from attack to defence

Lesson 11: Team Offence II

- Opening plays
- Corner play
- Attacking rotation
- Creating space

Lesson 12-15: Playing based on this,

repeating things which are found difficult,
combining different drills and playing a lot.

Certain practices have been included as

drawings in this material, in order to make
them easier to understand. Here are the
meanings of the signs in the drills:
X = player
O = player
C = coach
G = goalkeeper
= running without the ball
= running with the ball
= shooting
= passing
= cones
= balls
= rotation direction of the players
= the ball’s movement, if this is shown for example in an obstacle course drill, it means that only
the ball goes around the cones, not the players
= stick
= a long bench/ a part of the rink
Lesson 1 – Floorball Rules & Basic ball control

Topic:
1. Floorball Rules Go through the basic rules of Floorball and the adopted rules for the class,
depending on the venue in use.

2. Basic Ball Control In Floorball the player’s key ability is to be able to move the game forward at
all times, by passing, shooting or by his/her own movement. Ball control is
the player’s ability to handle and move with the ball, receive a pass, deliver
a pass and shoot the ball in any game situation

Objective: To teach the player to be able to control the ball, run with the ball, receive the ball
from all directions and pass the ball in all directions in any game position and
movement

Key factors: Stick length, stick grip and stick angle to the floor

SKILLS
1. Stick length and grip
In order to be able to control the ball the player needs to have the
right stick length, so that it is possible for the player to move the ball
without restraint. The player should have a stick with which he/she
can easily play the ball close to his feet without having to bend down
too much. The grip on the stick is with two hands as much as possible,
and the grip should be waist wide.

2. Ball control
To control the ball press the blade slightly over the ball, still keeping
the blade on the floor at all times. The closer to the body the ball can
be kept, the easier it is to control it.

3. Basic playing stance

The players should always try to be in the basic game position with
their knees slightly bent. The position is similar to the one in
badminton, giving the player the possibility of moving in every
direction. (Picture)

4. Receiving the ball

When the player receives the ball or intercepts it, it is important to
receive it with soft hands, using the soft movement of the stick and blade to absorb the power of the
ball. Also when the game situation is getting closer, the blade needs to be on the ground. This way
the player can receive the ball in a controlled manner and pass it as quickly as possible. It’s a good
way to gain advantage over the opponent.

5. Forehand receiving
When the player receives the ball on the forehand side let the stick go a short distance (1-3 cm) in
the direction of the ball, to absorb the speed. There should be no noise when receiving the ball.

6. Backhand receiving
Receiving the ball on the backhand side is a little more difficult, since it is harder to take control of
the ball. Try to follow the movement of the ball when receiving it.

7. Passing the ball

When passing the ball you need to press it slightly to the floor and then move the blade in the
direction you want to pass to. The ball should leave the contact with the blade before the player’s
body mid-point. If it leaves later than this the ball will go in the air.

8. Forehand pass
Passing the ball with the forehand is the most used pass in Floorball. You press the ball to the floor
with the blade and release it before your front feet. The more power you add to the movement, the
harder the pass.

9. Backhand pass
In the backhand pass the player hits the ball in the wanted direction with the backhand side of the
stick. This is not as accurate as a forehand pass.

10. Air pass

In an air pass the player passes the ball in the air over an opponent’s stick, by lifting the stick from
the ground with the ball still on the blade. It is also possible to flick the ball into the air, with a sharp
wrist movement.

PRACTICES:

1.1. Ball handling while standing still - Press here to view the drill 1.1.
Each player stands in a basic game position with a ball and starts moving it on the forehand of the
stick. The movements can be:
 Forwards and backwards
o The player needs to lift the blade over the ball
 Left to Right in front of the player
 Stand with the feet wide and make an eight by moving the ball to
your right and bring it from behind between your feet to the front
and then bring it to the left and between your feet to the front again

Teacher to look at:

 Stick position to floor
 Width of grip on the stick

1.2. Moving with the ball

The players should start moving with the ball on the blade around the court. When the teacher
blows the whistle the player stops the ball by putting the blade on top of the ball.

Teacher to look at:

 Correct stick grip during the movement
 The blade should not hit the floor, but glide on the floor

1.3. Catch the other player’s ball and move with two or more balls – Press here to view the drill
1.3.
Each player has a ball and starts running around the field with the ball. All players try to take the ball
from another player and move forward with two or more balls at the time. Moving with two balls is
difficult in the beginning. You are not allowed to lift, hit or block the other player’s stick. In the
beginning the players can only move forward, but then the movement can be freed.

Teacher to look at:

 Two hands on the stick at all times
 The players should not hit, lift or block the other players’ sticks

1.4. Traffic Police – Press here to view the drill 1.4.

Each player has their own ball. The teacher shows the direction of the movement the player should
move in, changing the direction from time to time. The ball should be moved on the blade forward,
backwards, to right and to left always keeping two hands on the stick and being in a basic playing
stance. The teacher moves the players for 3-4 minutes.

5) Small games – Press here to view the drill 1.5.

In the end of the lesson, play a game where there is a goal zone to which players are not allowed to
enter but they can score a goal by stopping the ball in the area. It is advised to split the field in two
halves and let the players play 3 v 3, or 4 v 4, depending on the field size. In the beginning, the
players are not allowed to run, making them concentrate on the passing. When it looks OK, they can
start running as well.

An example of how to score in the small area game.

Lesson 2 – Ball handling

Topic: 1. Ball handling

Definition: To be able to move with the ball and to protect it from opponents both
moving and standing still.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to use both sides of the blade to control the ball and
protect and pass the ball in different situations.

Key factors: Ball contact, body positioning and ball movement

Skill: 2.1. Ball handling

In order to be able to play the ball, the player needs to be able to move in all
directions with the ball and to be able to protect it from the opponent and keep the
ball on both sides of the blade.

2.1.1. Body positioning

The player should try to keep the ball close to her/his body, in order to be able to
protect the ball. If an opponent approaches you, try to move the ball a little behind
you, as you can then protect the ball with your body and then still face the
opponent.

2.1.2. Ball movement

The players should try to see what happens if they use a narrower grip of the stick
than the waist wide grip or what happens if they use a much wider grip. The body
position to the floor changes and the way to use power changes a lot.
The ball moves much faster than the player, so by being able to move the ball from
one side to the other you can easily pass an opponent.

2.1.3. Running with the ball

A very important skill in Floorball is to be able to run with the ball in different
directions and being able to keep the ball with you. The carrying of the ball, on
either forehand or backhand is very skill sensitive, and it’s important to not lose the
control of the ball.
[Link]. Forehand
When moving with the ball on the forehand it is important to keep the ball
close to the body. Keeping the ball in front of yourself, will make the ball
available for the opponent.
[Link]. Backhand
Moving the ball on the backhand of the blade is very difficult and should be
used only if forced to.
[Link]. Moving the ball
The moving of the ball from side to side while moving, is making the player
much more active and gives possibilities to play forward

Practices: 2.1. Lifting the ball onto the blade

Start with the ball handling training from lesson 1, then move over to try to
lift the ball onto the blade just by putting the blade under the ball. Combine
the moving of the ball with the lifting.
In a second stage take the ball on the tip of the blade and spoon it onto the
blade.

2.2 Moving with the ball – Press here to view the drill 2.2.
Set up a single file row of cones on opposite side of the gym. Split the class
in two groups, each starting in front of the first cone of one of the lines. The
space between each cone should be 2 meters.

 The players should zig zag through the cones keeping the ball on
the forehand and then backhand.
 Move the ball between the cones from side to side, so that you zig
zag the cones – Press here to view the drill 2.2.2.
 Move forward and move around each cone while keeping control of
the ball – Press here to view the drill 2.2.3.

Teacher to look at:

 Ball contact to blade
 Stick grip

2.3. Obstacle course – Press here to view the drill 2.3.

Each player goes through the obstacle course one station at a time. You can
make it a few times per station. The obstacle track can be run as a single
practise or a relay.
The obstacle course can consist of the following obstacles:
 zig zag a 10 cone course forehand one way and backhand back
  move two benches 3 m apart and pass the ball twice on forehand
and backhand
 put two cones 2 m apart and move forward in an eight keeping the
ball on the blade, do the same on backhand.
 move to the corner and stand 1,5 m from both walls/rink pass 10
times first forehand then backhand in a 90 degree angle
 lift the ball over three obstacle in a row
 move forward and shoot the ball in the goal

An example of how the obstacle course might look like

Teacher to look at:

 Correct the players when they lose control of the ball
 Follow that the players are doing all the required movements

2.4. Protect the ball with your body – Press here to view the drill 2.4.

In pairs of two, one with the ball the other without the ball, where the one
with the ball tries to put her/his body in-between the ball and the opponent.
The player with the ball moves the ball from side to side and the other
player stands behind her/him. She/he tries to reach for the ball without
hitting the stick. The player with the ball moves around in the playing stance
keeping the opponent behind her/him. Press here to view the drill 2.4.1.
Teacher to look at:
 How the players move the ball on the blade and position their body
towards the opponent
 The players should not hit, lift or block the other player’s sticks

2.5. Keep your half clean – game – Press here to view the drill 2.5.

Divide the students in two equal groups and order them to opposite sides of
the gym. This is a passing exercise, where balls are passed to the other side
of the hall as fast as possible. The student should pass the ball back as soon
as it comes towards her/him. You don’t need to direct the pass to a certain
player, but to the opponent’s end of the field.
On both sides there is a goal zone in the end of the field where the player
may not enter. The balls that are in the goal zone are counted as goals for
the other team. You can also use a passing line, where the ball has to pass
before you can pass it back.
In the beginning the players must stand still in their side of the field, but
after a few times you may allow them to move.
There are three different versions of this drill:
Drill 2.5.1. Players standing still – Press here to view the drill 2.5.1.

Drill 2.5.2. Players free to move – Press here to view the drill 2.5.2.

Drill 2.5.3. Goalkeepers in no-man’s land – Press here to view the drill 2.5.3.

6) Small games
In the end of the lesson play a two 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 games on half of the field
for 10 minutes, using what they have learned so far.
Lesson 3 – Passing the ball

Topic: 1. Passing the ball

Definition: To be able to move the ball from one team mate to the other and
receive the ball from them.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to pass and receive the ball both standing still and
moving. To learn how to find different ways of passing, with different speed and
directions.

Key factors: Stick handling, ball accuracy, passing technique

Skill: 3.1. Passing

Passing the ball is when the player delivers the ball to a team mate, in order to move
the direction of the game or to enhance the team’s position. The pass can be short
or very long depending on the game situation.

3.1.1. Passing the ball

When passing the ball you need to press it slightly to the floor and then move the
blade in the direction you want to pass to. The ball should leave the contact with the
blade before the player’s body mid-point. If it leaves it later the ball will go into the
air. The player should keep the side of the body towards the direction where they
are passing.
[Link]. Forehand
Passing the ball with the forehand is the most used pass in Floorball, you
press the ball to the floor with the blade and release it before your front
feet. By adding power to the movement you can pass harder.
[Link]. Backhand
In the backhand pass the player hits the ball with the backhand side of the
stick in the wanted direction. This is not as accurate as a forehand pass.
[Link]. Air pass
In an air pass the player passes the ball in the air over an opponent’s stick,
by lifting the stick from the ground with the ball still on the blade. It is also
possible to flick the ball, by a sharp wrist movement.

3.1.2. Receiving the ball

When the player receives the ball or intercepts it, it is important to receive it with
soft hands, letting the soft movement absorb the power of the ball.
[Link]. Forehand
When the player receives the ball on the forehand side, let the stick go a
short distance (1-3 cm) in the direction of the ball in order to absorb the
speed. There should be no noise when receiving the ball
[Link]. Backhand
Receiving the ball on the backhand side is a little more difficult, since it is
harder to take control of the ball. Here try to follow the movement of the
ball when intercepting it.

3.1.3. Passing when moving

The player shall be able to pass in any kind of movement, running forward, sideways
and backwards. The aim is to always keep the body position so that the player can
receive the pass on the forehand of the stick. Not to turn the blade to receive the
 pass on the backhand, this in order to be able to play the ball forward immediately
at all times.

Practices: 3.1. Passing in pairs

Place the players in pairs 3 m from each other and ask them to pass the ball
to each other on the floor, starting with the forehand.
As it starts to work, the players can start to move backwards after each pass
they give, growing the distance. The passing can be:
 forehand – forehand – Press here to view the drill 3.1.1.

 forehand- backhand – Press here to view the drill 3.1.2.

 backhand – backhand – Press here to view the drill 3.1.3.
 air pass (forehand)

In a second stage include the active movement where the player with the
ball moves forward and the other player moves backwards, keeping the
same distance.
Teacher to look at:
 Passing technique so that the ball stays on the floor
 That the player is looking where he/she is passing
 Game stance and soft reception

3.2. Passing/receiving in movement – Press here to view the drill 3.2.

In groups of three with one player on the left side (A), one in the middle (B)
and one on the right side (C). The aim is that A gives a pass (all passes are
forehand passes) to B who directly passes back to A, then B turns and moves
towards C and gets a pass and gives it back to C. This is done 10 times, then
the players change roles.
In a second phase the player in the middle (B) takes the pass from (A) and
turns around with the ball on the forehand and moves towards (C) and
passes the ball to C. C then passes the ball back to B who turns with the ball
on the forehand and moves forwards towards A giving a pass. This is
repeated 10 times, then changing of the roles.

Teacher to look at:

 Passing technique and reception
 Follow that the players keep the ball on the forehand when turning

3.3. Playing passing games – Press here to view the drill 3.3.
Divide the group into 4 vs. 4 and the teams start to gather a point every time
the ball has been passed to all team mates. The opponent tries to intercept
the ball and then pass to all their team mates to get a point. The game
should last 1 minute, if players are not changed continuously.
This is a very good passing exercise, but also a tactical rehearsal. Additional
difficulty can be given by only allowing forehand passes.

An example of how to get a point in the passing game.

Teacher to look at:

 To count the passes leading to points
 Run 1 minute games or change players as the game continues
 3.4. Small games
In the end of the lesson play a two 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 games on half of the field
for 10-15 minutes, using what they have learned so far. Make rules that the
ball can only be passed forward, only forehand passes, only backhand
passes, only passing backwards etc.
Teacher to look at:
 That the rule is followed

3.5. Corner passing drill – Press here to view the drill 3.5.
In this drill the idea is to get the players to use the possibility of playing by
the rink to pass to each other. In this drill the idea is to build an attack from
the corner, having one player running in towards the goal.

Lesson 4 – Passing in game situations

Topic: 1. Passing the ball in game situations

Definition: To be able to play the ball to another team mate, under pressure
from the opponent, while moving

Objective: To teach the player to be able to pass and receive the ball as a part of the game, in
all different game situations

Key factors: Passing technique, movement on the field, reaction capabilities, reading the game

Skill: 4.1. Passing in game situations

In game situations the player needs to be able to see if there is a possibility to pass
to a team mate or if he needs to bring the ball forward himself. This requires that
the player can handle the ball without looking at it and see where there are free
team mates.
 4.1.1. Movement
As before, the player needs to be able to control the ball, keep it protected and give
the pass on the forehand in any direction. The movement should be forward if
possible trying to play the ball past the opponents. This requires that the team
mates without the ball move in between the opponents opening directions for
passing

4.1.2. Reaction and reading the game

The player must be able to see the whole field, in order to know which of the team
mates are in the best possible position to receive the ball. The reading of the game
has to be made before the player receives the ball, since at least in the beginning the
player will automatically look at the ball when receiving it.

4.1.3. Passing under pressure

In order to be able to bring the game forward, the player must be able to pass the
ball forward, even under pressure from an opponent. Usually the pressure comes
from the front, giving the player the possibility to pass the ball, by turning the side to
the opponent and pass the ball from the protective side to the side of the opponent.
This requires that the team mates move along to a position where they can receive
the ball.

Practices: 4.1. Passing and Moving (E-drill) – Press here to view the drill 4.1.
Place the players in one half of the field into four corners (A, B, C and D) and
one in the middle in front of the goal E. Place one player in each position
and the other in a queue after A. You need at least 8-9 players to execute
the drill.
A takes the ball and passes to B and moves to B’s position, B receives the
ball and passes it to C, moving to take C’s position. Then each player passes
the ball forward and moves to the next position. When the ball receives E’s
position the player takes a shot to the goal and goes to the end of the
queue.
In the beginning the focus is on passing and receiving, then later on the fact
that the players shall be in movement throughout the drill always coming
forward to the ball and while moving turning toward the player who is going
to pass to you.
Start the drill clockwise and when it works better you can do it anti-
clockwise.
Teacher to look at:
 That the player in A position is ready to pass when the previous ball
has been passed to D
 Follow that the ball is in movement at all times
 Instruct that the passing/receiving shall be on the forehand and
that the player is ready to receive the pass

Another practise to start learning to move after your pass is the big cross
drill, where the receiving player has to pass back to the player who gave the
initial pass. Press here to view the drill 4.1.2.

4.2. Star – Press here to view the drill 4.2.

In this drill you need six-seven players in a circle of 4 m in diameter. The idea
is to pass to a team mate and follow the ball movement at all times.
a) To start, the players are to pass the ball to another player who is not
allowed to pass the ball back to the same player. The players stand in
their positions.
b) To make the drill more interesting, the player is to pass to the second
player on their right side and then move to this position. After a while
the direction can be changed to second player on the left side of the
player with the ball.
c) When this works really well place a player in the middle of the circle,
which will be the “thief”, whose task is to try to take the ball. The
players in the circle are to pass the ball to each other. The thief is to try
to touch the ball in order to get out of the middle. The player giving the
pass which the thief intercepts takes the place in the middle.
Teacher to look at:
 Passing technique and reception
 Game stance
 Follow the actions of the player in the middle

4.3. Passing competition - Press here to view the drill 4.3.

Divide the group into 3 or 4 equal big groups and give each a ball.
The aim with the drill is to give 20/30/40 consecutive passes to own team
mates. The group will count the number of passes out loud. Every time the
player looses the ball the counting starts over. The group first reaching the
assigned target wins.
In the beginning the players can stand still, then they need to be moving at
all times.

A second version is to have two teams on the same half with two balls.
Team A has a white ball and team B another coloured ball. The aim is to pass
to your team mates the 20/30/40 passes. All players are moving and you can
help by giving the other team vests. This enhances the reaction and reading
the game.

Teacher to look at:

 To count the passes
 To follow that the players are moving and turning towards the
player with the ball
  Correct the passing and receiving technique

4.4. Catch and release – Press here to view the drill 4.4.
One drill to enhance the reaction skills is to run the Catch & Release game.
You build pairs consisting of two players, which give their blade of the stick
to the other player, forming a “goal” between them, with the two player’s
sticks. The aim is for 2-3 catching players to try to pass through the “goal”
formed by the two players in the pair and the pair tries to move so that the
player with the ball can’t pass through the goal. If the ball is passed through
the goal the two players become catchers and start to catch other pairs.
The players need to react to where the catchers and the pairs are and move
accordingly.
In a second phase you can add that the pairs are caught only when the pass
the first catcher has given has been received by another catcher.

Teacher to look at:

 The catchers are passing through the “goal”

4.5. Passing drill – Press here to view the drill 4.5.

The players are divided into three groups and the gym is divided into three
zones. The players in the mid-zone are defenders, when the players in the
two other zones are forwards. The zones are marked with cones. The balls
are in the corners in the zones of the forwards’. There is an empty ball
basket/ring in the corner of the defenders’ zone. The drill goes like this.
 The forwards need to pass the ball through the defenders’ zone
 The forwards need to be able to receive the pass
 The defenders are trying to intercept the passes given
 If the defenders are able to intercept the ball they call out “Got it”
and transport it to the ball basket/ring
 The defenders need to catch 10 balls, after which the groups
change places so that after three rounds all have been defenders
 4.6. Small games
In the end of the lesson play a two 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 games on half of the field
for 10-15 minutes, using what they have learned so far. Make rules that the
ball can only be passed forward, only forehand passes, only backhand
passes, only passing backwards etc.
Teacher to look at:
 That the rule is followed

Lesson 5 – Shooting the ball

Topic: 1. Shooting the ball

Definition: To be able to take a shot on goal in any position or direction on
the field, using different types of shots.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to choose and execute the right type of shot in the
specific situation. The main shots are the wrist shot, drag shot, backhand shot and
the slap shot.

The shot is an elementary part of the game, but if too much focus is given to the
shot, the main thing of the movement and passing in the game gets too little
attention, therefore the lesson for shots is only introduced here.

Key factors: Shooting technique, body stance, stick handling

Skill: 5.1. Shooting

When a player is taking a shot the aim is to score a goal. If a shot is saved by the
goalie or goes outside the goal, it usually gives the opponent control of the ball and
forces our team to transit to defence from an attacking position. The aim is to build
an opportunity to take a direct and clear shot.
All the different shots are useful in a specific situation, the players need to
understand when to use which shot.

5.1.1. Drag shot

The drag shot (sweep) is the most commonly used shot in Floorball. The ball is taken
on the blade on the forehand behind the mid gravity point of the player and pressed
 to the floor and the stick is brought forward with the blade on the floor and at the
same time pressing the ball to the floor. The ball is to be released just after the mid
gravity point of the player. If released later the ball will, due to the contact to the
blade, rise too high. More speed to the ball can be given by pressing the blade
harder to the floor and moving the stick faster.
This shot can be taken either standing still or from movement. It is especially
efficient if the player can hide the ball when moving forward behind the body and
only bring it forward when shooting.

5.1.2. Wrist shot

The fast wrist or snap shot is a shot where the player does not take control of the
ball, but shoots it when receiving a pass without bringing the ball backwards. The
player presses the blade on the floor to the ball and rapidly brings the blade forward
by snapping his/her wrists. This shot leaves the stick very fast and gives the
goalkeeper only a small chance to catch it.

5.1.3. Backhand shot

The backhand shot is a shot which is used when it is not possible to bring the ball to
the forehand and can be executed either by lifting the stick with the ball on the
backhand of the stick or by hitting the ball with the backhand of the stick.

5.1.4 Slap shot

Especially for defenders, it is good to know how to shoot the ball with high speed
towards the goal, thus using the slap shot.
In the slap shot the player brings the stick backwards to waist height and then hits
the floor just behind the ball (stationary or moving) making the stick shaft bending
giving the blade extra power to release the ball towards the goal. With this shot the
ball travels fast, but it takes a much longer time to execute the shot than in the drag
or snap shot.

Practices: The teacher can choose if only the ordinary drag shot is introduced or if other shots
are included also. In the beginning it could be good to focus on only one shot.

5.1. Introduction to shooting

First gather the players around the teacher and show how the shot is taken.
A good way of doing this is put the ball on a line on the floor, take the stick
with one (upper) hand and place the blade of the stick behind the ball. Then
drag the ball forcing the blade to press the ball towards the floor and release
the ball just after the mid gravity point of the body. This will show that you
don’t need a lot of power to shoot the ball in the air, the stick will do the
trick. Do this a few times and then add the lower hand and do the same
movement showing how the drag shot is taken.
Place the players 3 m from the rink/wall of the gym, giving them enough
space from the other players. The players are to shoot the ball to the
rink/wall first with one hand and then two.

Press here to view the different versions of the shooting drill 5.1.
Drag shot 5.1.1.
Wrist Shot 5.1.2.

Backhand shot 5.1.3.

Slap shot 5.1.4.

Teacher to look at:

  It is important that the teacher reminds the players that when they
start to shoot, the three first shots should be low to warm up the
goalkeeper’s feet. Then they should shoot the next shots in mid-
level and then let the players shoot freely
 That the player’s shooting stance is in balance, with slightly bended
knees and the side slightly towards the rink/wall
 That the player releases the ball after mid gravity point or just after
the front feet
 That the stick doesn’t rise too high either in front or behind the
player

5.2. Elementary shooting drill – Press here to view the drill 5.2.
The players are divided into four groups in the mid zone of the field. The
goals have been placed in the corners of the field (if you only have two
goals, use cones or mats). All the balls are in the middle circle. In front of the
goals there are two cones approximately 3 meters from the goals, 1-2 m
apart. The players must shoot the ball between the cones. Two meters in
front of the cones, you place a bench on the floor, so that the shot has to
raise to the air when taken.
The drill is run like this:
 The four players move simultaneously from their queue to fetch the
ball from the middle
 The players move towards the bench, shooting the ball over the
bench and in-between the cones trying to hit the goal
 After the shot the player picks up the ball and returns via the side of
the field and puts the ball back in the centre circle
 The player returns to the queue he/she started from
 The next player starts when the previous one has collected the ball
after the shot
 After all players have taken 3 shots the balls are collected and the
groups change goal clockwise

This drill can also be run as a relay, with a fixed number of scored goals.

Teacher to look at:

  How the player is able to shoot the ball over the bench and into the
goal
 Follow that the players return to the queue’s in a fashionably
manner.

3) Bombardment
Divide the group into two groups with each having their own designated
shooting zone and equal amount of balls. Build a neutral zone between the
two shooting zones and place various balls (soccer balls, dodge balls,
volleyballs) in the neutral zones. The player’s objective is then to move these
balls into the opponent group’s shooting zone by hitting them with the
Floorball balls. The players are not allowed to enter the neutral zone in the
middle. When a group has been able to move a ball into the other team’s
zone they get a point. This also emphasises the need to not waste your team
balls, since balls in the neutral zone can’t be retrieved.
The Bombardment game can be played in three periods, allowing the teams
to collect the balls after each period.

Teacher to look at:

 To count the points
 To oversee that the rules have been followed

5.4. Three lines from the middle – Press here to view the drill 5.4.
Place the players in three lines at the midline of the field. One at each side
of the rink and one in the middle. The players are to move forward and take
a shot 5 meters before the goal, so that everyone in the first queue shoots
first then the middle queue and then the other queue at the side.
Repeat this so that all players take three shots from each queue.
When the players are returning to their queue they take the ball with them.
If needed, interrupt the drill after all three queues have taken a shot to
collect the balls.
Teacher to look at:
 That the shooting technique is correctly used.

5.5. Pass and shoot - Press here to view the drill 5.5.
The players stand at the mid line by the rink in four queues. There is a player
in each corner of the field. The aim is that the first player in the queue
passes the ball to the player in the corner, who returns the pass to the
player who now is moving forward towards the goal and takes a shot on the
goal.
After a minute or so the person in the corner is changed, until all have
passed.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players pick up their balls after the shot and return to
other queue on their half of the field.

5.6. Game time – multiple goals

Play a game with two teams for around 10-15 minutes, but use 2-4 goals on
the field. It there are not more than two goals, use mats or cones for the
other two. You can score the goal in any of the goals. If you are using
goalkeepers they are without teams and play so to say alone.
The goals can be of different size. The objective of the game is to guide the
game all over the field and make the player utilise the available space. This is
triggered by the use of multiple goals. While using more goals there will be
more goal scoring opportunities.
 Teacher to look at:
 That the players understand that they can score in all goals.
 If it becomes too chaotic, you can keep one goal as the teams own,
in order to steer the activity more.

Lesson 6 – Dribbling with the ball

Topic: 1. Dribbling with the ball

Definition: To be able to move the ball from one side of the stick to the
other and by doing that feint or dribble the ball pass the opponent.

Objective: To teach the players to be able to get past their opponent keeping the ball with
themselves using a faint or a change of movement with the ball, in order to enhance
the game forward and creating better goal scoring situations.

Key factors: Ball and stick handling

Skill: 6.1. Dribbling

The faster a player can move with the ball in various directions the more efficient
and dangerous he/she becomes. To be able to control the ball in all possible
situation and then move the ball with-in the sphere of her/his stick, gives a much
better possibility for the team to play.
Most situations in Floorball include a one against one situation where one player has
the ball and the other is defending against her/him. The capability to handle these
situations is important.

Practices: 1) Passing an obstacle on the field – Press here to view the drill 6.1.
Place the players at the middle on the field half on one side and the other
half on the other side. Place a bench 3 m from the rink facing the players.
The players are to run with the ball on their forehand towards the bench
and 1 meter before it, take the ball in front of themselves and start moving
sideways away from the rink into the centre bringing the ball with them
either on the side or in front of them and when the bench ends take a swift
shot.
The next player in the other queue does the same from the other side and
then returns to the other line after having made the faint and taken the
shot.

Teacher to look at:

 That the player is changing the way they are handling the ball in the
sideways movement
 That the player takes a swift shot after the bench

6.2. Dribble past a set of columns and take a shot – Press here to view the
drill 6.2.
In order to rehearsal the dribbling the teacher can build an obstacle course
where the player shall pass the obstacles, round them or play the ball over
them and then in the end take a shot.
The obstacle course is dependent of what material can be used. If there are
no benches extra sticks can be used or water bottles can represent cones.
The idea is to force the player to use both forehand and backhand to
advance towards the shooting position.
Teacher to look at:
 That the obstacle track is not too difficult, so that the players can
still run
 Advice on how to move the ball on the blade and use the body to
keep the ball close to the body

6.3. 1 vs. 1 directly on the goal – Press here to view the drill 6.3.
The players are divided into four groups in the corners of the field.
The balls are in all corners. The first player attacking starts from the right
corner and the defender stands in front of the goal. The attacker has to
come in from the corner and try to make play pass the defender and take a
shot, but may not go more than 5 m further away from the goal line.
So the player has to try to faint the defender coming in from the corner.
The attacker then becomes the defender and the defender goes to the
queue of the attacker.
This drill can continue for a long time and the faster it is made the more
situations the players are included in.

Teacher to look at:

 How the player is able to faint or dribble past her/his opponent.
 That the attacking players become defenders and the defenders
move to the attackers’ queue.

6 .4. Passing and steering shots – Press here to view the drill 6.4.
In order to teach players to follow the movement through after a shot or to
blind the visibility of the goalkeeper, it is very good to teach them to go for a
steering shot just in front of the goalkeeper. The player coming in from the
corner just runs towards the goal and steers the pass into the goal. Even if
the player doesn’t hit the ball he will block the visibility of the goalkeeper.
 6.5. Game time
The best way to teach the player to dribble is to let them play and during the
3 vs. 3 or 4 vs. 4 playing, they are only allowed to pass the ball forward or
shoot after they have done one of the following when they have the ball.
 dribble the ball at least three times from forehand to backhand
 made a 180 degree spin with the ball
 run with the ball on the backhand for at least a few meters

The teacher can choose which faint or dribbling the player must do before
passing or shooting. This also forces the players to react to what the
opponent is doing.

Teacher to look at:

 To follow that the rules are followed
 Change rules when it becomes obvious that the game is not
enhancing anymore

Lesson 7 – Individual defence

Topic: 1. Player roles

Definition: In Floorball each player on the field, regardless if he is a defender
or forward, has four game roles on the field of play. These roles are
depending on where the player is on the field and in which game situation
he is at.
The player is in one of these roles during the game:
a) Defending against a player with the ball
b) Defending against a player without the ball
c) Attacking with the ball
d) Attacking without the ball
When a player is defending against a player with the ball then it is a 1 vs. 1
situation.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to defend against the player with the ball, using his
stick, his body and his movement.
Key factors: Placement on the field, movement in relation to opponent.

Skill: 7.1. Defending against the opponent with the ball

In order to defend against the player with the ball the defending player needs to
always be on the side of his own goal. The movement, speed and skill of the
opponent will determine how close the player can go to the opponent in order not
to lose contact. The main objective is not to take the ball but to hinder the player
from passing the ball past the defender or take a shot on goal.

7.2. Defending against the opponent without the ball

It is evenly important to defend all the other players on the field without the ball,
since they are trying to move into positions where they can be passed to or open
spaces for the player with the ball. Defending against them is mostly about placing
yourself between that player and your own goal, so that it is not possible to pass to
your opponent. Thus still keeping in mind that if the player is outside the game as
such, i.e. standing in their own defensive zone over 20 meters from the other
players, there is no need to play close to this player, but keep him under control a
little further away.

Practices: 7.1. Playing a 1 vs. 1 in front of the goal – Press here to view the drill 7.1.
An easy exercise where the player changes roles, as is the case in any match,
from attacking to defending. Divide the players in four groups and place
them on the midline of the field. In each group the first player becomes the
defender and the second the forward. They move 5 m away from the “goal”
at the end of the rink with the forward closer to the midline. He gets a pass
on the ground and tries to dribble/faint past the defender and take a shot.
The defender tries to hinder the opponent.
After the situation is over the defender moves to the queue and the forward
becomes the defender and the next in line becomes the forward and he
receives the pass as soon as he has turned in front of the defender.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players are changing the positions correctly
 That the defending player is not breaking the rules by hitting, lifting
or blocking the opponent’s stick

7.2. Changing roles 1 vs. 1 – Press here to view the drill 7.2.
In order to rehearsal the changing situations that occur in the game the
players are divided into four groups. The players are in two lines at the
midline and a third player plays the ball straight forward past the two
players who run after the ball. The one getting the ball becomes the forward
and the other becomes the defender. The forward tries to score a goal and
the defender tries to defend against him.
The next two are ready to play the 1 vs. 1 as soon as the previous situation is
over and the players have left the field in front of the goal.

This drill can also be run so that the players are allowed to seek contact
shoulder to shoulder while running to the ball. Then it is important to
control that no tackling takes place.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players are changing the positions correctly
 That the defending player is not breaking the rules by hitting, lifting
or blocking the opponent’s stick

3) Game time 3 vs. 3

One very good way to train the 1 vs. 1 defending (man against man) is to
play a small space 3 vs. 3 game where the defending team plays totally
without sticks, which forces them to mark their own player and try to place
themselves in the correct position trying to prevent the opponent from
scoring goals. This is a very good tactical rehearsal for team defence.
The teacher can define different levels where the players are to play 1 vs. 1
against their opponents. Here the players need to follow their own
opponent players if they are moving around in the field.
Play 30-45 second shifts and exchange players to keep the drill interesting.
Press here to view the drill 7.3.1.

In a secondary phase you can change the game so that the team without the
ball plays with the sticks the wrong way around in their hands while they are
defending. As soon as they get contact with the ball they are allowed to turn
their sticks around and the other team needs to turn their sticks the wrong
way around. By this change the player clearly sees that they need to transit
their roles on the field from attack to defence or vice versa.
 Teacher to look at:
 That the players defending are without sticks or play with the sticks
the wrong way around
 Make the changes after 30-45 seconds by whistling.

Lesson 8 – Team defence

Topic: 1. Team defence

Definition: The team defence is when the whole group of players are
defending together against the opponents, so that the player closest to the
ball gives pressure to the player carrying the ball. The distances between
defending players shall not be too long and the formation shall move
together.

Objective: To teach the players to be able to defend as a team against the opponent, following
the movements of the fellow players and keeping the formation.

Key factors: Placement on the field, movement in relation to opponent.

Skill: 8.1. Transition into defence

In Floorball there are a number of different formations in which the team can
defend in. The most important single factor is to understand when the team has
moved into defence.
When the opponent has played the ball past the highest forechecking player of our
team, we need to transit to defence, since all player needs to be able to see the ball
and their opponents.

8.2. Defending in a certain formation

The traditional formation in Floorball has been to play with two defenders, a centre
forward a little deeper in the field and two wing forwards. This is called the dice of 5.
The presently most used defensive formations in Floorball looked from the own goal
are either 2-2-1 or 1-2-2. In these the team is trying to control and guide the
opponent’s ways where they can open their game and where to pass. The general
rule is not to allow the opponent to pass through the defensive formation, forcing all
the players to turn in accordance with the ball.
 8.3. The 2-2-1 formation
In this formation the top player is to give pressure and force the opponent to pass in
the preferred direction.
The two other forwards are trying to prevent shots to be taken and force the
opponent to play to the corners.
The two defenders play against their opponents and try to block shots and prevent
cross passes.
The whole formation moves as one giving pressure to the ball carrying players.

