Inline hockey is a version of Roller Hockey, which looks similar to Ice Hockey. It is a team sport played on a wooden or concrete surface, where players use inline skates to move around the court. A version where players use quad skates is called Rink Hockey. These are all types of Floor Hockey.
The court used for playing is similar to ice hockey rinks except the surface. Side walls and the goalposts are used are similar to that of ice hockey. Some of the major differences are, there is no body checking or fighting so games a less physical, and there are no off-sides and icings which results in fast-paced games.
The sport is played between two teams with five players on each side, where one player per team is designated as a goal keeper. A match is played for two 20 minute periods. The team that scores the most goals is declared as the winner. If a game is tied at the end, and a winner has to be decided, overtime play and shootouts will be used.
The two most notable professional inline hockey leagues are, National Roller Hockey League (NRHL) in the United States, and Major League Roller Hockey (MLRH) with teams from the United States and Europe. MLRH has several variations to the game play, with limited inclusion of offsides, icing, and fights.
Similar Sports
- Ice Hockey
- Roller Hockey — description of the umbrella sport name which includes inline and rink hockey.
- Rink Hockey — roller hockey played on quad skates.
- Street Hockey — a team sport that was derived from ice hockey, though it is played on an asphalt or cement surface instead of ice, and players usually just wear shoes.
- Roller Soccer — indoor sport, playing soccer while wearing roller skates.
- Inline Skating
- Unicycle Hockey — a team sport, similar to roller or inline hockey, though all competitors are riding a unicycle and using a tennis ball and ice-hockey sticks.
Related Pages
- List of Roller Sports
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports