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Rules by IFF (the International Floorball Federation) modified for play without goalies according to the guidelines of SIBF (the Swedish Floorball Federation).
Regular time
Regular time shall be 3 periods of 20 minutes each, with two 10 minute intermissions at which the teams shall change sides. Exemption for shorter time, however no less than 2 times 15 minutes, and/or intermissions may be given by the administrating authority. In connection with the changing of sides, the teams shall also change substitution zones. The home team shall at an early stage before the match choose sides. Every new period shall start with a face-off at the centre point. At the end of every period the secretariat is responsible for providing a siren or other suitable sound device. The timing of the intermission shall start immediately at the end of the period. The referees are responsible for calling the teams back onto the rink to resume play in time after the intermission. If the referees consider one side of the court to be better than the other, the teams shall change sides after half the third period, but this has to be decided before the match. If such a changing of sides takes place, play shall be resumed with a face-off at the centre point.
Time shall only be stopped in connection with a goal, a penalty, a penalty shot, a time-out or at the referees' sign at an unnatural situation, but the last 3 minutes of the regular time shall be effective. When time has been stopped, it shall be started again when the ball is played after the referees' signal, however not during a penalty shot. The referees decide what shall be considered an unnatural situation, but this always includes a damaged ball, when parts of the board have been separated, injury, measuring of equipment, unauthorized persons or objects on the rink, when the light in the arena entirely or partly goes out, and when the siren goes off by mistake. If parts of the board have been separated, play shall go on until the ball comes near the place in question. When an injury occurs, play shall be interrupted only if the referees suspect serious injury or if the injured player directly affects play. Effective time implies that time shall be stopped every time play is interrupted and started again when the ball is played after the referees' signal.
During regular time, each team shall have the right to request one time-out, which shall be carried out as soon as play is interrupted. A time-out may be requested at any time, but only by the team captain or a member of the team staff. A time-out requested during an interruption shall be carried out immediately, but if the referees consider that this negatively affects the situation for the opposing team, the time-out shall be carried out at the next interruption. A requested time-out shall always be carried out, except after a goal, when the team may withdraw the request. A time-out starts at the referees' additional signal when the teams are at their substitution zones and the referees at the secretariat. Another additional signal after 30 seconds marks the end of the time-out. After a time-out, play shall be resumed according to what caused the interruption. A penalized player must not participate in a time-out.
A period or a match is over as soon as the siren has started to sound.
Extensions
If a match, which must have a winner, ends with a tie, it shall be extended until one team scores (so called sudden death).
Before extension, the teams have the right to a 2 minute intermission, but no changing of sides shall take place. Extension is not divided into periods. During extension, the rules concerning stopping and starting time shall be the same as during regular time. Effective time shall not be used. penalty time remaining after regular time shall continue during extension.
Exemption for a 10 minute limited extension may be given by the administrating authority. If the score after limited extension still is equal, the match shall be decided through penalty shots. The referees decide which goal to use and toss a coin between the team captains, and the winner decides which team will start taking the penalty shots. The team captain or a member of the team staff shall in writing inform the referees and the secretariat of the numbers of the players and the order in which they will take the penalty shots. The penalty shots shall be taken alternately between the two teams. Five players from each team shall take one penalty shot each. The match is over when a team is leading by a larger number of goal than the opposing team has remaining penalty shots. If the score after this still is equal, the same players shall take one penalty shot each. These extra penalty shots do not have to be taken in the same order as the first ten, but a player must not take his or her third penalty shot until all the noted players in his or her team have taken at least two, and so on. The match is over when a team has scored one goal more than the opposing team and both teams have taken the same number of penalty shots. The final result is the score after regular time plus one goal for the winner. A penalized player may participate in the penalty shots if he or she has not incurred a match penalty. If one of the noted players incurs a match penalty during the penalty shots, the team captain shall choose a player, who is not already noted, to replace the player who has incurred a match penalty. A team that is unable to note five players shall only be allowed to take as many penalty shots as they have noted players. This is also valid during possible extra penalty shots.