The 1-2-2 formation is more aggressive and here the forwards are trying to intercept
the ball or create 2 vs. 1 situations on the lowest attacking players.

Practices: 8 .1. Play 2 vs. 2 over the field – Press here to view the drill 8.1.
An easy exercise where the player changes roles, divide the team in two
equal size teams. Bring the goals approximately 25-30 meter from each
other. The players shall be next to the rink on both side of the goal.
The first team (black) starts to attack with two players against zero
opponents and try to make a goal. When the shot has been taken, the next
two white players get the ball from the goalie and start attacking against the
two black players who now become defenders. After the white attackers
have taken the shot they transit to defence against two new black players
who get the ball from the goalie.
The game is played for 5 + 5 minutes and the team scoring more goals in
total wins.

One way of making it more interesting is to force the attacking players to

touch the goal cage before they can start defending, giving the attacking
team a possibility to start the attack.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players don’t start too early and that the others touch the
goal cage
 Guide the defending players to defend against their opponent
 In a 2 vs. 1 situation the defender shall try to hinder any cross pass

8.2. End field game 3 vs. 2 from corner – Press here to view the drill 8.2.
In order to train the transition of roles on the field of play, the changing 3 vs.
2 end field training is very good. The class is divided in four equal size groups
(you need at least 10 players on each half) and into two different teams.
The players in black start to attack from their corner towards the goal which
is defended by two white players, with the restriction that they can only use
6 meters from the goal line to the middle and a few meters past the goal on
the other side.
The aim is to use the one player advantage to find a shooting chance
without stepping out from the designated field. After the attack the black
player closest to the black corner steps out, the two white players who
defended also step out and three new white attackers try to score a goal
from their corner. The training can run for a number of minutes as long as
there are balls in both corners.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players remember to changes roles accordingly and that
the right players move out
 It is important that the defending players give space for the new
attackers by moving out through the middle.

8.3. Play 2 vs. 2 with corner support – Press here to view the drill 8.3.
One way of training team defence is to play a 2 vs. 2 on half field, with two
support players in diagonal corners for both teams. You can run the drill on
both sides of the field if you move the middle support players at least 3
meters from the centre line.
The aim of the drill is to force the defending team to react to the change the
attacking team is making by using the support players in the corners.
Both teams can change in either support corner and a new player comes in
to the game. The change can in the beginning be free, but later it can be
made only by passing the ball to the support player, who comes into the
game with the ball and the passing player goes directly out.
If the defending team intercepts the ball they have to pass the ball to one
(later it can be both) of the support corners, before they get the permission
to attack. The roles of the teams change with the ball possession.

The drill requires that the players understand that where they are to pass
the ball and that you can defend after losing the ball to prevent the
opponent to pass the ball to the support players
Teacher to look at:
 That the players are passing to the support corners to get the attack
permission
 To guide the teams where to play the ball in the beginning.

8.4. Play 3 vs. 3 with changing players – Press here to view the drill 8.4.
To give the players the possibility to use all the four game roles, a good drill
is the 3 vs. 3 game where you have the substitute players in diagonal corners
behind the goal.
It is a normal 3 vs. 3 game, with the exception that all substitutions have to
be made by passing the ball to your substitution player in one of your
substitution posts. The player receiving the ball goes in and the one passing
goes out. This gives a possibility to speed up the game a lot and to change
the domination on the field.
The players need to react and follow what happens on the field. Here it is
not possible to play behind the goals.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players are passing to the support corners to substitute
  That the players defend against their own player and observe the
changing situation if a player is substituted by a long pass to the
substitution corner in the attacking side

Lesson 9 – Team defence – forechecking

Topic: 1. Forechecking
Definition: The team without the ball tries to win it over or at least to force
the opponent to play it in a direction which is the least dangerous for their
own team.

Objective: To teach the players to be able to put pressure on the opponent, preventing them
from opening the game in an organised manner. The level and form of pressure can
be defined case by case.

Key factors: Finding your own player, defending your zone/man

Skill: 9.1. Forechecking

The team can choose the level or the way they will try to put pressure on the
opponent, in order to prevent them from opening a fast attack.
The usual system used is to place one or two players giving pressure and guiding, i.e.
opening certain passing directions for the opponents, by closing the others.
The formation can vary, but the main idea is that the forechecking moves to defence
if the opponent is able to play past the first forechecking player.

Practices: 9.1. Lock up the field

In a 3 vs. 3 game the attacking team always starts from their own corner and
tries to attack in the other direction by playing past the forecheck. The
defending team will place their players to control the opponents, forcing
them to move. The defending team can play with the sticks the wrong way
in the beginning to make it little easier for the attacking team.
Play the game three times per attacking team always starting from the
corner, and then change the roles.
Teacher to look at:
 That the players are positioned right on the field
 Guide how to play one against one and to follow the players on the
field
 To defend the scoring sector in front of the goal and leave the sides
open

9.2. Play 3 vs. 3 with a supporting target player

In order to force the defending team on the changing situations on the field
You play a 3 vs. 3 games where there is a target player (give a different
colour vest) in the middle of the field who acts as a fourth attacker for both
teams.
The team with the ball can use the target player to force the defending team
to lower their forecheck by playing the ball to the target player. The
defending team needs to regroup since the target player can shoot if he has
space.
When the defending team gets control over the ball they can use the target
player to change the domination of the field immediately.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players remember to use the target player
 That the target player is able to pass back to the right team
 That the players keep the mark of their own opponent

9.3. A two ball game

Put the goals in the end of the field. The game is played 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 in
two teams with two balls. The field is divided into three zones, the player
may only move in his own zone and there is always an equal number of
defending and attacking players in each zone. Both teams are playing into
their own goals.
The aim is to score as many goals as possible. After a goal the ball is given to
the defending team, so the team can have two balls at the same time. The
changing situations will force the players to follow what goes on in the field
and position themselves accordingly. Also the player with the ball needs to
read who he can pass to.
The players change zones by the order of the teacher.
Teacher to look at:
 That the players are and stay in their respective zones
 To guide the players to seek the free player without the ball to turn
the game

4) Play 3 vs. 3 with changing players – Press here to view the drill 9.4.
This drill is very good also for the team defensive tactical approach.
To give the players the possibility to use all the four game roles, a good drill
is the 3 vs. 3 game where you have the substitute players in diagonal corners
behind the goal.
It is a normal 3 vs. 3 game, with the exception that all substitutions have to
be made by passing the ball to your substitution player in one of your
substitution posts. The player receiving the ball goes in and the one passing
goes out. This gives a possibility to speed up the game a lot and to change
the domination on the field.
The players need to react and follow what happens on the field. Here it is
not possible to play behind the goals.

Teacher to look at:

 That the players are passing to the support corners to substitute
 That the players defend against their own player and observe the
changing situation if a player is substituted by a long pass to the
substitution corner in the attacking side
Lesson 10 – Individual (team) attack

Topic: 1. Individual attack

Definition: When the player is bringing the ball forward in order to take a
shot or win advantage for their own team.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to start, build and end an attack by his own
movement and actions.

Key factors: Movement with the ball, playing 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 1, 3 vs. 2

Skill: 10.1. Individual attack

A player can play in two separate roles during an attack. The first one is when the
player is attacking with the ball and the other when he is participating in the attack
without the ball. The individual attack is describing the role of the player with the
ball, how he can bring it forward and get into a good goal scoring situation or play
the ball to a player in an even better goal scoring situation.

Practices: 10.1. Play 1 vs. 1 games

Like in basketball the 1 vs. 1 situations are key moments during the game. In
order to practise this you divide the players in groups of 3 or 4 players.
This drill can be made with a number of 1 vs. 1 at the same time in the gym.
Put small goals of 1 m wide made by cones along the rink/wall on both sides
for each group and place two players in between them. The other players in
the group are substitutes. You can, depending on the gym size, have 3 – 6
pairs at the same time on the field.
Play for 30-60 seconds 1 vs. 1 across the field per pair, then substitute the
players and do it again with the new players. The team scoring more goals
wins the game and moves upwards and the team losing moves downwards.
Then you play again a new game.

Teacher to look at:

 That there is enough space between the goals and players don’t
collide
 Guide how to change positions after the each game

10.2. Classic 2 vs. 1

The most common attacking situation is where two forwards are attacking
against one defender. There is an enormous variation of these practises, but
the main idea is to create a situation where the forward with the ball can
take a shot or play the ball to the other forward in an even better position.
Here are three versions of the 2 vs. 1 drills:
A) From the middle – Press here to view the drill 10.2.1.
The balls are in the mid circle and player A is passing to player B who is
in one of the corners. Player A then becomes the defender. B passes
directly diagonally across to player C who then moves in towards the
middle with the ball looking for a shot or a pass to B, who is seeking a
free space. The forwards try to score a goal, place rotation A- B – C
B) From the corner – Press here to view the drill 10.2.2.
The balls are in one of the corners and A passes up the ball along the
rink to B. B passes the ball along the midline to C and moves to become
the defender. C plays the ball to A who has moved up or to the goal
from the corner and they play the 2 vs. 1 situation. Place rotation A – B-
C

C) From two corners – Press here to view the drill 10.2.3.

