Home

About roller hockey

Aims of the academy

How to find us

Calendar

News and events

Spen Valley Flyers R.H.C

Related links

Development structure

Gallery

Videos

WMRHA team profiles

About The Sport Of Roller Hockey

Roller Hockey is a fast non-contact ball game invented in England in 1896. The game is played on roller skates between two teams of no more than 10 players per team, consisting of 8 outfield players and a minimum of 2 goalkeepers. A team must not have more than 5 players on the rink including the goalkeeper at any time during the game.

The object of the game is to score goals by passing, dribbling and shooting a small hard ball into the opposition's goal using a double sided hooked stick, similar to the 'original' two sided field hockey stick. Roller hockey is played with two types of skates, inlines and quad. Inline refers to roller blades or skates where the wheels are centred in one line on the bottom of the skate. Quads are otherwise know as roller skates, which happen to have four wheels that form a rectangle on the bottom of the boot, with two at the toe and two at the heel, side by side. Roller hockey is not the same as ice hockey or street hockey and has its own set of rules.

This fast paced sport is an exciting spectacle, no matter the level of play. The game has significant tactical similarities to basketball, incorporating screens, blocks and set plays that make the game fascinating as a spectator sport.

The game is played on a rink that must be made up of wood, cement, asphalt or a plastic surface that should be surrounded by boards, ideally measuring 20metres x 40 metres, however smaller rinks are permitted. Other roller hockey rules apply to the goal posts and nets, goal crease and goal keeper's privileged area, the division of the playing surface, the face off area, high zone / end zone, face off spots, benches and signal and timing devices. The main piece of equipment is the stick, which must be made of wood, carbon composite, graphite, aluminium or rubber compound materials. Further roller hockey rules go on to state regulations about the stick and blade sizes, skates, goalkeeper's equipment, protective equipment, dangerous equipment, uniform and match ball.

Although roller hockey is a small sport in England, it is extremely popular in Latin countries such as Spain, Portugal and Argentina where clubs such as FC Porto, FC Barcelona and Deportina La Corunia attract crowds in excess of 5000 spectators, with clubs employing the best professionals in the world.

For the international rules of roller hockey click here!