Interruptions of the match
The referees interrupt the match, for the reasons listed below, with a whistle signal. They then show consequence signs, followed by possible offence signs.
A fixed situation is used to restart play. Fixed situations are face-offs, hit-ins, free hits and penalty shots. Except for face-offs, a player in the team that has the right to the ball, hits the ball to restart play. Note that the ball must be hit, not dragged, lifted or kicked. In a face-off one player from each team participates, and the ball must be dragged, not hit, lifted, or kicked.
Except for penalty shots, players of the opposing team, or both teams in the case of a face-off, must immediately take a position at least 3 metres (stick included) from the ball, without being told so by the referee. In the case of a penalty shot, all players (except for the one performing the penalty shot) must be in their substitution zones.
A player involved in a fixed situation other than a face-off must not interact with the ball again until it has touched another player or another player's equipment.
A referee will use a whistle signal to restart play. After the signal the ball can be played, provided it is at rest and at the correct location. A referee decides what is the correct location. If play is not affected, the ball does not have to be entirely still or in exactly the right place at a hit-in or a free hit. The player taking a hit-in or a free hit does not need to wait for the opponents to take position, but if the ball is played while the opponents in a correct way are trying to take position, they shall not be penalized by the referees.
| Event | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Play is interrupted and neither team can be awarded a hit-in, free hit or a penalty shot. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| The ball is unintentionally damaged. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| The ball is not correctly playable, and the referees have given the players a reasonable opportunity to play it. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A goal is unintentionally moved. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A goal is disallowed, but no offence causing a free hit was commited. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A goal is allowed during regular time, but not after time has expired at the end of a period. | Face-off at the centre point. |
| An unnatural situation occurs. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A penalty shot does not result in a goal, or is performed incorrectly. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A delayed penalty is carried out because the offending team gains and controls the ball, or the non-offending team is delaying play, and has been warned by the referees about that. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A penalty (not delayed) is imposed for an offence committed or discovered during, but not in connection with, play. This includes when a penalized player enters the court before his or her penalty has expired. In connection with play implies controlling or trying to reach the ball. | Face-off at the nearest face-off point. |
| A player participating in a face-off does not obey the referees' instructions. | Another player who is on the court shall take the face-off. |
| The ball is played out-of-bounds, i.e. over the board or it touches the ceiling or another object above the court. Note that the entire ball shall pass the board; the ball is considered to still be in play if it bounces off the edge of the board and back on the court. | Hit-in. |
| The attacking team prevents or obstructs the formation of a defence line. | Free hit for the defending team. |
| Slashing or hitting an opponents stick, without first playing the ball. | Free hit. (Referee sign 1) |
| Holding, blocking or binding an opponents stick. | Free hit. (Referee sign 2) |
| Lifting an opponents stick. | Free hit. (Referee sign 3) |
| Kicking an opponents stick. | Free hit. (Referee sign 12) |
| A player in control of the ball, or trying to reach it, with his or her stick hits an opponents foot or leg. | Free hit. (Referee sign 1) |
| Raising the blade of one's stick above waist level on either the forward or backward swing of a shot. This also includes mock shots. A high forward swing is allowed if no other players are in the vicinity and no risk for injury exists. | Free hit. (Referee sign 4) |
| Raising one's stick over an opponents head. | Free hit. (Referee sign 4) |
| Using any part of one's stick to play or try to play the ball above knee level. | Free hit. (Referee sign 4) |
| Using one's foot to play or try to play the ball above knee level. Stopping the ball with one's thigh is considered playing the ball above knee level, unless the player has both feet on the floor or is running in a normal way. | Free hit. (Referee sign 13) |
| Placing one's stick, foot or leg between an opponent's legs or feet. | Free hit. (Referee sign 5) |
| A player in control of the ball, or trying to reach it, in any other way than shoulder against shoulder pushes an opponent. | Free hit. (Referee sign 7) |
| A player in control of the ball, trying to reach it, or trying to get a better position, runs, walks or steps into an opponent backwards. | Free hit. (Referee sign 8) |
| Stopping the ball with any part of one's body but the feet touching the floor. | Free hit. |
| Intentionally kicking the ball twice in a row, i.e. without the ball touching another player or another player's equipment in between. | Free hit. (Referee sign 12) |
| Receiving an intentional foot pass from a player in the same team, unless the opponents omits to take control of the ball despite the possibility to do so. | Free hit. (Referee sign 12) |
| Intentionally moving the opposing teams goal. | Free hit. (Referee sign 14) |
| Jumping up and stopping the ball. As jumping is considered when both feet entirely leave the floor. Running is not jumping. | Free hit. (Referee sign 16) |
| Playing the ball from outside the court, i.e. with one or two feet outside the court. | Free hit. |
| A fixed situation is unreasonably delayed, after the referees have warned the player about that. | Free hit. (Referee sign 18) |
| A hit-in or a free hit is incorrectly performed. | Free hit. (Referee sign 18) |
| A hit-in or a free hit is taken from the wrong place or when the ball is not entirely still. | The same team shall retake the free hit. |
| A penalty is imposed for an offence commited in connection with play. | Free hit. |
| With any part of one's body in the opposing team's crease, stop or play the ball. Note that the lines bounding the crease are part of the crease. | Free hit. |
| With any part of one's body in the own team's crease, stop or play the ball. | Penalty shot. |
| At a goal situation commit an offence with the purpose of preventing a goal, no matter where on the court the offence is being committed. | Penalty shot. |
| Slashing or hitting an opponents stick, without first playing the ball, in order to win a considerable advantage or with no possibility to reach the ball. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 1) |
| Holding, blocking or binding an opponents stick, in order to win a considerable advantage or with no possibility to reach the ball. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 2) |
| Lifting an opponents stick, in order to win a considerable advantage or with no possibility to reach the ball. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 3) |
| Kicking an opponents stick, in order to win a considerable advantage or with no possibility to reach the ball. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 12) |
| Using any part of one's stick to play or try to play the ball above knee level, and thereby win a considerable advantage. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 4) |
| Using one's foot to play or try to play the ball above knee level, and thereby win a considerable advantage. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 13) |
| Dangerous play, including uncontrolled forward or backward swing, or raising one's stick above an opponent's head if this is considered dangerous or disturbing for the opponent. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 4) |
| In an otherwise correct way pushing an opponent against the board or the goal. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 7) |
| When trying to reach the ball, tackling or tripping an opponent. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 9) |
| Holding a player or a player's equipment. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 10) |
| Obstructing an opponent not in control of the ball. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 11) |
| Violating the 3 m rule at a hit-in or a free hit. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 15) |
| Playing or stopping the ball lying down, including having both knees or one hand on the floor, stick-holding hand excluded. If a player unintentionally has fallen and is hit by the ball, no penalty shall be given. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 19) |
| Playing or stopping the ball with one's hand or arm. If the player is hit by the ball and has no way of avoiding this, no penalty shall be given. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 20) |
| Playing or stopping the ball with one's head. If the player is hit by the ball and has no way of avoiding this, no penalty shall be given. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 21) |
| Incorrect substitution, including when a substituting player plays the ball from outside the court, or substituting outside the team's substitution zone, even if play is interrupted. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 22) |
| Playing with too many players on the court. | 2 minute team penalty. Only one player shall be penalized. (Referee sign 21) |
| Committing repeated offences causing a free hit, and the referees have warned the player about that. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 23) |
| A team systematically disturbs play by committing repeated offences causing a free hit, and the referees have warned the team captain about that. | 2 minute team penalty. The player committing the last offence shall serve the penalty. (Referee sign 23) |
| Intentionally delaying play, including hitting the ball away during an interruption, intentionally blocking the ball, intentionally playing it over the board, or intentionally damaging it. Only a player in control of the ball is considered to be able to intentionally play the ball over the board. If a player, intending to gain time, takes a position along the board and thereby prevents the opponents from reaching the ball in a correct way, the referees shall, if possible, notify the player before any action is taken. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 24) |
| A team systematically delays play, and the referees have warned the team captain about that. | 2 minute team penalty. The team captain shall choose a player, who is not penalized, to serve the penalty. (Referee sign 24) |
| A player or a member of the team staff protests against the referees' decisions, or when coaching is performed in a disturbing or otherwise incorrect way. This also includes when the team captain constantly and without reason questions the referees' decisions. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 25) |
