Floorball vs Ice Hockey: Rink and Rules

Floorball is played on a smaller enclosed rink with a light plastic ball, and its rules make pushing an opponent an offence unless the contact is shoulder to shoulder. Ice hockey is played on a larger rink with a vulcanized rubber puck, and its rules define a legal body check. At Wildcard Sport, we research each sport from governing body rulebooks and official specifications.

The Main Differences Between the Two Games

The two games differ on rink size, equipment and contact rules. The International Floorball Federation (IFF) sets a floorball rink at 131 ft by 66 ft (40 m by 20 m) in its IFF Rules of the Game 2026. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) sets an ice hockey rink at 196.9 ft (60 m) long and 85.3 to 98.4 ft (26 to 30 m) wide in its Official Rule Book 2026/27.

Equipment is the second difference. Floorball players use plastic sticks and a light plastic ball, according to a KSHB report on the sport in the United States. Ice hockey uses a vulcanized rubber puck, which the IIHF rulebook sizes at 3.0 in (7.6 cm) across (IIHF Rule 13.1).

Contact is the third difference. The IIHF rules define a legal body check and set separate penalty rules for boarding, charging and checking from behind (IIHF Rules 41 to 43).

Dimension	Floorball (IFF)	Ice hockey (IIHF)
Governing body	International Floorball Federation (IFF)	International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)
Rulebook used	IFF Rules of the Game 2026	IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27, Version 1.0 (June 2026)
Playing area	131 by 66 ft (40 by 20 m)	196.9 ft (60 m) long by 85.3 to 98.4 ft (26 to 30 m) wide
Playing area in square feet	About 8,600 sq ft (800 m², derived)	About 19,375 sq ft (1,800 m², derived, at 60 by 30 m)
Boards	Enclosed by a board with rounded corners	Ideal board height 3.5 ft (1.07 m) (Rule 1.3)
Players dressed per team	Up to 20 (Rule 301.1)	22: up to 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers (Rule 5.1)
Minimum to start a game	At least 5 field players and a goalkeeper	At least 5 skaters and 1 goalkeeper (Rule 5.1)
Goalkeeper stick	Not allowed (Rule 403)	Allowed; blade up to 3.5 in (9.0 cm) wide (Rule 10.2)
Stick limits	Hook up to 1.18 in (30 mm)	Blade 2.0 to 3.0 in (5.0 to 7.6 cm) wide; shaft up to 64.2 in (1.63 m) (Rule 10.1)
Contact	Forcing or pushing an opponent allowed only shoulder to shoulder	Legal body check defined
Serious penalties	Penalties of 2, 5 or 10 minutes, or expulsion for the rest of the game	First major penalty: 5 minutes off the ice (Rule 20)
Regular game time	3 by 20 minutes, with two 10-minute intermissions	3 by 20 minutes of actual play; intermissions 15 minutes unless the IIHF designates another length (Rules 77.1, 77.2)

Rink Size and Layout

A floorball rink is 131 ft by 66 ft (40 m by 20 m), and an ice hockey rink is 196.9 ft (60 m) long. The IFF Rules of the Game 2026 enclose the floorball rink with a board that has rounded corners. At 40 m by 20 m, the playing area is 800 m², or about 8,600 sq ft (derived from the IFF dimensions). The smallest floorball rink the 2026 rulebook allows is 118 ft by 59 ft (36 m by 18 m).

The IFF explainer page gives a higher limit. It says rinks up to 144 ft by 72 ft (44 m by 22 m) are allowed when the length is double the width.

The IIHF rulebook sets the corner radius at 23.0 to 27.9 ft (7.0 to 8.50 m) (Rule 1.2) and the ideal board height at 3.5 ft (1.07 m) (Rule 1.3). Goal posts stand 4.0 ft (1.22 m) above the ice and sit 6.0 ft (1.83 m) apart inside (IIHF Rule 2).