The balls are in the corners and A passes the ball to C, who is standing at
the midline. C takes a direct shot to the goal. He then receives a pass
from B, which C plays directly back to B and becomes the defender. B
plays the ball over to A, who can try to take a shot or play the 2 vs. 1
with B. Place rotation A – B- C
Teacher to look at:
 That the players remember how to move after the 2 vs. 1 situation
 That the attacking player without the ball is seeking a position
where he can receive a pass, not behind the defender
 The defender has to try to hinder a cross pass from the forward
with the ball keeping the balance in front of the goal

10.3. Changing situations, transition from attack to defence

Inside the game there are a number of situations where a 3 vs. 2 attack
suddenly changes into a 1 vs. 2 situation and the players need to be able to
react to this.
An easy way of practising this is to play a 3 vs. 2 situation starting from the
own goal, where one player brings the ball up, one gives a passing option on
the other side and one player goes deep. The defenders are trying to screen
out the passes and force the ball carrying forward to a least favourable
position to shot. When the shot has been taken or the goalkeeper has saved
the ball he throws it to the nearest defender and they start an attack against
the lowest of the three forwards. The two other forwards stay in the
defender queue. The defenders try to play a fast 2 vs. 1 attack in the other
end. All three of them stay there and three new forwards attack against two
new defenders.

Teacher to look at:

 That the forwards are trying to play in a triangle to have the passing
directions open
 That the defenders are defending the goal area
 To name the forward who becomes the defender and urge the
goalkeeper to play the ball as fast as possible to the defenders

10.4. Advantage attacking team

To enhance the player’s capability to seek empty spaces and come in
between the defending players you give the attacking team in a 3 vs. 3 game
a fourth player when they have crossed the middle of the field to play a 4 vs.
3 game. The advantage can be kept for as long as the attacking team has the
ball. If they lose it the fourth player has to leave the field and the opponent
can have their fourth player when they bring the ball over the mid of the
field. The players need to react and follow what happens on the field.
 Teacher to look at:
 That the 4th player is entering the field when the attacking team
crosses the midline
 That the 4th player leaves the field when his team loses the ball
 Let the game go on for 60-75 sec at the time and then change
players

Lesson 11 – Team attack

Topic: 1. Team attack

Definition: When the whole line participates in bringing the ball forward in
order to take a shot or gain advantage to their own team.

Objective: To teach the player to be able to build, support and create spaces in an attack in
order to have a possibility for the team to take a shot.

Key factors: Opening the game, movement and passing directions.

Skill: 11.1. Team attack

In the team attack all the players on the field have an important role. One may bring
the ball forward to pass it, one creates empty space or corridors where the ball can
be passed by his movement, one gives support by giving the ball carrying player a
pass alternative and one is moving in to take the shot.
The team attack is efficient if all the players are participating actively in it.

Practices: 11.1. Opening play – Press here to view the drill 11.1.
In order for the team to be able to bring the ball up, there needs to be some
clear agreements on how to do it. The easiest way is to have player to move
closer to the player with the ball and receive a pass and then pass back to
the same player who has moved forward. Then the player on top must move
to an empty space to create time and space for her/him, in order to be able
to receive the ball easily.
The most important ways of starting an attack are:
a) Bring down a player to support (back wall) the player with the ball. If he
gets the pass and the passing player is moving forward there is always a
possibility to play to the moving player who then sees the whole field.
b) A player can fetch the ball low in the field by making a fish-hook
movement running towards the player with the ball. Then when he
turns he sees the whole field and can find the empty spaces.
c) It is also possible to station players in certain positions and then pass
them directly, but then it is important that these players keep
themselves in motion to be able to receive the ball and pass it forward.
In all cases the top player needs to read what the others are doing, in order
to react in the right direction and go for the empty space.
The most important thing is not to fill the empty space before the ball has
been played there.
If the team is not capable of opening the play, the other players need to
change places to create more empty spaces and affect the formation of the
opponent.

Teacher to look at:

 That the opening team’s players are trying to find ways to open the
game
 To guide the players to find ways to open the game

11.2. Opening drill

The basic opening drill is to have the team to open the game with the ball in
the corner and then applying the chosen tactical approach to try to open the
game against the opponent.
To make it easier in the beginning the opponents are to play with the sticks
the wrong way until the ball has been passed over the mid-line.
It is good to let the same team open the game 3 times in a row. Then change
roles and the other team opens the game. The teams can then play a normal
game for some 30 seconds after each successful opening.
 Teacher to look at:
 That the players are able to open the game
 That the attacking team continues to play the attack after having
brought the ball into the attacking zone

11.3. Different mini games

To trigger the player’s capability to react on the field and seek the best
possible available position, it is good to play different forms of mini games:
You can vary with these themes in a 3 vs 3 game:
 Walking Floorball 5-6 players per team. No running is allowed
 Sticks the wrong way with the goals closer together
 Normal play with multiple balls
 Normal play with four goals
 Play with a rule; passing only forward, backwards, in the air, on
backhand, scoring only directly from pass
 Normal play but no running with the ball
 Normal play with stick only in one hand

Lessons 12 – 15:

Repeating things earlier trained, combining different drills with a lot of playing.
Street/Urban Floorball3+ Play it as You want
Introduction to the World of Street/Urban Floorball3+ Street Floorball can be played like regular Floorball, but
there can also be other ways of playing depending on
Street Floorball is the overall name for the flexible and the skill level of the players and their ages. Small chil-
easy to access version, and a Sport for All recreational dren can have modified rules that simplify the game,
game format, of Floorball. It is played 3 vs. 3 or 4 vs. 4 while elderly players could play
with or without a goal- keeper, depending on the set up
and the availability of goals. It can easily be used in a ‘walking’ Floorball, where all the normal rules apply
game or as a training format. except that players are only allowed to walk in the play-
ing area. There are as many different variations of Street
Street Floorball is a fun and easy way to organise playing Floorball as there are players and organisers.
events for individual players, teams or clubs, even new-
comers to the game, rather than the season-long Floor- The IFF is
ball leagues, with organised teams. It is the ideal inex- introduc-
pensive solution to get people together to play. ing a Sport
for All
It can be used in both the playing season or in the off- competi-
season. Street Floorball has, for example, been used by tion format
the Finnish Army as a tool to enhance the physical con- of Street
dition of Finnish recruits when joining the army. Tour- Floorball
naments can be built as a whole event of their own, or for its
as a part of other sports events, fairs, and general member-
events. Street Floorball doesn’t require any indoor are- ship and event organisers, in order to have a fun, fast
nas or other expensive facilities for playing. You just and exciting game to be played outdoors with 3 vs. 3 or
need an open flat space, a rink, some sticks, balls, goals 4 vs. 4, with or without a goalkeeper depending on the
and the players and you are ready to go. playing surface.

IFF offers the Street Floor- ball Concept

to Cities that are looking for creative solutions in order
to create a festive & sportive atmosphere in an easily
organised event, which will active the general public and
the event can be used to enhance gender equality,
activate youth, strengthen integration process etc.

For any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the

IFF or the National Floorball Federation.
www.fl[Link]

How to play

Street Floorball needs only a flat playing surface, which

There are several different kinds of Street Floorball can be asphalt, concrete, sand, snow or even a swamp
tournaments played in the world and these have be- and then a rink, or something similar, to mark the play-
come a good way to pro- mote Floorball and get more ing area. Anything goes and the most important thing is
publicity for the sport in general. The easiest way of just to organise and get people together to play. The size
building a Street Floorball tournament is to have of the playing area can vary depending on the available
different series and have teams or individuals register to space and need of rinks, but the normal Street Floorball
participate. There can be the following basic series, but rink has the size of 20 m x 10 m, but you can go smaller,
the organiser can define these as they want: where only a couple of players are needed for each side.
Teams can consist of three to eight players on each side
- Kids (under 12) and Juniors (12-17 years) and substitution players are used if you have more than
- Men 3 or 4 players aside, depending on the format used.
- Women
- Mixed

If someone wants to play, but doesn’t have a team, the

organiser can form teams of such players or use one rink
to play the individual format of Street Floorball, using
the Points Master tool, where no fixed teams are used,
as each individual plays in a
group for themselves, as the teams are constantly
changing from minigame to minigame. More about
Poinst Master at the end of the booklet.
The rules of the Street Floorball are simpler than in the If there are several playing areas in use it’s very im-
ordinary Floorball and therefore the games can be car- portant that the matches start at the same time in each
ried out without the referees if a group of friends or playing area, this way it’s much easier to manage the
family is playing, but otherwise it’s recommended to tournament and especially to follow the schedule.
have referees.
• If the games will be 3 vs. 3 then the optimum size of t
Planning the event: playing area is 10 x 20 meters

The maximum number of teams which will participate in • If the games will be 4 vs. 4, then the optimum size is
the tournament depends on the number of planned meters 15 x 30 meters
playing areas.
• Goal sizes can vary from small ones to the normal size
Decide the game time per each match. If the game time goals, but it’s recommended to use the smaller Street
is, for ex- ample, 12 minutes per game then four games Floorball goals, size of 60 cm x 40-45 cm (width x height)
can be carried out within one hour. You need to allow a
little time to change the teams and to get organised for Building up the playing areas
the next game.
Street Floorball can basically be played anywhere where
there is
just some space. The rinks are not necessary and goals
can be made out of practically anything. In the easiest
solution the goals can be marked with any available
items, such as hats, clothes, stones etc. If no rink is
available, you can use benches, walls or even chairs.