| A penalized player, without entering the rink, leaves the penalty bench before his or her penalty expires or terminates, or refuses to leave the penalty bench when he or she should do so. | 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 25) |
| Upon summons from a referee, omitting to correct personal equipment. | 2 minute team penalty. |
| Using incorrect clothing. | 2 minute team penalty. Only one penalty per team and match. |
| A team captain requests measuring of a hook or a shaft and the measured equipment is correct. | 2 minute team penalty. |
| An incorrectly numbered player participates in the match. | 2 minute team penalty. The team captain shall choose a player, who is not penalized, to serve the penalty. As soon as the match record is corrected, the incorrectly numbered player may continue to play. |
| Playing without a stick. | 2 minute team penalty. |
| Fetching a stick from another place than the team's own substitution zone. | 2 minute team penalty. |
| A player, in control of the ball or trying to reach it, performs violent or dangerous strikes with his or her stick, including raising one's stick over an opponent's head and the opponent is hit. | 5 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 1) |
| Hooking an opponent's body using one's stick. | 5 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 6) |
| Throwing one's stick or other equipment in order to hit the ball. | 5 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 9) |
| A player, trying to reach the ball, throws himself or herself towards an opponent or otherwise attacks an opponent violently. | 5 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 9) |
| A player, in control of the ball or trying to reach it, tackles an opponent against the board or the goal. | 5 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 9) |
| Committing repeated offences causing a 2 minute team penalty. The offences shall be similar. | 5 minute team penalty, replacing the last 2 minute team penalty. (Referee sign 23) |
| Omitting to remove all clearly visible parts of one's broken stick from the court and take them to the team's own substitution zone. | 5 minute team penalty. |
| Unsportsmanlike behaviour. This implies behaving in an insulting or unfair way towards referees, players, team staff, officials or spectators, to intentionally move the goal, to kick or with the stick hit the board or the goal, or to throw the stick or other equipment during an interruption or in the substitution zone. | 2 minute team penalty plus 10 minute personal penalty. |
| Using a stick with a too large hook or a too long shaft, i.e. a shaft that has not been lengthened, but whose length still exceeds the allowed measure. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty. |
| A player, not noted in the match record, participates in the match. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty. |
| Participating in a scuffle, i.e. a milder form a fight, without punches or kicks, where the players involved can be considered to respect attempts to separate them. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 9) |
| Committing an offence causing a 5 minute team penalty for the second time in the same match. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 23) |
| Continued unsportsmanlike behaviour. Continued implies in the same sequence and repeated for the second time in the same match. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 25) |
| In anger smashing one's stick or other equipment. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 25) |
| Trying to correct equipment about to be measured. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 25) |
| Clearly trying to sabotage play, including when a penalized player intentionally enters the court before his or her penalty expires or terminates, offences committed by the offending team from the substitution zone during a penalty shot, when equipment is thrown from the substitution zone during play, or when a player, not in the process of substituting, takes or tries to take part in the match from the substitution zone. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. (Referee sign 25) |
| Playing with a defective stick or stick which may cause injury. A painted stick or a blade with minor holes is considered correctable, and shall not be penalized if the player corrects his or her stick. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament. |
| Participating in a fight, i.e. using punches or kicks. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament plus further punishment as decided by the administrating authority. (Referee sign 9) |
| Brutal offence. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament plus further punishment as decided by the administrating authority. (Referee sign 9) |
| Abusive language, i.e. grossly insulting referees, players, team staff, officials, or spectators. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament plus further punishment as decided by the administrating authority. (Referee sign 25) |
| Using a stick with strengthened or lengthened shaft. | 5 minute team penalty plus match penalty plus suspension from the next match in the same championship or tournament plus further punishment as decided by the administrating authority. (Referee sign 9) |
Before a face-off, it is the referees' responsibility to check that the teams are ready and that all the players have taken their positions. The ball is put to play at the referee's signal.
