Roller hockey (Quad)

Roller Hockey (Quad) is highly popular and has many names worldwide that mean the same sport. Some common names for names Roller Hockey (quad) are: Hóquei em Patins, International Style Ball hockey, Rink Hockey or Hardball Hockey. Roller Hockey was a demonstration rollersport in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. There have been many world championships, Latin countries dominating the sport since the 1940s: Portugal (15 World titles), Spain (13 World titles), Italy (4 World titles) and Argentina (4 World titles). Other countries, such as France, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Andorra and England are regular international competitors, but rarely overcome the traditional powers. Roller Hockey (Quad) is referred to as Hardball Hockey in the United States.

Roller Hockey is a very fast sport, which may create a problem for TV transmissions, and new rinks are built using blue or white pavement to make the ball more visible on TV. The most important clubs in Europe (and, arguably, the world) are SL Benfica and FC Porto from Portugal, FC Barcelona, Reus Deportiu, Igualada and Liceo de Coruña from Spain, and occasionally Primavera Prato, Follonica and Bassano Hockey 54 from Italy. In terms of trophies won FC Barcelona is the most successful team having won seventeen European Cups.

The game

Two five-man teams (four skaters and one goalkeeper) try to drive the ball with their sticks into the opponents' goal. The ball can only be put in motion by a stick. The game has two 25-minute halves (for adults), with the clock stopping when the ball becomes dead. Each team has a one-minute timeout in each half.

Each team has a minimum of six players (a backup goalie is required) and a maximum of ten.

The rink

The rink has usually a polished wooden surface, but any flat, non-abrasive and non-slippery material such as treated cement is acceptable. Likewise, it is allowed for rink owners to put advertisements in the playing area, as long as they don't interfere with ball or skate motion, which includes both physically (must be at the exact same level as the remaining area) and visually (dark colours or any other pattern which can mask the ball).

It can have one out of three standard sizes (a minimum of 34x17 meters, an average of 40x20 and a maximum of 44x22) or any size between the minimum and maximum values that has a 2:1 size ratio with a 10% margin of error.

The rink has rounded corners (1 m radius) and is surrounded by a 1 m wall. The wall also has a wooden base 2 cm wide and at least 20 cm high. Behind the goals there is a 4 m high net, even if there are no stands (to avoid the ball bouncing back from a wall and hitting a player). If the ball hits the net, it's considered to be out of bounds.

The markings are simple. The halfway line divides the rink into halves, and 22 m from the end wall an "anti-play" line is painted. The area is a 9 X 5.40 m rectangle, placed from 2.7 to 3.3 m ahead of the end table. It has a protection area for goalkeepers, a half-circle with 1.5 m radius. All markings are 8 cm in width. The goal (painted in fluorescent orange) is 105 cm high by 170 cm wide. Inside the goal there is a thick net and a bar close to ground to trap the ball inside (before, two extra referees stayed behind the goal to judge goal decisions), and 92 cm deep. While not attached to the ground, it is extremely heavy to prevent movement.

Equipment

*The clothing is similar to that used in football (soccer)—socks up to the knee, shorts and a shirt.
*Sticks are different for skaters and goalkeepers. They can be of any material approved by the CIRH (although wooden sticks are still most often used), with a minimum length of 90 cm and maximum of 115 cm. They cannot be wider than 5 cm or weigh over 500 g.
*The ball is made of vulcanized rubber, has a 23 cm in circumference, and weighs 155 g.
*The skates must have two pairs of wheels, with a minimum diameter of 3 cm. Players are allowed to use brakes in the front of the skate, with a diameter or larger side not larger than 5 cm.
*Protective material includes shin guards, knee caps, jock strap and gloves. Specifications for helmets and elbow caps vary from federation to federation.
*Goalkeepers (or netminders) use protective padding on the torso (plus shoulders) (the maximum amount is being regulated, since, as in ice hockey, many goalkeepers have been using massive protection to make them larger and broader), neck guard, large shin guards (not longer than 75 cm), gloves protecting the whole forearm and a helmet with either a grid or unbreakable transparent material. Unlike the Roller Hockey (Inline) Goalie who uses a Catch Glove to catch the shot on goal, the Roller hockey (Quad) Goalie uses a flat batting glove that provides rebound characteristics when blockiing a shot on goal.

Rules

* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/forms/RulesGameEnglischFinal_08_08_07.pdf International rules of the game -Roller hockey (Quad) English]

* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/forms/CIRHRulesoftheGameFinalel_SpanishVers2_02_06_07.pdf International rules of the game -Roller hockey (Quad) Español ]

* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/forms/Rules_B_Ladies_Juniors_eng.pdf International rules of the game: Modifications Seniors "B", Ladies, Juniors -Roller hockey (Quad) English]

* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/forms/Rules_B_Ladies_Juniors_esp.pdf International rules of the game: Modifications Seniors "B", Ladies, Juniors -Roller hockey (Quad) Español ]

* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/forms/RulesClubsWorld2ndModificationEngl_12_10_07.pdf International rules of the game: Club Modifications -Roller hockey (Quad) Español ]

Championships

Roller Hockey (Hardball Hockey, Rink Hockey, Hoquei em patins ) World Championships are held for the best male and the best ladies national teams in the World. They takes place every two years and are organized by FIRS. A complete list of medal standings and where the World Championships were held can be found at Mens Roller Hockey World Championships and at Ladies Roller Hockey World Championships.

