We are less than two years away from the World Games 2021 taking place in and around Birmingham. Many are likely unfamiliar with the sports in the World Games, so Alabama NewsCenter is explaining what you can expect to see. Today, we look at Floorball.

Floorball is a form of hockey without ice. Each team consists of five players and a goalkeeper. Floorball was first included in the 2017 World Games, when Sweden was the gold medal winner. The sport was invented in Sweden in the 1970s. It is a growing sport and currently has about 300,000 players worldwide.

There are a strict set of do’s and don’ts when it comes to floorball. Checking is prohibited, as well as pushing players without competing for the ball. Shoulder-to-shoulder contact is allowed when it is controlled. Lifting another opponent’s stick or placing a stick between another player’s legs is prohibited. Players cannot kick the ball twice in a row or touch the ball with their hands or head.

Floorball is similar to hockey without the ice. (Martin Flousek)

Although floorball has only been a part of the World Games for two years, it is expanding quickly. By 1994, the first European Floorball Championships were held. The sport expanded to over 80 countries by 2009.

To learn more visit: https://www.theworldgames.org/sports/Floorball-56.