When a face-off is taken at the centre point, each team shall be on their side of the centre line.
Hit-ins
A hit-in shall be taken by a player in the team who did not play the ball out-of-bounds, from where the ball left the court, within 150 cm from the board. If the ball went out of bounds behind the imaginary, extended goal line, the hit-in shall be taken from the nearest face-off point. If the ball touched the ceiling or another object above the court, the hit-in shall be taken 150 cm from the board, at the same distance from the centre line.
Free hits
A free hit is performed at the location where the situation causing it occurred, but never behind an imaginary, extended goal line, or closer to a crease than 350 cm. A free hit behind an imaginary, extended goal line shall be taken from the nearest face-off point. A free hit closer to a crease than 350 cm, shall be taken from a point 350 cm from the crease, in line with the point where the offence occured and the centre of the goal line. When a free hit is moved out in this fashion, the defending team shall have the right to form a defence line immediately outside the crease. The attacking team does not have to wait for the defending team to form a defence line, and also has the right to, in a correct way, position their players in front of the defence line.
A free hit closer to the board than 150 cm may be moved out to this distance.
The referee must not call a free hit if this is advantageous to the erring team, but the advantage rule shall be used. This implies that if the non-offending team after an offence still controls the ball, they shall have the opportunity to keep on playing if that is more advantageous than a free hit.
Penalty shots
Penalty shots are taken from the penalty points.
A delayed penalty shot shall be applied when the non-offending team after an offence causing the penalty shot still controls the ball and the goal situation still is in progress. A delayed penalty shot shall only be applied if the offence is causing a 2 minute team penalty. If a delayed penalty is in progress, a delayed penalty shot shall only be applied if the offence causing the penalty shot does not cause a penalty.
Penalties
If the referees are unable to point out the offender, or if the offence is committed by a member of the team staff, the team captain shall choose a player, who is not already penalized, to serve the penalty. If the team captain refuses to do this, the team captain shall serve the penalty.
A penalized player shall be on the penalty bench during the penalty, even if his or her penalty time is not being measured at the time. All penalties terminate when the match is over. A penalty, which has not expired at the end of regular time, shall continue during an extension. A penalized player may leave the penalty bench during intermission, but he or she has to return in time before the next period. A penalized player must not participate in a time-out. A player, whose penalty expires, shall immediately leave the penalty bench, unless the number of penalties for his or her team makes this impossible or the penalty expiring is a personal penalty.
A team penalty shall affect the team, and due to this the penalized player must not be replaced on the court during the penalty.
No more than one team penalty per player and two team penalties per team must be measured simultaneously. All team penalties shall be measured in the order they are imposed. If more than one penalty simultaneously is imposed on a team already having one or more team penalties, the team captain decides which of the new penalties shall be measured first, with two exceptions; shorter team penalties shall always be measured before longer, and a delayed penalty shall be measured before the penalty causing the interruption.
A team, which has more than two players with current team penalties, shall still have the right to play with three players on the court. The team shall play with three players on the court until they have only one team penalty being measured. A player, whose team penalty expires before this, shall remain on the penalty bench until play is interrupted or, if this occurs sooner, further team penalties expire so that his or her team has only one team penalty being measured. All penalized players in a team shall leave the penalty bench in the same order as their team penalties expire. The referees shall together with the secretariat help a player, whose penalty has expired during play, to leave the penalty bench as soon as play is interrupted.
