Roller hockey (Quad) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Roller Hockey is a team sport that enjoys significant popularity in a number of Latin countries. Depending on territories, it is also known as Hóquei em Patins, International Style Ball hockey, Rink Hockey or Hardball Hockey. Roller Hockey

Roller hockey at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Roller hockey was one of three demonstration sports included in the official Olympic programme of the 1992 Summer Olympics, held in Barcelona...

was a demonstration rollersport in the 1992 Summer Olympics

1992 Summer Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

. There have been many world championships, Latin countries dominating the sport since the 1940s: Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

(15 World titles), Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

(15 World titles), Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

(4 World titles) and Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

(4 World titles). Other countries, such as France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Andorra

Andorra

Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...

and England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

are regular international competitors, but rarely overcome the traditional powers. Roller Hockey (Quad) was recently referred to as Hardball Hockey in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

until November 2008 when the USOC adopted the sports more common name Rink Hockey.

Roller Hockey is a very fast sport, which may create a problem for TV transmissions, and new rinks are built using blue or white pavement to make the ball more visible on TV. The most important clubs in Europe (and, arguably, the world) are FC Porto

FC Porto (rink hockey)

Futebol Clube do Porto is a professional multi-sports club, with a rink hockey section, from Porto, Portugal. The rink hockey team finished in 1st in 2010/11 season of the Portuguese Rink Hockey Championship, achieving a record 10 championships in 10 years....

and SL Benfica

SL Benfica (rink hockey)

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is a professional multi-sports club, with a rink hockey section, from Lisbon, Portugal. The rink hockey team finished in 2nd in 2010/11 of the Portuguese Rink Hockey Championship.-Achievements:*Portuguese Rink Hockey Championship: 20...

from Portugal, FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona Hoquei

Futbol Club Barcelona Hoquei is a professional roller hockey team based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It's part of the FC Barcelona family and plays in the OK Liga...

, Reus Deportiu

Reus Deportiu

Reus Deportiu is a Spanish professional roller hockey team based in Reus, Catalonia, and plays in the OK LigaThe club was founded in 1909 and their pavilion is Palau d'Esports Reus Deportiu with capacity of 2,500 seats.-Current Squad 2011–12:...

, Igualada HC

Igualada HC

Igualada Hoquei Club is a Spanish roller hockey club based in Igualada, Catalonia.The club was founded in 1950 and their pavilion is Pavelló Les Comes with capacity of 3,000 seats.In the 90's, Igualada HC was the best European team, winning 6 European Cups...

and Liceo de Coruña

HC Liceo La Coruña

Hockey Club Liceo La Coruña is a Spanish Rink hockey club based in A Coruña, city in the autonomous community of Galicia.The club was founded in 1972 and her stadium is Pabellón Pazo dos Deportes with capacity of 5,000 seats....

from Spain, and occasionally Primavera Prato, Follonica

Follonica

Follonica is a town and comune of province of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany, on the Gulf of Follonica , about 40 km NW of the city of Grosseto.-History:...

and Bassano Hockey 54 from Italy. In terms of trophies won FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona Hoquei

Futbol Club Barcelona Hoquei is a professional roller hockey team based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It's part of the FC Barcelona family and plays in the OK Liga...

is the most successful team having won nineteen European Cups

Rink Hockey Champions League

The European League is an annual roller hockey club competition organized by CERH with the most successful teams of Europe. It is the most prestigious club competition in this sport...

The game

Two five-man teams (four skaters and one goalkeeper) try to drive the ball with their sticks into the opponents' goal. The ball can only be put in motion by a stick. The game has two 25-minute halves (for adults), with the clock stopping when the ball becomes dead. Each team has a one-minute timeout in each half.

Each team has a minimum of six players (a backup goalie is required) and a maximum of ten.

The rink

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

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

The rink has rounded corners (1 m radius) and is surrounded by a 1 m wall. The wall also has a wooden base 2 cm wide and at least 20 cm high. Behind the goals there is a 4 m high net, even if there are no stands (to avoid the ball bouncing back from a wall and hitting a player). If the ball hits the net, it's considered to be out of bounds.

The markings are simple. The halfway line divides the rink into halves, and 22 m from the end wall an "anti-play" line is painted. The area is a 9 X 5.40 m rectangle, placed from 2.7 to 3.3 m ahead of the end table. It has a protection area for goalkeepers, a half-circle with 1.5 m radius. All markings are 8 cm in width. The goal (painted in fluorescent orange) is 105 cm high by 170 cm wide. Inside the goal there is a thick net and a bar close to ground to trap the ball inside (before, two extra referees stayed behind the goal to judge goal decisions), and 92 cm deep. While not attached to the ground, it is extremely heavy to prevent movement.

Equipment

The clothing is similar to that used in Association football—socks up to the knee, shorts and a shirt.
Sticks are different for skaters and goalkeepers. They can be of any material approved by the CIRH (although wooden sticks are still most often used), with a minimum length of 90 cm and maximum of 115 cm. They cannot be wider than 5 cm or weigh over 500 g.
The ball is made of vulcanized rubber, has a 23 cm in circumference, and weighs 155 g.
The skates must have two pairs of wheels, with a minimum diameter of 3 cm. Players are allowed to use brakes in the front of the skate, with a diameter or larger side not larger than 5 cm.
Protective material includes shin guards, knee caps, jock strap and gloves. Specifications for helmets and elbow caps vary from federation to federation.
Goalkeepers (or netminders) use protective padding on the torso (plus shoulders) (the maximum amount is being regulated, since, as in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

, many goalkeepers have been using massive protection to make them larger and broader), neck guard, large shin guards (not longer than 75 cm), gloves protecting the whole forearm and a helmet with either a grid or unbreakable transparent material. Unlike the Roller Hockey (Inline) Goalie who uses a Catch Glove to catch the shot on goal, the Roller hockey (Quad) Goalie uses a flat batting glove that provides rebound characteristics when blockiing a shot on goal.

Rules

World Championship

CIRH World Championship
Rink Hockey World Championship
The FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup is a roller hockey competition also referred as the World Championship – A between the best male national teams in the World. It happens every two years and it is organized by FIRS....
CIRH Women's World Cup
Ladies Rink Hockey World Championship
The FIRS Women's Roller Hockey World Cup is a competition between the best female national teams in the World. It takes place every two years and it is organized by FIRS.-Ladies Championship:Rink Hockey has a Ladies Championship...
CIRH U-20 World Cup
Rink Hockey World Championship U-20
The FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup U-20 is a world tournament of Rink Hockey disputed by National Teams, and their players have ages under twenty years.The event is organised by CIRH and FIRS, and is held every two years.- History :-Medal table:...

European Championship

CERH European Championship
Rink Hockey European Championship
The CERH European Roller Hockey Championship is a roller hockey competition with the national teams of European countries that happens every two years...
CERH Women's European Cup
Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship
The Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship or CERH Women's European Cup is a competition between the female national teams in the Europe. It takes place every two years and it is organized by CERH.-Ladies Championship:...

American Championship

CSP Copa America
Rink Hockey American Championship
The Rink Hockey American Championship or CSP Copa America is a Rink Hockey competition with the national teams of American countries that happens every four years...
Roller Hockey Pan American Games
Roller Hockey Pan American Games
The Roller Hockey Pan American Championship is a Rink Hockey competition between the best male and female national teams from American Continent...
Roller Hockey in South American Games

International Governing Bodies

International Roller Sports Federation
International Roller Sports Federation
The International Roller Sports Federation or Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports is the world governing body for roller sports, including rink hockey, inline hockey, Inline speed skating and artistic roller skating...

F.I.R.S

The authority of FIRS is recognized by the following organizations:

International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

(IOC)
General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF)
International World Games Association
International World Games Association
The International World Games Association is an international association, recognized by the IOC, that organizes every four years since 1981 the multi-sport event called the World Games.-Member federations:...

(IWGA)
Pan American Sports Organisation
Pan American Sports Organisation
The Pan American Sports Organization is an international organization which represents the current 41 National Olympic Committees of the North American and South American continents. It is the Continental Association of the Americas...

(PASO)

FIRS recognizes the following continental confederations:

Africa - Federation of African Roller Sports
Federation of African Roller Sports
The Federation of African Roller Sports is the main roller skating organization of Africa. The is part of the International Roller Sports Federation, or FIRS. Varieties of skating governed by the FARS include:*Inline Downhill*Roller hockey...

(FARS)
Europe - Confédération Européenne de Roller Skating (CERS)
- Comitée Européen de Rink-Hockey (CERH - CERS)
Asia - Confederation of Asia Roller Sports
Confederation of Asia Roller Sports
The Confederation of Asia Roller Sports is the main roller skating organization of Asia. The CARS is part of the International Roller Sports Federation, or FIRS...

(CARS)
Oceania - Oceania Confederation of Roller Sports
Oceania Confederation of Roller Sports
The Oceania Confederation of Roller Sports is the main roller skating organization of Australia and other Oceanic countries. The OCRS is part of the International Roller Sports Federation, or FIRS...

(OCRS)
The Americas - Confederación Panamericana de Roller Sports (CPRS)

FIRS recognizes the following International Technical Committees:

International Rink Hockey Committee
International Rink Hockey Committee
The International Rink Hockey Committee or Comité Internationale de Rink-Hockey or CIRH is the international sports governing body for Rink Hockey....

(CIRH)

Each continental confederation comprises or recognizes, in turn, various national governing bodies and associations.

History

The first recorded Hardball Roller Hockey game was played in 1878 at the Denmark Rink in London, England.
Roller Hockey was first known as “roller polo” due to the introduction of Polo in 1876, skaters took polo to the rinks.
Roller Hockey was introduced into the U.S. in 1882 with the formation of the National Roller Polo League in Dayton, Ohio, with teams in seven cities. Roller Polo League
Organized roller skating sports developed as the popularity of roller skates increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Roller hockey teams were playing throughout Europe as early as 1901.
1884 the Massachusetts Roller Polo league was operating with 14 teams
The first World Championships in roller hockey were held in 1936 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Rink Hockey as it was called in Europe was not organized by the RSROA in the United States until 1959 and name roller hockey
Roller hockey debuted at the US National Championships in 1961.
The Pan American games introduced roller skating as a sport in 1979 and debuted roller hockey the same year.
Roller hockey was an exhibition sport in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992.
Roller Hockey was played by the famous silent film stars, Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin, in the early 1900s.

One sport with many names

Roller Hockey, Hardball Hockey, Rink Hockey, Hardball Roller Hockey, Ball Hockey, International hockey, Quad Hockey, Hockey, English Roller Hockey, Hockey Sobre Patines, Hockey pista, Hóquei em patins, Hockey Skids, Traditional Hockey, Cane Hockey, Rollhockey, Rolhockey, Hokej na koturaljkama, Rulleskøjtehockey, Rulluisuhoki