If rinks and goals are used then it needs to be defined

with how many players the games will be played and
build the area according- ly. In the bigger events and
tournaments the area can be built so
that the playing areas are next to each other. This way,
especially if the event is built bigger it’s also easier for
If there are six teams and in the group phase each team the organisers and for the teams to follow what is hap-
plays against each other that means fifteen games in pening in the other games and also watch the games.
that specific phase.
In the picture is one example of a bigger Street Floorball
If there are more teams then it’s smartest to divide tour- nament organised in Korea. There are four playing
them into separate groups A,B,C,D and so on. Each team areas with rinks and a playing surface and one practice
inside the group plays against each other and then area, which can also be used for example speed shoot-
depending on the time available the best teams, best ing radar.
two teams or best three teams, will continue to the
play-offs.

A practical example:

If there are 16 teams and the teams are divided to four

separate groups with four teams each, then there will be
6 games in each group. If only one playing area is in use
the group phase will take six hours with one rink and
three hours with two rinks.

Two best teams from each group will enter to the quar-
ter-finals and that means 4 matches and the time need-
ed is approximately one hour.

The winners will continue to the semi-finals and two

games will be played and the needed time is about 30
minutes. If there will be a bronze match that will be
played first and the final is naturally the last game of the
tournament. The total time needed for a tournament
with 16 teams in one playing area and with 12 minutes
match time is approximately five—eight hours, depend-
ing on the number of rinks.
What is needed?

In order to get started you will need to have the follow- Other elements
ing to build a Street Floorball tournament.

- Rinks and goals

- Balls
- Some Sticks (to welcome players who are new to the
sport)
- Match clocks, one per playing area
- Something to mark the goal areas.
For example, chalk on asphalt, spray paint on snow etc.
- Tape measure
- First aid kit
- Prizes

The games and tournaments can be carried out so that

there is a defined game time as in regular Floorball. This
system requires a pre-planned playing pattern in order Organising a tournament in Street Floorball or just a set
to carry out the tournament and eventually to find the of games is easy and inexpensive. All that is needed is an
winner for the tournament or an individual game. This area big enough for playing and the playing area can be
works for clubs and teams which have registered for the made on any surface. Street Floorball can also be played
tournament and the winner will then be an individual for example on outdoor basketball court or any outdoor
team or a club. or indoor sports area.

Street Floorball is the ideal gateway to a fast and very

exiting Sport for All sport, with a very low entrance level.
Playing is fun and easy for the players and other ele-
ments can also be used in order to get the games even
more interesting and fascinating for the players. With
the modern technology it’s relatively easy and cheap to
film the games and use the existing social media to
share the games or performances of an individual player
or a team.

Only the sky is the limit when inventing other additional

themes for the games or for the tournaments in Street
Floorball. Street Floorball has also been used as a prac-
tice method for the top club and top national teams all
over the Floorball world. Based on the experiences,
Street Floorball and its other forms of playing have
How to organize the refereeing or not! brought many players worldwide to play ordinary Floor-
ball.
Street Floorball can easily be played without a referee,
as it has
the basic spirit of being not strictly of a competitive
nature. If there is a person describing the basic rules to
the teams before the
games starts, it is possible to play Street Floorball in a
clean and safe way without a referee. The players will
very soon adapt to the level of playing, where players
admit their own faults.

If you need to use a referee, it is usually built like this.

You need one referee to referee a Street Floorball
Game.

One referee is refereeing three games in a row, standing

outside of the rink, merely pointing if a free hit or hit in
is unclear. After this the referee needs a rest of one to
two games and can then referee a maximum of three
straight games again. During a day the referee should
not have more than nine games to referee.
Points Master – A Mobile App Game Format for Street
Floorball

Points Master is a good way to play if there are no

teams or clubs but individual players. The basic idea is
that players are divided to different teams and after
every small mini-game (3-4 minutes) each player collects
points for him/herself. After all the games, for ex- ample
when ten mini-games have been played, the individual
points will be calculated and the players who have most
points are selected for the ‘Winners team´ and the one
with the least points are in the ‘Challenger team’.
These teams then play a ‘Grande Finale’ . This game is
either played to a set number of goals or a set time. This
definitely does not mean that the team with the players
with more points would automatically win the final.

The International Floorball Federation has launched a

Points Master mobile
application, which
makes it easier to carry
out the games. In the
application it’s possible
to add the names of
the players, choose the
game time and points
system and there is
also the match clock in
the application. The
application automati-
cally counts the points
for each player.

More information: www.fl[Link]

International Floorball Federation (IFF)

Head Office
Alakiventie 2, 00920 Helsinki
Finland

Email: office@fl[Link]
Tel: +358-400-529030
Basic rules
Street Floorball rules are simpler than the rules 17. A player is not allowed to raise the stick above
of the game in ordinary Floorball and the fol- the waist level and not allowed to play the ball
lowing rules are the recommended Street above the knee level (not even when jumping)
Floorball rules. The number of players can 18. A player is only allowed to use the stick to play
vary. the ball. Blocking, lifting, hitting of the opponent’s
stick is forbidden as well as having the stick be-
1. There are three (four) players per team in the rink tween the opponent’s legs
at the same time, no goalkeepers, and the teams
are allowed to substitute the players as often as [Link], holding, pushing and obstruction is
they please. forbid- den

2. Playing time is 1 x 12 minutes 20. A field player is not allowed to play without a
stick
3. The boards (rink) mark the playing area
21. A field player is not allowed to play when lying
4. The sticks have to be Floorball sticks and the on the ground (both knees or another hand on the
balls Floorball balls ground)

5. Small Street Floorball goal (60 x 45 cm) shall be 22. A player with a ball is not allowed to back up
used towards the opponent

6. In front of the goal is a drawn/taped goal area 23. Situations leading to a free hit and to a penalty
that is the shape of a half-arc and the radius is 150 shot are:
cm - Lifting or blocking the opponent’s stick
- Playing with a high stick
7. A player is not allowed to touch or enter the goal - Jumping when playing the ball
area with any part of the body. It is allowed to play - Intentional playing with hand or head
with a stick in the goal area - Intentional hitting of opponent’s stick
- Playing the ball with two knees/a hand on the
8. If an offender breaks the goal area rule, a free hit ground
will be awarded to the defending team. If a player of - Playing with a broken stick
the defending team breaks the goal area rule then - Too many players in the rink
the offending team is awarded a penalty shot - Throwing the stick
- A player won’t voluntarily move three meters away
9. The penalty shot is a direct shot from the middle from the free hit spot
point towards the empty goal - Dangerous play
A penalty shot can also be given after an offence,
10. A scored goal is only approved when the ball which clearly prevents a goal scoring situation. After
fully crosses the goal line. a missed penalty shot a face-off from the centre
point will follow.
11. A player can only score by playing the ball into
the goal with their stick. 24. If a player is guilty of unsportsmanlike behaviour
then a penalty shot will be awarded to the other
12. In the beginning of the game a face-off after team and the offending player will be given a match
referee’s whistle starts the game. penalty 1 or 2 and in the worst case will be sus-
pended from the tournament.
13. After an approved goal the game continues with
an opening hit by the other team after a whistle by 25. If the score is even after 12 minutes playing
the referee. (Instruction: The team, which scored time, the winner will be decided with a penalty
returns to their own side of the field and stay there shootout competition with three players from each
until the opening hit has been carried out). The team.
opening hit will be carried out from the centre point
towards own playing side after a referee’s whistle.

14. If the ball goes out of the playing area a hit in

will be carried out by the team which didn’t play the
ball out of the area. (The hit in will be taken approx-
imately one meter from the board and in the short
ends of the playing area from the corner)

15. A hit in and a free hit can go directly to the goal

16. Intentional use of head or hands, when trying to

play the ball, is not allowed
How to organise a successful Street Floorball tournament
In case you want more information on how to organise a Street Floorball tournament, we prepared
more material. In this section you’ll learn how to plan the event, create a match schedule and we
included a schedule to help you keep track of things.