If a player, who has incurred a team penalty, commit further offences causing penalties, all penalties shall be served consecutively. This is regardless of whether the first penalty has begun to be measured or not. If a team penalty already has begun to be measured and the same player incurs another penalty, the measuring of the first penalty shall not be affected, but go on from where it was when the new penalty was carried out. Consecutively, implies that as soon as the player's first team penalty expires or terminates, the next one shall start being measured, unless the team has other team penalties, not yet being measured, which has been imposed in between the first player's team penalties. An unlimited number of team penalties can be imposed on the same player, but the rules concerning repeated offences shall, when necessary, also be applied. If a player has incurred a personal penalty, all his or her team penalties have to expire or terminate before the personal penalty may start being measured.
If the opposing team scores during a 2 minute team penalty that is being measured, the penalty shall terminate, unless the opposing team is outnumbered on the rink or the teams play with an equal number of players. Nor must the penalty terminate if the goal is scored during a delayed penalty or on a penalty shot caused by an offence causing a penalty. If a team has more than one 2 minute team penalty, these shall, with the exception of double penalties, terminate in the same order they have been carried out. Double penalties shall never terminate. A double penalty is defined as when two 2 minute team penalties, imposed on one player from each team, are carried out simultaneously, and the measuring of the penalties also starts simultaneously. A double penalty can not occur if one of the teams already has more than one team penalty being measured. If a penalty shot results in a goal, the penalty causing the penalty shot shall be cancelled if it is a 2 minute team penalty, but all other types of penalties shall be carried out. If a delayed penalty shot, caused by an offence not causing a penalty, is carried out due to the offending team committing an offence causing a penalty, the last offence shall be considered to be the offence causing the penalty shot. If a penalty shot, caused by an offence not causing a penalty is awarded during a delayed penalty, the delayed penalty shall be considered considered to be the offence causing the penalty shot, unless the penalty shot is delayed and the offending team commits yet another offence causing a penalty, in which case the last offence shall be considered to be the offence causing the penalty shot.
A delayed penalty shall be applied when the non-offending team after an offence causing a 2 minute team penalty still controls the ball. Only one penalty at a time can be delayed. If another offence causing a penalty is committed during a delayed penalty, play shall be interrupted and both penalties carried out.
A delayed penalty implies that the non-offending team is given the possibility to continue the attack until the offending team gains and controls the ball or play is interrupted. A delayed penalty shall be carried out at the end of a period or a match. If the non-offending team scores an allowed goal during a delayed penalty, the delayed penalty shall be cancelled, but no other penalties shall be affected.
A personal penalty shall only affect the player, and due to this he or she may be replaced on the rink during the penalty. If a player, already serving a personal penalty, incurs a team penalty, the measuring of the remaining personal penalty shall, as soon as the team penalty can be measured, be postponed until the team penalty expires or terminates, and the team captain shall choose a player, who is not already penalized, to accompany the player on the penalty bench in order to enter the rink when the team penalty expires. A personal penalty can only be imposed in connection with a team penalty. An unlimited number of personal penalties may be measured simultaneously. A member of the team staff incurring a personal penalty shall be sent to the spectators' stand for the rest of the match, and the team captain shall choose a player, who is not already penalized, to serve the team penalty.
A player or a member of the team staff incurring a match penalty shall immediately go to the dressing room and must not take any further part in the match. The arranging team is responsible to see to it that the offender goes to the dressing room and does not return to the spectators' stand or the rink during the remainder of the match, possible extension and penalty shots included. All match penalties shall be reported to the administrating authority. Offences, normally causing a match penalty, committed before or after the match shall be reported, but no team penalty shall be imposed. Offences causing a match penalty committed before the match shall also bring about that the offender must not participate in the match or be at the spectators' stand during the match, possible extension and penalty shots included.
The team captain shall choose a player, who is not already penalized, to serve the 5 minute team penalty and possible other remaining team penalties concerning a player incurring a match penalty. Possible personal penalties concerning the player incurring a match penalty shall terminate.