International Governing Bodies

*International_Roller_Sports_Federation F.I.R.SThe authority of FIRS is recognized by the following organizations:
* International Olympic Committee (IOC)
* General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF)
* International World Games Association (IWGA)
* Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO)

FIRS recognizes the following continental confederations:
* Africa - Federation of African Roller Sports (FARS)
* Europe - Confédération Européenne de Roller Skating (CERS)
** Comitée Européen de Rink-Hockey (CERH - CERS)
* Asia - Confederation of Asia Roller Sports (CARS)
* Oceania - Oceania Confederation of Roller Sports (OCRS)
* The Americas - Confederación Panamericana de Roller Sports (CPRS)

FIRS recognizes the following International Technical Committees:
* International Rink Hockey Committee (CIRH)Each continental confederation comprises or recognizes, in turn, various national governing bodies and associations.

History

*The first recorded Hardball Roller Hockey game was played in 1878 at the Denmark Rink in London, England. [http://www.rollerskatingmuseum.com/hockey.htm] [http://usarollersports.org/pages/pdf/magazine/USARS_Summer1978_Web.pdf] [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507126/roller-skating/255268/Roller-sports#ref=ref887928]

*Roller Hockey was first known as “roller polo” due to the introduction of Polo in 1876, skaters took polo to the rinks. [http://usarollersports.org/pages/pdf/magazine/USARS_Summer1978_Web.pdf] [http://www.rollerskating.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=2]

*Roller Hockey was introduced into the U.S. in 1882 with the formation of the National Roller Polo League in Dayton, Ohio, with teams in seven cities. Roller Polo League [http://usarollersports.org/pages/pdf/magazine/USARS_Summer1978_Web.pdf] [http://www42.websamba.com/HockeyWorldCup/ingles/about.htm]

*Organized roller skating sports developed as the popularity of roller skates increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Roller hockey teams were playing throughout Europe as early as 1901. [http://www.jtaa.org/Roller_Hockey/History%20of%20Roller%20Hockey.htm]

*1884 the Massachusetts Roller Polo league was operating with 14 teams [http://usarollersports.org/pages/pdf/magazine/USARS_Summer1978_Web.pdf]

*The first World Championships in roller hockey were held in 1936 in Stuttgart, Germany. [http://www.jtaa.org/Roller_Hockey/History%20of%20Roller%20Hockey.htm]

*Rink Hockey as it was called in Europe was not organized by the RSROA in the United States until 1959 and name roller hockey [http://usarollersports.org/pages/pdf/magazine/USARS_Summer1978_Web.pdf]

*Roller hockey debuted at the US National Championships in 1961. [http://www.rollerskatingmuseum.com/homework_help.htm]

*The Pan American games introduced roller skating as a sport in 1979 and debuted roller hockey the same year. [http://www.rollerskatingmuseum.com/hockey.htm]

*Roller hockey was an exhibition sport in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992. [http://www.aafla.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/1992s4.pdf] [http://worldcat.org/oclc/60284428] [ [Roller hockey at the 1992 Summer Olympics] ]

*Roller Hockey was played by the famous silent film stars, Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin, in the early 1900’s. [http://hardballhockey.blogspot.com/2008/03/roller-hockey-for-dummies-by-linda.html]

One sport with many names

Roller Hockey, Hardball Hockey, Rink Hockey, Hardball Roller Hockey, Ball Hockey, International hockey, Quad Hockey, Hockey, English Roller Hockey, Hockey Sobre Patines, Hockey pista, Hoquei em patins, Hockey Skids, Traditional Hockey, Cane Hockey, Rollhockey, Rolhockey, Hokej na koturaljkama, Rulleskøjtehockey, Rulluisuhoki

ee also

* Roller hockey at the 1992 Summer Olympics
*Roller hockey
*Hockey
*USA Roller Sports
*United States Olympic Committee

External links

* [http://www.rollersports.org/datas.asp?load=520813409A002 FIRS Organizational chart]
* [http://cerh.eu/ Comité Européen de Rink-Hockey CERH website]
* [http://www.inf.fh-dortmund.de/rollhockey/CIRH_Haupt.htm CIRH website]
* [http://www.hardballhockey.com Hardball Hockey .Com] Hardball Hockey Collaboration and Communication in the USA (by invite/request)
* [http://rink-hockey.net/linkshoc.htm Roller Hockey links worldwide]
* [http://www.hardballrollerhockey.com Hardball Roller Hockey] Hardball Roller Hockey in the USA
* [http://www.nrha.co.uk NRHA] Official UK National Roller Hockey Association
* [http://www.roller-hockey.co.uk Roller Hockey Photos] International and UK National photos.
* [http://www.usarollersports.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/HARDBALL+HOCKEY USARS Hardball hockey]
* [http://www.usarshardballhockey.blogspot.com USARS Hardballhockey Blog]
* [http://hardballhock.bravehost.com Hardballhock]
* [http://www.inforoller.com/ Inforoller]
* [http://hardballhockey.blogspot.com Hardballhockey Blog]
* [http://rink-hockey.net Rink-Hockey.net - contains results and world rankings]
* [http://www.infohockey.com/ infoHOCKEY - world roller hockey]