Floorball Betting with NetBet

Have you ever heard of floorball? If so, great – read on, this is just the thing for you! If not… keep reading anyway and let us tell you all about it. Despite being a widespread and very popular game, many people know very little about it. Going by the name, you might expect that floorball is a specialised version of football, but it isn’t – in fact, floorball is actually far closer to hockey.

While the concept for the game of floorball is thought to have been invented in the United States in the 1960s, it is generally accepted that the modern version of the game was invented in Sweden in the 1970s. The International Floorball Federation (IFF) has 58 official members, but floorball is continuing to grow in popularity. While it is incredibly popular in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Latvia, it is steadily becoming more widely played in other countries, such as Australia, India, Poland, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Like any game, people love to bet on professional games. Just like any other sports betting industry, all sorts of people hugely enjoy floorball betting and checking out all of the latest floorball odds. Fancy a bit of floorball betting? Then take a look at NetBet’s excellent sports page and check out all of the floorball odds we have there!

How is floorball played and what are the rules of the game?

Floorball is almost always played indoors on a specialised rink with rounded corners. The rink is generally marked with a centre line and two goals. There are also sometimes several crosses marked on the rink to designate any extensions or face-offs. The nets defended by both goalkeepers are similar to hockey nets (though a little smaller) and free-standing.

Floorball players typically wear shorts and a variety of protective gear such as shin guards, eye protectors, and general padding, though this is optional as it can inhabit players’ movements. Goalkeepers tend to wear more protective gear than other players, though not excessively so – typically, they will wear a helmet, knee pads, and a chest protector. Some goalkeepers may opt to wear gloves. Protective eyewear is not generally compulsory but some authorities insist on it, especially for younger players. Unlike the rest of the players, goalkeepers do not use sticks – except in Switzerland, because they like to be different. They must stop the ball from entering the net using their bodies and their hands, but they are only allowed to pick up the ball with their hands if they are inside the box; outside of the box, this is considered a foul.

Floorball sticks are shorter and much less heavy than traditional hockey sticks and are typically made from lighter materials than wood – this allows players to handle them more effectively. The “blade” of the stick is similarly light and has holes in it. Floorball sticks come in “left” and “right” varieties, which make the game accessible to both left-handed and right-handed people; however, right-handed players will use “left” sticks, and vice versa, since the stick is held to the opposite direction. The ball used in floorball is very small – slightly smaller than a tennis ball – and made from lightweight plastic, with numerous small holes in it. The design of the ball is highly specific, with all of the 26 holes being exactly 10mm in diameter. They are also fashioned with numerous small dents, or “dimples”, so that the ball will be more aerodynamic.

Each team has six players (including the goalkeeper). Field players are allowed to be substituted with the goalkeeper at the discretion of their team’s coach; each game also has two referees. The team as a whole are allowed to be substituted at any point. Games last for an hour in three twenty-minute segments (not counting breaks, which typically last 10 or 15 minutes). The game is halted if at any point the ball leaves the playing area. Players use their sticks to ferry the ball into the goals. Some minor physical contact is allowed, but not to the same degree as in hockey. Players may not raise their sticks above their knees or deliberately hit any other player’s stick with their own – they can only deliberately make a play for the ball. While it is allowed to pass the ball using feet, players are only allowed to do this once; protracted footwork is disallowed. They are also forbidden from jumping. The rules of the game deliberately limit physical contact and intentionally minimise the risk of being hit by the ball or the stick. (Safety and fun alongside one another.) Whenever one team is judged to have committed an infraction, possession of the ball transfers to the other team. Games go to extra time if a match ends in a draw, which lasts for ten minutes on a first-to-score basis. If this fails to decide the outcome of the match, the game goes to penalties.

Fascinating and flummoxing floorball facts

Immensely popular in Finland, floorball is one of the sports most frequently televised in that country. In Finland, floorball is known by the (far more interesting) name of “salibandy”: this name comes from “sali”, meaning a hall or indoor area, and “bandy”, meaning a ball of ice! It’s probably fitting, but what an image. The Finnish also refer to the sport of floorball as “unihockey”: this doesn’t mean that the game is played by both genders or using a single ball or stick, but rather comes from the term “universal hockey”, meaning that the game is accessible for everyone.

Get the best Floorball odds with NetBet!

If you like the sound of floorball, then floorball betting is surely the thing for you! We’re proud at NetBet to host floorball betting and odds for all sorts of games. We’re sure you’ll love the choice available. Browse our floorball odds and prepare to be amazed. For all the best floorball odds, take a look at NetBet’s sports page and get stuck into some floorball betting!