Broomball

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A variant of broomball is played by non-Russians in Moscow. See Moscow broomball.

For Broomball at Michigan Tech, see Broomball at Michigan Tech.

A game of broomball begins with a face-off

Broomball is a popular recreational ice game originating in Canada and played around the world. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is very popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where Saint-Claude is the Broomball Capital of the World. Broomball is also gaining popularity in such places as Australia and Japan.

In a game of broomball there are two teams, each consisting of six players: a goaltender and five others. The object of the game is to score more goals than your opponent. Goals are scored by hitting the ball into your opponent's net using your broom. Tactics and plays are similar to those used in sports such as ice hockey, roller hockey and floorball.

Players hit a small ball around the ice with a stick called a "broom." The broom may have a wooden or aluminum shaft and has a rubber-molded triangular head similar in shape to that of a regular broom. Players wear special rubber-soled shoes instead of skates, and the ice is prepared in such a way that it is smooth and dry to improve traction.

Outside North America, broomball is often mistaken for the sport of curling, possibly due to the "broom" reference in the name, although the only similarities between the two is that they are both played on ice, and that players do not wear ice skates.

[edit] Equipment

There is a variety of equipment used in broomball, both for the game itself and for its players.

[edit] General gameplay equipment

[edit] Broom

The broom is the stick used in the sport of broomball. Traditionally it was a hi household broom, with the bristles frozen, dipped in rubber, or wrapped in tape (usually duct tape) to harden them — some social broomball competitions, such as Michigan Tech's leagues, still use these sort of brooms. Today's competition brooms are manufactured with a specialized rubber triangular head attached to a wooden or aluminum shaft.

According to international rules, the maximum length of the broom can be 1.35 m (135 cm/54"), and the minimum length of the broom is dependent on each player. From the tip of the handle to the end of the head, the broom must reach at least to players' wrists when their arms are relaxed at their sides.

[edit] Ball

A Broomball Ball

A broomball is spherical with a diameter of between 14 cm and 15.7 cm (5.6" and 6.1"). Depending on the conditions, it is made of rubber or leather, and is generally either orange or blue in color. Generally, balls for indoor conditions are made of a soft orange rubber, while balls for outdoor and more extreme cold conditions are made of a stitched blue leather or harder blue rubber.

[edit] Goal cage

There are two goal cages in use, one at each end, into which the teams attempt to hit the broomball in order to score a goal. Netting is tied to the poles to prevent the ball from passing through the back of the goal.

In international competition and most broomball countries, goal cages measure 1.5 m by 2.1 m (5' by 7'). In the United States, larger goal cages of 1.7 m by 2.35 m (6' by 8') are used.

[edit] Basic player equipment

[edit] Shoes

Commercially-produced broomball shoes have a specially-designed soft rubber sole to provide improved traction on the ice. Many modern brands are now manufactured with other features, such as improved toe and ankle support and waterproofing.

[edit] Helmet

International rules require all players to wear helmets. Players can choose to have a wire or metal cage or a clear plastic visor attached to the front to protect their faces, but the feature is optional.

[edit] Padding & Guards

Shoulder and chest pads are optional protective equipment for players and must conform to the natural shape of the body. Female players also have the option of special plates to protect their breasts. Guards are also worn on the knees, elbows and shins to protect players from injury to these areas. They are usually made of a hard plastic or foam and must be held in place under the player's uniform.

[edit] Gloves

Gloves are commonly used to protect a player's hands. They generally have additional foam backing to improve protection.

[edit] Cups

Many male players wear a cup (or jockstrap), and some female players wear a version colloquially called a "jill."

[edit] Goaltender equipment

Goaltenders generally wear a full face cage in addition to thick padding on the legs, thighs, chest and shoulders. Goaltenders are permitted to use a blocker, a specially-designed rectangular glove attachment that is used to block shots. A blocker is similar to those used by ice-hockey goalies.

[edit] Gameplay

A typical game of broomball is broken up into two or three periods. Each team has a goaltender plus five other players, typically two defenders and three attackers (two forwards and one center). If the ice surface is especially small, some leagues use fewer players on the ice.

The object of the game is to score goals into your opponent's goal/net. The team with the most goals at the end of a game is declared the winner. In some tournaments, if the scores are tied after regular time, an additional overtime period is played to determine a winner. In the overtime period (in most cases), six players, three on each team, play five minutes without a goalie. The team to score more goals in the overtime period is declared the winner. In the event of another tie, a second overtime period may be played. In some games a shootout period will be played. The shooter has the choice to have the ball placed a specified distance from the net or, like in hockey, can play the ball from center ice.