Penalty time shall be synchronized to match time.
All carried out penalties shall be noted in the match record with time, number of the player, type and cause of penalty.
Allowed goals
A goal is allowed when the entire ball passes the goal line from the front after having been played in a correct way with a player's stick, and no offence causing a free-hit or a penalty has been committed by the attacking team in connection with, or immediately before, the goal. This also includes when a player in the defending team has moved the goal out of position and the ball passes the goal line from the front between the marks for the posts and below the imaginary position of the bar, when an incorrectly numbered player is involved, through scoring or assisting, in the goal, and when an own goal is scored.
A goal is also allowed when the entire ball passes the goal line from the front after a player in the defending team with his or her stick or body has directed the ball, or a player in the attacking team with his or her body unintentionally has directed the ball, and no offence causing a free-hit or a penalty has been committed by the attacking team in connection with, or immediately before, the goal.
As an own goal shall be considered only when a player in the defending team plays the ball into the goal, not if he or she directs it with his or her stick or body. If the non-offending team scores an own goal during a delayed penalty, the goal shall be allowed. An own goal shall be rewarded the player in the attacking team who last touches the ball, but no assist shall be noted.
All allowed goals shall be noted in the match record with time and the numbers of the scoring and assisting players.
Substitutions must take place in the substitution zones. The player being substituted must have left the court before the substituting player can enter it. An injured player leaving the rink outside the own substitution zone must not be replaced until play is interrupted.
Players and team staff
Not more than 20 players may be noted in the match record by each team.
The number of players on the court is 5 per team, but can be adjusted according to the size of the court upon a decision by the administrating authority. However, it must be the same in all matches of a tournament or championship.
Each team must have 5 players on the court for the referees to start the match, or else the match will be forfeited. The forfeit score is 5-0.
Each team must have at least 3 players on the court at all times. If this is not possible, e.g. due to injuries or penalties, the match is stopped, and the present score is the final score. If the forfeit score (5-0) is more advantageous for the opposing team, then that is the final score.
Each team shall have a team captain, who shall be marked in the match record. Change of the team captain may only take place in case of injury, illness or match penalty, and has to be noted with time in the match record. A replaced team captain must not again, during the same match, function as team captain.
Only the team captain has the right to speak to the referees, but he or she is also obliged to assist them. When the team captain speaks to the referees, this shall be done according to set conditions; a penalized team captain loses his or her right to speak to the referees, unless he or she is addressed by them, and the team has during this time no other possibility to communicate with the referees.
Each team may note at the most five members as team staff in the match record. No other persons than those noted in the match record are allowed to be in the substitution zones. With the exception of time-out, a member of the team staff must not enter the rink without the referees' permission. All coaching shall take place from each team's own substitution zone. Before the match, a member of the team staff shall sign the match record, and after this no completions shall be allowed.
A member of one team must not be in the opposing team's substitution zone.
Referees and secretariat
A match shall be led and controlled by two equally authorized referees. The referees shall use prescribed signals and signs. The referees shall have the right to stop a match if there is an obvious risk that it can not be continued according to the rules.
A secretariat shall be in place. The secretariat shall be neutral and responsible for match record and time keeping and possible speaker tasks.
It is the duty of a referee to know the rules.
A referee shall arrive to the match in the best physical condition.
A referee shall be equipped with a whistles and a measuring tape.
The referees shall at an early stage before the match inspect the court and see to it that possible defects are corrected. All defects shall be reported to the administrating authority. The arranging team is responsible for correcting defects and for keeping the board in a proper condition during the match. All dangerous objects shall be removed or padded. If the court is not playable, the match must be canceled.
Before the match, the referees must make sure that the secretariat is functioning, and that it has all the equipment necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.
The referees shall start implementing the rules for the players as soon as they arrive in the arena, and until they have left.
The referee shall inform the secretariat of who made a goal and who received what penalty.
If the referees rule against the same team, but have different opinions on the level of the penalty, the most severe penalty will be used.