The first thing to do when organising any event is planning. Here are some tips to help you with the overall
planning of the tournament:

- Where is the tournament played? Booking a place is the first thing to do, when organising a tourna-
ment. You should find a place that is among people, like a market square. This way you get more au-
dience. You also should check that the surface is flat and what size area you need for the rinks. Re-
member that you need the check that the players have possibility to bathrooms and water.
- When is the tournament played? When picking a date, it’s a good thing to check if there are any oth-
er events happening at the same time. This might take away some of the potential participants.
- What should the tournament include? The tournament includes the games of course, but you might
want to think about some extra activities. For example a shooting radar, a raffle, a kiosk, few top
players visiting. These could bring more people, especially young players, and you might make a few
bucks out of it.
- What do you need? For the tournament you need rinks, balls, goals, maybe extra sticks to welcome
players who are new to the sport, match clocks, whistles (if you have referees), first aid kits, some-
thing to mark the goal areas (for example chalk on asphalt), tape measure and prizes.
Additionally you can have music to lighten up the event, and then you need to think about where to
get the sound system, how to make it work (how to get electricity, do you need extension cord, what
music should be played…)
- Do you need a license? For some events, you might need a permission from the city. Check that you
have all the licenses that you need.
- Volunteers. You will need volunteers for making the event happen. Even when planning, it’s good to
have people around you. A good way is to give each volunteer a certain job prior to the tournament.
Some responsibility areas could be: Marketing, Registration and Logistics (getting all the equipment).
During the event you will need people to set up the venue, referee (not mandatory), check in the
teams, first aid and if there is extra activities plus music to take care of them.
- Registration. It’s recommended to organize the registration for the tournament via internet. E-mail is
a simple solution. The team should provide basic information: team name, category, names of the
players, contact information.
- Insurance. What if a person gets hurt during the tournament? Does the player need to have own in-
surance or does the tournament provide one?

Now that you have the basics though out, it’s time to think about how to get people to your event. This is
where Marketing steps up. Marketing should be started at least two months before the tournament:
- What is your target group? Target group means the people you are trying to get to your tournament.
Is your main target group children? What kind of people you want in your tournament? These are im-
portant questions because they’ll help you promote the event in a way that appeals for your target
group.
- Promoting the event. You should think about setting up a page for the event, where people can easily
find the information about the tournament. You can then promote the event via big social media
channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Flyers can be divided to schools, local sports places
and malls. This might depend on your target group. You can also contact the local newspaper and ask
if they’re interested.
- Sponsors. Sponsoring doesn’t always mean just money. You can ask for material sponsors, for exam-
ple prizes.
Money is a factor that shouldn’t be forgotten when organising any event. You need to make a Budget. The
budget should include all the costs and as well incomes. First lets think about all the costs:
- Human resources (All personnel might not be volunteers)
- Venue
- Food/kiosk
- Equipment (if you don’t have goals, rinks, extra sticks and balls already)
- Prices
- Marketing (flyers, newspaper add…)
- Music (licenses and sound system)
- Licenses
- Water and bathrooms (porta potty)
- Extra activities

Then lets think about incomes:

- Sponsors (You can ask material sponsors for example prices, music and food)
- Registration fee
- Kiosk (Putting up a kiosk that sells beverages, sandwiches and goods that are made home or bought
from wholesale can also end up as a profit.)
- Extra activities (raffle, shooting radar…)

In order to get the matches run smoothly. It’s important to have a well-made Match Schedule. Remember to
leave a few minutes in between games. If a game lasts 12 minutes, it’s good to count 15 minutes per game.
When you know how many teams you have it’s time to make the match schedule. But remember, even though
the registration time is over, there might be a few late comers. So don’t get frustrated even if you have to redo
the match schedule a few times. There is a simple way to do it.

If you have an even number of teams, you just put them all in the schedule in order. After first round you leave
one team where it is and move the others around. After second round you still keep the same team at the
same place and again move the other teams and so on until the teams have all played against each other.
Below is an example made with six teams. As you can see team A is always in the same place and the other
teams rotate.

13:00 A B 13:45 A C 14:30 A E

13:15 C D 14:00 E B 14:45 F C

13:30 E F 14:15 F D 15:00 D B

If you have an uneven number of teams, you put them all in the schedule in order and instead of leaving one
team put you move ALL the teams clockwise. This happens after every round. Below is an example made with
five teams.

13:00 A B 13:45 C A 14:15 E C

13:15 C D 13:30 E B 14:00 D A

13:30 E 14:00 D 14:30 B

In both of these examples, the teams will play as long until they’ve circled back to their origin places. Remem-
ber that if you have 12 teams in one category, it’s better to divide them first into two subcategories. This way
you have two groups of six teams.

Counting the points is important. This way you can see which teams will play against each other in the semi-
finals/finals. You can simply give 2 points for a win and 1 point for each team if it’s a tie. A good idea is for the
referees to fill in the score after each game and marking the points. In the below example where the category
had five teams, you can see that teams A and D have most points so they’ll play against each other in the final.

A B C D E F
10 5 4 8 0 3

Here’s an example of a category that has two groups.

A1 1 A2 6

B1 4 B2 4

C1 5 C2 2

D1 2 D2 0

It is possible to make only the winners of both groups to play in a final, but if you have time it would be good
to have a semi-final which includes the two best out of each group. The winner of each group plays against the
second best of the other group. In this example C1 would play against A2 and B1 would play against B2. The
winners of these matches would then face each other in the final.

If it so happens that two teams have the exact same amount of points after the regular matches and the win-
ner needs to be settled, the first thing to do is to look at the match they played against each other. If that
game ended in a tie, then you look at the goal difference. If that is same, then it should be decided by raffle.

It’s important to get things done in time so the tournament will be a success. Below you can find a simple
Schedule to help you. You should also recommend every group to make their own check list with due-dates.
 When? What? Your own due-date

Six months before the tournament: Set up a project group that’s re-
sponsible for the following matter:

Planning the event (Venue plan

and booking it, extra activities….)

Co-operation with the local sports

administrations

Needed licenses

Marketing & Media

Recruitment

Two months before the tourna- Start the marketing

ment:

Contacting possible sponsors

One month before the tourna- Set up a meeting with the project
ment: group and check the following:

Distributing the work assignments

clearly enough for all the partici-
pating organisations
Do you have all the licenses that
are needed

Logistics. E.g. Do you have the

rinks? How are you going to get
them to the venue?
Getting the referees

Security personnel for the tourna-

ment

Getting the sound system

Do you need stands? Where do

you get them?
 Who is in charge of the music and
announcing?

How will the statistic work?

Prices

Availability of bathroom, electricity

and water

List of every item that is needed

during the tournament day

During the last weeks and days Check that everyone is on top of
before the tournament: their assignment.

Check which teams have already

paid the entrance fee. Remind the
ones that haven’t
Is all the equipment in shape?

Where is the nearest hospital in

case something happens. Also
collect needed emergency contact
information (police, ambulance…)
Setting up the referees according
to the match schedule (Remember
match schedule might change due
to late registrations)
Make a check list of what still
needs to be done

Remind everyone WHEN they

should arrive to the venue. RE-
SERVE ENOUGH TIME!! It is better
to be too early than late.
During the tournament: Check that the venue looks proper:
signs for bathroom etc., garbage
cans, rink number…
There’s a clear info stand where
the players can find information at
all times
Match schedule and statistics are
clear enough and updated

Registration forms are collected

 All the workers have common
clothing (e.g. t-shirt)

Referees have common clothing

No intoxicated players are playing

(for safety)

Announcing and music is going well

Security is working

Sponsors are visible enough

Organisers are taking pictures

After the tournament: Publishing results and thanking all

the people who took part in the
tournament including workers
Collecting data and evaluation:
What went well? What could’ve
been done better? etc.
Floorball Points Master
As said before in the Street Floorball section, Points Master is a good way to play if there are no teams or clubs
but individual players. The basic idea is that players are divided to different teams and after every small mini-
game (3-4 minutes) each player collects points for him/herself. After all the games, for example when ten mini-
games have been played, the individual points will be calculated and the players who have most points are se-
lected for the ‘Winners team´ and the one with the least points are in the ‘Challenger team’.
These teams then play a ‘Grande Finale’ . This game is either played to a set number of goals or a set time. This
definitely does not mean that the team with the players with more points would automatically win the final.

The International Floorball Federation has launched a Points Master mobile application, which makes it easier to
carry out the games. In the application it’s possible to add the names of the players, choose the game time and
points system and there is also the match clock in the application. The application automatically counts the points
for each player.

In case you can’t access the app, here are sheets to manually play Points Master.

6
Teams 3 vs. 3
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 3 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points
NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6

7
Teams 3 vs. 3, one player rests
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 3 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points
NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
 8
Teams 4 vs. 4
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 3 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points
NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9
4 vs. 4
Teams Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 3 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points

NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

10
Teams 5 vs. 5, one player from each team can be changed
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 3 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points
NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
 Teams 5 vs. 5, one player rests

NO
11 PLAYER
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is a 4 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
M M M M
1
M M M M

2
M M M M
3
M M M M
4
M M M M

5
M M M

6
M M M M
7
M M M

8
M M M M

9
M M M M

10
M M

11

12+
Teams 6 vs. 6 and players in the substitution bench
Match time 3-5 minutes
Winner gets 2 points, in a tie 1 point for both teams
If there is 4 goals difference the match ends and the winner gets 3 points
NO PLAYER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL
M M M M
1
M M M M M M

2
M M M
3
M M M
4
M M M

5
M M M

6
M M M M

7
M M M M
8
M M M

9 M M M

10
M M M

11
M M M

12
13
14
15
16