Put your stick handling skills and wrist shot to the test in BYSC inaugural floorball league.  Floorball is a game similar to field hockey.  There are two teams.  There are sticks.  There is a ball.  There are two goals and two goalies.  The sticks are used to get the ball to the goal.

Floorball Rule Book

TEAMS AND PLAYERS

1. All teams must have at least 10 players, and a maximum of 18 players.  All players must be listed on the roster and sign a BYSC waiver to participate.
2. Players on the Field:
   1. A team can field no more than 5 players at a time. 1 must be woman.
   2. A team must have at least 3 players, and at least 1 woman, present at game time to avoid a forfeit.
   3. A team may play with a full team of 5 if its opponent is short a player.

EQUIPMENT

1. Each Player will be provided 1 BYSC T-Shirt.
2. BYSC will supply teams with sticks, Goalie Masks, and game balls.
3. Players can wear: Tennis shoes or any non-skid shoe, pads (Soccer Shin Guards & Volleyball Knee Pads), and Gloves (football receiver gloves or baseball batting gloves)

GAME

1. Player Positions
   1. Start of Play. Teams may start with no more than five (5) players in the rink: Four Field Players with stick in hand must be in the rink (3 men and 1 women), with the fifth player in the goal with no stick.
   2. Rink Players. All players except the goalie are “rink players.”  No more than four men can be in the rink players.  The goalkeeper may be male or female.
   3. Goalkeeper: The goalie may stop or clear the ball in any direction by catching, trapping, covering, kicking, or batting the ball with his or her hands or feet IN the GOAL BOX ONLY. After a shot, the goalkeeper may pick up the ball and roll it or pass it to any teammate in the rink.  A thrown ball cannot go past the center line without bouncing at least once.  The goalkeeper cannot hold the ball for more than 5 seconds.  Goalies may ONLY touch the ball when a part of their body is within the goal box.  Goalies may play on their knees and cannot leave their goal box.
   4. Field Players: The field players may play anywhere in the rink except of the goalie box. They can only contact the ball with their stick, feet, legs, or chest; contact with the hands and head is not allowed.  Players must stay on their feet: no jumping.  One foot must be on the ground when touching the ball.  Players cannot use their feet to pass the ball or score.  However, players are allowed one touch with their foot to help gain possession of the ball.

 

CLOCK

1. Two Halves: Each game will consist of two (2) twenty-minute halves with 5 minutes break between each halves.
2. Running Clock: The clock will run during each half. If an injury occurs in the rink, the game will stop, and the referee will add time at the end of the game.
3. Start of Game: Games will start on the timekeeper’s whistle. All games will start promptly.

SUBSTITUTIONS

1. Field Players: Players may substitute on the fly, but only after the player being replaced has left the rink. Players must enter or exit the rink using the side bench or stage.
2. Goalie: Teams may only substitute goalies between halves, unless the goalie in injured during the game.

FORFEIT and SCHEDULING

1. Minimum Players. If a team does not have the minimum players (4, with 1 females player) it will be considered a forfeit.

REFEREEING

1. One Referee will be provided per game.
2. PSR winner will determine choice of goal. Teams switch sides each half.

FACE-OFF

1. The Referee will call for a face-off when: he or she is undecided on an incident (for example, the ball goes out of bounds), the ball hits the referee, or the ball is damaged.

CONTACT

1. Floorball is a noncontact sport. Any players or teams that violate this rules are in the penalty box
2. Checking is not allowed. Slight incidental contact is allowed when one player is in possession of the ball (like soccer).  After a player has passed or released to another player, both players must avoid contact.  If the referee believes either player did not sufficiently attempt to avoid contact, either player or both players will be in the penalty box minutes
3. All players must avoid contact with each other’s sticks when possible.

 

PLAY OF GAME

1. Face-Off. At the beginning of the game and second half, each team uses one player who will assume a neutral position facing each other, with his or her stick on the floor alongside the center line.  The referee will place the ball between the stick.  When the referee blows the whistle, the game will start.  No other players can be within five feet of the face-off.
2. After a Goal. After a team scores a goal, the referee will give the ball to the goalie, and teams should reset their players.

GENDER PLAY

1. Females that score count as 2 points

PASSING

1. Legal Pass. A legal pass is one made with the stick.  Players can intercept a pass with their stick, feet, legs, and chest but not their hands or head.  Defenders may deflect or clear the ball with their foot but cannot pass it to a teammate.  Exception: The goalkeeper can pass with his or her hand, provided the goalie is in contact with the goalie box and the thrown or rolled pass makes contact with the rink before it passes the center line.
2. Illegal Pass. Any pass made with a player’s hand or foot is illegal.  The referee will whistle the ball dead.  Goalkeepers cannot throw the ball past the center line without at least one bounce.

SCORING

1. How to Score. Teams can score from anywhere in the rink. The ball must be scored off the stick of an attacking player.  To be legal, the ball must completely cross the goal line before any official game stoppage, including a referee’s whistle or end of period buzzer.

Goals may be scored when:

1. An attacking player directs the ball into the goal using the stick
2. An attacking player deflect the ball into the goal using the stick or off a defending player.