Take the ice rink at its widest allowed width, 60 m by 30 m. That is 1,800 m², or about 19,375 sq ft (IIHF Rule 1.2, derived). Divide 1,800 m² by the floorball 800 m² and the ice rink is 2.25 times the floorball area (derived, rink corners ignored).

Roster Limits and Substitutions

Floorball teams may dress up to 20 players (IFF Rule 301.1), and ice hockey teams may dress 22. At most six players per team may be on the rink at once: one goalkeeper, or six field players only. A floorball team needs at least five field players and a goalkeeper to start a match. Substitutions are unlimited and made on the fly inside the team's substitution zone (IFF rules).

An ice hockey roster is 22 players: no more than 20 skaters and two goalkeepers (IIHF Rule 5.1). A team must be able to start with at least five skaters and one goalkeeper (IIHF Rule 5.1). Only one goalkeeper may be on the ice at a time (IIHF Rule 5.3). In overtime, a goalkeeper can be pulled for an extra skater (IIHF Rule 84.2).

The dressing gap is two players: 22 in ice hockey against 20 in floorball (derived from IIHF Rule 5.1 and IFF Rule 301.1).

Sticks, Balls and Pucks

Floorball uses a plastic stick and a light plastic ball, and ice hockey uses a rubber puck. The IFF rules cap a floorball stick blade's hook at 1.18 in (30 mm). A field player may not raise the stick blade above waist level in the back-swing before hitting. A floorball goalkeeper may not use a stick at all (IFF Rule 403).

Ice hockey stick limits are set separately for skaters and goalkeepers. A skater's stick may run up to 64.2 in (1.63 m) from heel to end of shaft and 12.6 in (32.0 cm) from heel to end of blade, with blades 2.0 to 3.0 in (5.0 to 7.6 cm) wide (IIHF Rule 10.1). A goalkeeper's blade may be no more than 3.5 in (9.0 cm) wide, or 4.5 in (11.5 cm) at the heel, and no more than 15.6 in (39.5 cm) long (IIHF Rule 10.2). A skater who plays with a goalkeeper's stick takes a minor penalty (IIHF rules).

The IIHF puck is vulcanized rubber, 1.0 in (2.5 cm) thick, 3.0 in (7.6 cm) across, and weighs 5.5 to 6.0 oz (156 to 170 g) (IIHF Rule 13.1).

Contact and Penalty Rules

Floorball bans pushing or forcing an opponent except shoulder to shoulder, and ice hockey defines a legal body check. A field player may not play the ball above knee level with stick, foot or lower leg. Stopping the ball with the thigh does not count as above knee level (IFF Rules of the Game 2026).

Minor infractions in floorball give a free hit. More serious offences bring penalties of two, five or ten minutes, or expulsion for the rest of the game (IFF Rules of the Game 2026). A hit-in or free-hit is taken 4.9 ft (1.5 m) from the board. Official matches are controlled by two referees with equal responsibility.

The IIHF rulebook defines a legal body check as a check on an opponent in possession of the puck. It is made with the hip or body, from the front, diagonally from the front, or straight from the side. Only the trunk may make contact, meaning the hips and shoulders, above the knees and at or below the shoulders (IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27). Boarding, charging and checking from behind each have a separate rule (IIHF Rules 41, 42 and 43). The first major penalty in an ice hockey game removes the offender, except a goalkeeper, from the ice for five minutes (IIHF Rule 20).

Floorball's contact rules are the shoulder to shoulder rule, the knee-level limit on playing the ball, and the waist-level limit on the back-swing. The serious penalty durations also differ: floorball gives 2, 5 or 10 minutes, and the ice hockey first major penalty is 5 minutes.

Game Length and Overtime

Both games run three 20-minute periods at regular time. The floorball regular game is 3 by 20 minutes with two 10-minute intermissions, taken when the teams change ends (IFF Rules of the Game 2026). Shorter local games are allowed, but may not be less than 2 by 15 minutes (IFF rules).

