RULES - Street & Ball Hockey Rules

Section One - Teams

Composition of Team
A team shall usually have six players on the rink (5+1 line-up version). National Associations, as well as the ISBHF, have the authority to use a 4+1 line-up version in games under their jurisdiction.

Captain of Team, Players in Uniform Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A team shall appoint a Captain and two Alternate Captains. A maximum of 20 players, plus 2 goalkeepers, or a minimum of 6 players, shall be permitted in the game. All players of each team shall be dressed uniformly in colour, etc.

Starting Line-up, Change of Players, Injured Players Identical to the ice-hockey rules:

Section Two - Equipment

Sticks
Players use regular ice-hockey sticks, the curvature of the blade shall not be restricted. A Minor Penalty shall be imposed on any player guilty of using or wearing illegal equipment or a stick.

Footwear, Goalkeeper´s Equipment, Protective and Dangerous Equipment
Only "running shoe" type footwear is permitted. The use of protective ice-hockey or street (ball) hockey gloves is mandatory. All goalkeepers must wear a full face-head protector. All players must wear a hockey helmet. Other protective equipment is optional and should be worn under the uniform, if possible. Palmless or fingerless hockey gloves, shoulder pads of any kind, or pads or protectors, made of metal or any other material likely to cause injury to a player, is prohibited.

Ball
The ball shall be made of an approved plastic with a diameter of 6.6 cm to 7 cm, orange in colour.

Section Three - Penalties

Any infractions that can lead to injury will not be tolerated. Any deliberate tripping, butting, slashing, or checking will result in an automatic dismissal of the player from the game. A penalty may also be awarded against his/her team, and repeat offences will result in automatic forfeiture of the game. The actions and subsequent penalties describe below will be used when an infraction occurs that in the sole discretion of the referee is the result of careless or accidental play, not warranting automatic dismissal of the player.

Minor, Major, Misconduct, and Match Penalties, Penalty Shot
Identical to the ice-hockey rules:
Minor or Bench Minor - a player shall be sent off the rink for 4 min, or until the opposing team scores a goal, and no substitute is permitted.
Major ­ removal for the remainder of the game.
Misconduct - a player shall be sent off the rink for 10 min, but the substitute is permitted immediately. A second Misconduct to the same player in the same game shall become a Game Misconduct.
Game Misconduct - removal for the remainder of the game, the substitute is permitted immediately. Does not incur automatic suspension for next game.
Gross Misconduct - removal for the remainder of the game, the substitute is permitted immediately. Incurs automatic suspension for next game(s).
Match - removal for the remainder of the game for an offender and a substitute is permitted after 5 min. Incurs automatic suspension for next game(s).
Penalty Shot - a player plays the ball from the center face-off spot towards his opponent's goal line. The team has the option between Penalty Shot and a Minor Penalty. Situations: hooking, tripping, or any foul from behind, or interference, when the player is over the center red line and has no defending player to pass other than the goalkeeper; too many men on the playing surface in the last two minutes of the game; deliberate displacing of the goal during the course of a breakaway or in the last two minutes of the game; falling on the ball, picking-up the ball, or holding the ball, when the ball is within the goal crease; throwing a stick or any object in defending zone in the direction of the ball.
Awarded goal - is not considered a penalty. The goalkeeper must not be present on the rink, then in the same situations as the penalty shot is called for (except ³too many men² rule).
Goalkeeper´s Penalties Identical to the ice-hockey rules: Goalkeeper shall not be sent to the penalty bench for a Minor, Major or Misconduct Penalty, the penalty shall be served by his teammate who was on the rink, etc.
Delayed Penalties, Calling of Penalties, Supplementary Discipline Identical to the ice-hockey rules: If a third player is penalized while two players of the same team are serving penalties, the third penalty shall not commence until the penalty of one of the two players already penalized has elapsed. Should an infraction, which would call for a penalty, be commmitted by a team not in possession of the ball, the Referee shall signify the calling of a penalty by raising his arm and blow his whistle only after the ball has come into the possession of the offending team, etc.

Section Four - Officials

Appointment of Officials, Two Referees, Official Scorer, Game Timekeeper, Proper Authorities Two Referees and one Official Scorer is considered a minimum for any game. Two Referees have equal authority over the game. The other rules identical to the ice-hockey ones.
(A) The referees shall maintain control of the game and the players. Any decision made by a referee is final. The referee has control over stoppage of time and play.
(B) The home team shall assign an official time keeper and scorekeeper at the beginning of the game. The scorekeeper will also record penalties.
(C) Each game shall have a minimum of one referee.
(D) Players who excessively argue the referee's decision(s) may be removed from play and may face suspension.
(E) A team will forfeit a game should the referee deem play to be too rough. (This includes players being ejected for an accumulation of minor infractions.)