NO GOAL is scored when:

1. Any part of an attacking player, including the stick, penetrated the goalie box before the ball
2. An attacking player intentionally directs the ball into the goal without using the stick
3. An attacking player hits the ball with the stick higher than waist level.
4. An attacking player directs the ball with any body part and a defending player’s body deflects the ball into a goal
5. A defending player has possession of the ball (no own goals).
6. Kicking a ball into the goal is not allowed

POINTS

1. A goal is worth one point.

PENALTIES

1. Dead Ball Penalties
   1. After a dead ball penalty, the ball is turned over to opposing team at the current spot of the ball. After a ball is turned over, all defending players must be at least three yards away from the ball.  This is a direct shot and therefore can be an unassisted score.
2. Out of Bounds
   1. When the ball leaves the playing area or touches any object that is not part of the playing surface, the ball is out of bounds. Out-of-bounds balls are placed back on the playing surface nearest where they went out of bounds.
3. Penalty Shots
   1. Penalty shots are awarded a defender plays the ball in the goalie box or when an infraction is committed on a clear scoring chance (typically a breakaway).
   2. Anyone on the floor at the time the penalty shot is awarded is allowed to take the shot. The ball is place at center rink and must always be moving forward once the referee blows his/hers whistle for the 10 seconds allotted.  Only Goalie may defend.  (ALL other players must be behind the center line.)
   3. After the shot, regardless of the result, the game will restart with the ball in the hand of the shooting team’s goalie.

INFRACTIONS

1. Players who engage in the following conduct will be assessed a dead ball penalty.
   1. High Stick: Players cannot make contact with the ball using their stick above the knee. Players cannot raise the stick above the waist at ANY TIME including on the backswing or follow through of a shot.
   2. Stick Interference: Players cannot lift, slash, hold, or otherwise impede an opposing player’s stick.
   3. Illegal Kick: Players cannot use their feet to pass to another player but may kick the ball once onto their own stick. Players cannot score with their foot.
   4. Playing from the Ground: Players cannot go down to both knees (one knee is allowed) or touch the ground with either hand while playing play the ball. Only goalies can play from the ground.
   5. Sliding: Players cannot slide.
   6. Illegal Substitution: A substitute players cannot enter the rink before his or her teammate has left the rink.
   7. Goalie’s pass: A thrown ball must bounce at least once before it crosses the center of the rink.
   8. Goalies cannot intentionally kick balls to their teammates.
   9. Body Contact: Only incidental shoulder contact is allowed (like soccer)
   10. Crease Violation: Only the goalie may be inside the goalie box.
   11. A Dead Ball will result if an offensive or defensive player is in the crease. If a defensive player is playing the ball in the box, the referee will award the opposing team a penalty shot.

2 MINUTE PENALTIES

1. 2 Minute Penalties: This penalty requires the penalized team to play shorthanded for 2 minutes. Penalty time carries over from half to half when time runs out.  A team member in the rink at the time the penalty is assessed must serve the penalty.
2. The position of the players serving the penalty cannot be replaced during the penalty. Example: if the home team’s rover is penalized, his or her team will not have a rover until after the 2 minute period.
3. Infractions: the following conduct will give rise to a 2 minute:
   1. Illegal Hands: Players cannot use their hands to play or touch the ball. Exception: Goalies may use their hands ONLY within the goal box.
   2. Playing from the ground: Players cannot go down to the ground to play the ball. This includes both knees (one knee is allowed) or either hand touching the ground: Exception Goalies can play the ball from the ground.
4. Illegal Distance: Opposing players must be at least three yards from the dead ball play. This includes once a goalie has position of the ball
5. Sliding, second offense: Players must attempt to stay on their feet at all times. Players, including goalies who slide outside their box, will be assessed a penalty, and their team will lose possession.  If a goalie is penalized, a defender will sit for the goalie.
6. Stick Interference, major infraction or second offense: Players cannot, intentionally or unintentionally, lift the stick above the waist, including while shooting or blocking the ball.
7. NO CHOPPING, HACKING, HOLDING, OR LIFTING.
8. Tripping: Players cannot trip opposing players by using their stick or legs or by stopping in front of or behind players to cause them to fall or lose their balance.
9. DO NOT PUT THE STICK BETWEEN ANOTHER PLAYER’S FEET.
10. Holding: Players cannot hold opposing players, either with their hands or their stick
11. Obstruction: A player who is not in possession or not attempting to play the ball deliberately obstructs an opposing player from taking possession or making a play.
12. Charging: Players cannot charge the goalie.
13. Too many players. Teams cannot have more than the allotted number of players in the rink.
14. Second Offenses or major infractions: Players who engage in any of the following will suffer a 2 minute penalty: High Kick, Illegal kick, Illegal substitution, or body contact.
15. Unsportsmanlike conduct: Unsportsmanlike conduct, including arguing with the referee, taunting an opponent, using abusive language, etc. will result in a penalty.

 

TEAM STANDINGS.

Win

1. Ties: During the regular season, there will be no overtime or penalty shots to break ties. If a tie occurs in a playoff game, the team will participate in a shootout.
2. In a shootout, each team will be allowed 5 shots on goal.  A female player must attempt every other shot.  The team with the best scoring record after 5 shots wins.  If the game remains tied after 5 shots, teams will take one shot at a time until a winner is determined.  A coin flip will determine who shoots first.  The goalie who finished the game at regulation must be the goalie for the shootout.  You DO NOT have to be in the rink at end of regulation time to be eligible for the first round shootout.

 

 

Team Standings

1. Points will be awarded  to teams as follows:
   1. Win=1.0
   2. Tie=0.5
   3. Lose=0

Tournament Rules

1. The commissioners will determine the number of teams making the playoffs.  The computerized playoff wizard will break regular season record ties.
2. Single Seeded Elimination: Seeding will be determined by:
   1. Points
   2. Head-to-Head
   3. Points Against
3. Single-Elimination