[edit] Officials

Broomball games are controlled by two on-ice referees. Both referees have the same powers to call all penalties, off-sides, goals, and so on. There usually are off-ice officials as well, depending on the level of the game being played, including a scorekeeper, a timekeeper, a penalty timekeeper, and goal judges.

Referees are generally required to wear black and white vertical-striped jerseys, with a red arm band on one arm. They use this arm to signal penalties throughout the game.

[edit] History

There is no known fully accurate history of broomball. The general consensus is that modern broomball originated in Canada. Some think it came about by trying to play ice hockey without ice skates. However, recent research indicates that a sport similar to broomball, known as knattleikr, was played in Iceland in the 10th century. The sport was almost considered warfare, with the occasional death not uncommon, and games could involve whole villages and lasted up to 14 days. Writer Hord Grimkellson reported that, in a game between Strand and Botn, that "before dusk, six of the Strand players lay dead, though none on the Botn side."^[1]

The first recorded broomball games in North America were in Toronto in 1909 and Ontario in 1911, although there is some evidence to suggest broomball was being played as early as the 1890s.^[2] From Canada the game spread south to the United States, becoming especially popular in Minnesota, where by the 1960s a broomball community was thriving.^[3]

Broomball spread internationally over the following decades, and by the 1980s, organized broomball was being played in Australia,^[4] Japan, Sweden, Italy,^[5] Germany,^[5] and Switzerland.^[6]

[edit] World governing body

The International Federation of Broomball Associations (IFBA) is the world governing body of broomball. Its headquarters are in Canada.

Every two years the IFBA runs the World Broomball Championships (also known as the Challenge Cup), an international event with teams from around the world. Historically, the championships have been dominated by the North Americans teams.

[edit] United States governing body

The American organization recognized by the IFBA is USA Broomball. They are responsible for sanctioning tournaments, training and certifying officials, and recognizing state governing bodies regarding broomball. The states that currently have governing bodies recognized by USA Broomball include Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, and Ohio. USA Broomball also organizes and oversees the annual USA Broomball National Championships. In odd-numbered years, Minnesota (the unofficial U.S. broomball capital and home to the majority of broomball leagues and teams in the country) hosts the National Championships. In even-numbered years, a different state with an officially-recognized state organization hosts the tournament. Below is a list of recent hosts of the National Championships.

[edit] Broomball around the world

Broomball is now an established international recreational sport, played in many countries around the world. Canada and the United States are the "powerhouse" nations of the sport, with their local representative teams often battling in prestigious tournaments held annually across North America.

Broomball is becoming more popular internationally, as well. In Japan, some top teams and players are attracted to regular tournaments. Australia holds its annual National Championships in centers across the country and is continually increasing its number of players in a country where ice sports are not considered popular. Switzerland and Italy regularly send representative teams to tournaments in North America. The UK hosts an annual tournament played at the Broadgate Ice Centre in London, which attracts North American players.

Other broomballing nations include Finland, Germany, and Russia.

[edit] The Future of Broomball

With broomball's rising popularity, informal games (such as this one between Geneva College students) are sometimes held as social events for all people.

Broomball continues to grow globally. With a firm foothold in Canada and the United States and an established presence in other nations, the IFBA is now considering taking the sport to the Winter Olympics. The Canadian Broomball Federation is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the first such national broomball body to achieve this, and it is expected other federations will soon follow. Universities, such as Michigan Tech, are embracing broomball. At Michigan Tech, the sport has become a popular tradition: in 2008, 2000 students participated on a total of 200 teams at Michigan Technological University, with the overall winner being The Pirate Sheep. Broomball has also become very popular at Penn State University, with the vast majority of clubs and organizations on campus holding at least one broomball social per semester.

Cincinnati, Ohio recently embraced broomball with a league formation in the city's most public space, Fountain Square. The Fountain Square Broomball League consisted of two conferences, eight divisions, and 24 teams. There was color commentary, slow-motion instant replay on the Square's LED board, and a championship game called the Contusion Bowl FSBL.

The future of the sport looks bright. Marketed as "the alternative team sport on ice," broomball offers a less-confrontational alternative to ice hockey. At the elite level, broomball is a fast-paced with highly skilled players. At a social level, broomball is enjoyable for all players regardless of sporting skill.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[0] ttp://www.broomball.com.au/ancienthistory.shtml

[1] Broomball Association of South Australia - What is Broomball

[2] History of broomball in the United States

[3] History of Australian broomball

[Italy.2BGermany-4] History of Italian broomball

[5] Site officiel de l'Association Suisse de Broomball

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