Section Five - Playing Rules

Abuse of Officials and Other Misconduct
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: Minor Penalty for disputing the rulings, using abusive language, etc. Bench Minor for offence by unidentifiable person or from the bench. Misconduct Penalty for persisting the conduct penalized by Minor, using abusive language, throwing anything out of the rink, etc. Game Misconduct for persisting the conduct penalized by Misconduct, throwing anything onto the rink (togwether with a Minor), etc. Gross Misconduct for travesty of the game, or spitting. Holding or striking an official shall be penalized (at the discretion of the Referee) by Misconduct or Game or Gross Misconduct.

Adjustment of Equipment, Excessive Rough Play, Boarding, A Broken Stick
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A Minor Penalty for the adjustment of equipment on the rink, or using of a broken stick. A Match Penalty for an deliberate action that could cause an injury. A Minor or Major Penalty for striking or throwing the opponent into the boards, etc.

Charging, Checking From Behind, Cross-checking
A direct body-check is considered charging. Major for charging, additional Misconduct or Game Misconduct for checking from behind, etc. Dangerous play will not be tolerated. Incidental contact will be tolerated provided no one is put at risk.

Delaying the Game, Elbowing, Kneeing or Head-Butting, Face-Offs, Falling on the Ball, Fisticuffs or Roughing, Goal and Assist
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A Minor or Major+Game Misconduct Penalty for elbowing, or kneeing, a Minor or Bench Minor Penalty for delaying the game, a Minor Penalty for falling on the ball.

Handling the Ball with the Hands
If a player closes his hand on the ball, then drops it immediately on the rink in front of himself and gains no advantage by this action or makes no attempt to gain any advantage, play continues. If there is any infraction, play shall be stopped. When a player holds the ball more than 3 seconds or takes a few steps with the ball, a Minor Penalty shall be imposed. The other rules identical to the ice-hockey ones.

High Sticks, Holding, Hooking
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A Minor Penalty for endangering an opponent using a high stick, a Double Minor or a Major+Game Misconduct Penalty for an injury, a Minor or Major Penalty for holding or hooking, etc. The only exception: If a player attempts to make contact with the ball by using a high stick but he does not touch the ball, the situation shall be considered as if the contact was made.

Flooring the Ball
A "touch flooring" is applied: Should any player of a team, equal or superior in numerical strength to the opposing team, shoot the ball from his own half beyond the goal line of the opposing team, and if such a ball is touched by a defending player first, except the goalkeeper, play shall be stopped and the ball faced-off at the end face-off spot of the offending team. If, in the opinion of the Referee, a player of the defending team clearly passed the ball to a player of the same team but the pass was not completed, the "flooring the ball" rule shall not apply. The other rules identical to the ice-hockey ones.

Interference, Interference by Spectators, Kicking a Player, Kicking the Ball, Leaving the Players´ or Penalty Bench
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A Minor Penalty for interference with an opponent who is not in pos-session of the ball, a Match Penalty for kicking an opponent (Misconduct for the less violent action), Game Misconduct for the first player to leave the players¹ or penalty bench during an altercation, and a Misconduct Penalty for the others, etc.

Off-Sides
No Off-Side Rule in games under this jurisdiction.

Passes
Centre line off-side does not exist. The rule concerns blue line off-sides.

Ball out of Bounds or Unplayable,
Ball Out of Sight and Illegal Ball, Ball Striking Official, Refusing to Start Play Identical to the ice-hockey rules.

Slashing, Spearing or Butt-Ending, Start of Game and Periods, Throwing a Stick
Identical to the ice-hockey rules: A Minor or Major Penalty for slashing, a Double Minor+Misconduct for a player who attempts to spear or butt-end, and a Major+Game Misconduct for spearing or butt-ending. A Penalty Shot for throwing any object in the direction of the ball in defending zone and a Major Penalty in the other zones, etc.

Time of Game, Tripping
Two 10-minute periods of stop time and 5-minute pauses will be the time allowed for each game. National Associations have the authority to make own regulations for games under their jurisdiction.

The other rules identical to the ice-hockey ones: A Minor or Major Penalty for tripping, etc.

Referees´ Signals - Identical to the ice-hockey rules.