If the referees rule against different teams, the ruling of the referee closest to the situation will be used.
The court
The court shall be rectangular, 40 m by 20 m (minimum 36 m by 18 m, maximum 44 m by 22 m), with rounded corners. It is bounded by a 50 cm tall board, which shall be approved by the administrating authority.
The following shall be marked with 4 cm to 5 cm wide lines in a clearly visible colour:
Players' benches shall be placed at an appropriate distance from the board, not exceeding 5 m, within the limits of each substitution zone, and have room for nineteen persons each.
A secretariat with penalty benches shall be placed opposite the substitution zones, by the centre line. The secretariat and the penalty benches shall be placed at an appropriate distance from the board. There shall be separate penalty benches for each team, placed on each side of the secretariat, each on the same side of the centre line as its corresponding players' bench. The penalty benches shall have room for at least two persons each. Exemption for the placing of the secretariat and the penalty benches may be given by the administrating authority.
The size of the court must be the same in all matches of a tournament or championship.
Sticks
A stick shall be made in plastic materials, have a knob that ends the shaft, and be approved by the administrating authority.
The shaft shall have a round cross-section, and its length may not exceed 950 mm, measured from the top of the knob, to the joint with the blade. The diameter of the shaft, including the knob, may not exceed 35 mm. The length of the blade may not exceed 350 mm, measured from the joint with the shaft, to the tip of the blade, along the outer edge of the blade. It cannot be sharp, and its so called hook may not exceed 30 mm (measured when the stick rests upon the floor, from the floor to the lowest point of the highest part of the blade). At any point along the blade, its height may not exceed 80 mm, and its width shall be 5 mm to 13 mm. A grip mark, 10 mm wide, shall be placed on the shaft 240 mm from the blade. The shaft may be taped only above the grip mark, and only as long as no approval marks or other official marks are covered. The total weight of the stick excluding tape may not exceed 380 g. Changing the blade is allowed, but the new blade must not be weakened. Taping the joint between the blade and the shaft is allowed, but no more than 10 mm of the visible part of the blade must be covered.
Balls
The ball shall be made out of plastic, be spherical with a diameter of 72 mm, and be approved by the administrating authority. The colour of the ball shall be white, but exemption for other colours may be given by the administrating authority. It must have 26 symmetrically placed holes, each with a diameter of 10 mm. The weight must be 23 g. For every match, the arranging team shall see to it that there is at least the number of new balls available decided by the administrating authority.
Clothing
The players must have uniforms of an athletic type. Knickers or similar trousers are not permitted. With the exception of grey shirts, the uniforms may have any colour combination. If the referees consider that the teams can not be distinguished by their uniforms, the visiting team is obliged to change. If decided by the administrating authority, socks shall be pulled up to the knees, mutually uniform and distinguishable between the teams.
The shirts must be numbered on front and back with clearly visible integer numbers in the range 1 to 99 in Arabic. The numbers on the back shall be at least 200 mm in height, on the front at least 70 mm.
The team captains must wear a clearly visible arm band on their left upper arms, at least 70 mm wide, in a colour different from the shirts. Tape is not allowed as an arm band.
players must wear athletic shoes. Possible prescriptions regarding the sole must be followed. If a player's shoe falls off during the match, the player may keep on playing without the shoe until the next interruption of play.
The referees shall wear grey shirts, black shorts and black knee socks. Exemption for other colour combinations may be given by the administrating authority.
Measuring of a hook or a shaft may be requested by the team captain. The team captain also has the right to point out to the referees other incorrectness in the opponents' equipment, but in this case the referees decide whether or not to take action. Measuring may be requested at any time, but shall not be carried out until play is interrupted. If measuring is requested during an interruption, it shall be carried out immediately, unless it negatively affects the situation for the opposing team. In this case the measuring shall be carried out at the next interruption. The referees are obliged to control a hook or a shaft on a team captain's request, but only one measuring per team and interruption shall be allowed.
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