Ice hockey plays three 20-minute periods of actual play, with a rest intermission between periods. Intermissions run 15 minutes or a length the IIHF designates (IIHF Rules 77.1 and 77.2). An IIHF round-robin or preliminary-round game tied after three periods goes to sudden-death overtime of no more than 5 minutes (IIHF Rule 84.1).

The regular-time formats match on period count and period length. The intermissions differ: 10 minutes in floorball and 15 minutes in ice hockey, unless the IIHF designates another length.

Floorball Origins

The IFF was founded on April 12, 1986, in Huskvarna, Sweden, by the floorball associations of Finland, Sweden and Switzerland (IFF history summary). Sweden hosted the first men's World Championship in 1996. The final drew 15,106 spectators at the Stockholm Globe Arena (IFF history summary).

Floorball Participation in the United States

The IFF counted 186 licensed floorball players in the United States in 2022 (IFF member statistics). A KSHB news report says floorball teams exist in at least 26 US states. The same report says the game uses plastic sticks and a light plastic ball instead of a puck.

The 186 figure counts licensed players, and the 26-state figure counts states with teams. The two numbers measure different things.

Starting Out in Floorball

Beginners can start floorball with only shoes and a stick, according to the IFF explainer. The IFF Rules of the Game 2026 strongly recommend protective eyewear for all field participants. They mandate eye protection for junior players under 18.

More Sports to Compare

See the floorball guide, flag football vs tackle football, all comparisons and the sport finder quiz.

Which One Fits You

Pick floorball if you want a rink of about 8,600 sq ft (800 m²) at the standard size, a light plastic ball, and a rule that makes pushing an offence unless it is shoulder to shoulder.

Pick ice hockey if you want a legal body check, a rubber puck 3.0 in (7.6 cm) across, and a rink 196.9 ft (60 m) long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Floorball Like Ice Hockey?

Partly. Both games run three 20-minute periods at regular time, and both use a goalkeeper. The rules differ on rink size, sticks and contact. A floorball goalkeeper may not use a stick (IFF Rule 403), while an ice hockey goalkeeper's stick blade may be up to 3.5 in (9.0 cm) wide (IIHF Rule 10.2).

How Do Floorball and Ice Hockey Differ?

Contact rules differ. The IFF rules make pushing or forcing an opponent an offence unless it is shoulder to shoulder. The IIHF rules define a legal body check and set separate penalty rules for boarding, charging and checking from behind (IIHF Rules 41 to 43). Rink size is another difference: 131 ft by 66 ft (40 by 20 m) for floorball, against 196.9 ft (60 m) long for ice hockey.

Ice Hockey vs Floorball: Which Rink Is Bigger?

The ice hockey rink is bigger. An ice rink is 196.9 ft (60 m) long and 85.3 to 98.4 ft (26 to 30 m) wide (IIHF Rule 1.2). A standard floorball rink is 131 ft by 66 ft (40 by 20 m) (IFF Rules of the Game 2026). At 60 m by 30 m, the ice rink is about 19,375 sq ft (1,800 m²), against about 8,600 sq ft (800 m²) for floorball. That makes the ice rink 2.25 times the floorball area (derived).

Can You Body Check in Floorball?

Not the way ice hockey allows. The IFF rules make forcing or pushing an opponent an offence unless it is shoulder to shoulder. Ice hockey has a defined legal body check, which the IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 defines by the trunk, the height of contact and the direction of the hit.

Can a Floorball Goalkeeper Use a Stick?

No. The IFF Rules of the Game 2026 say the goalkeeper may not use a stick (Rule 403). An ice hockey goalkeeper does use a stick, with a blade no more than 3.5 in (9.0 cm) wide (IIHF Rule 10.2).

How Many Players Does a Floorball Team Dress?

A floorball team dresses up to 20 players (IFF Rule 301.1). An ice hockey roster is 22, with no more than 20 skaters and two goalkeepers (IIHF Rule 5.1). On the floorball rink at one time, each team has at most six players.

Floorball vs Ice Hockey: How the Games Differ