Floorball: Controlling Bouncing Balls Below the Knee

In floorball the ball bounces and often arrives at mid-height, but the rules only allow playing it with the stick below the knee and never with the hand or head. Students practice three legal ways to control it: with the blade, the body and the foot.

How to play

1. Explain the rule: the ball may be stopped with the body or foot but not with the hand, the head or by jumping; with the stick, only below the knee (3 min).
2. In pairs 4 m apart, one partner tosses the ball by hand with one bounce and the other cushions it with the blade tilted over it until it rests on the floor (4 min).
3. Tosses at thigh height: stop it with the thigh or chest, letting it drop in front, then dribble with the stick (4 min).
4. Control with the foot and take off with the stick on the next touch; remember that two foot touches in a row are not allowed (4 min).
5. Receiving game: the tosser varies height and side, and the receiver earns a point for each legal control left on the floor within two touches; switch every 10 tosses (5 min).

Rules

• Never play the ball with the stick above the knee; it is a free hit for the opponent.
• No touching the ball with the hand, arm or head, and no jumping to stop it.
• Tosses are always gentle and below chest height.
• No two foot touches in a row.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: bell ball, tosses with a verbal warning and the bounce always in the same spot.
• Limited mobility: blade control from the wheelchair, with tosses at wheel height.
• Anxiety about being hit by the ball: start with a foam ball of the same size.

Learning goals

• Control bouncing balls with the blade, body and foot.
• Know and follow the high-ball and foot-play rules.
• Leave the ball playable on the floor with as few touches as possible.

Equipment for a class of 25

• floorball sticks: 28
• floorball balls: 28
• cones: 14

Teacher tip

Students tend to raise the stick to reach the ball: praise the patience of waiting for it to drop. Remind them that a floorball weighs about 23 g, so body contact does not hurt.

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