The Game
All you need to play this game is a mask, snorkel, flippers, protective glove, a small stick and a puck (a lead disc).
Equipped with these six objects, you're ready for action!
Learning to Play
If you're comfortable in the water, you can easily learn to play Underwater Hockey. Go along to a local club and find out how to play. The club should have some gear for you to borrow and will teach you how to snorkel and how to play the game. All you need is your togs and lots of enthusiasm!
You do not have to be particularly fit to play, nor do you have to be able to hold your breath abnormally long. Like any sport, the skills and fitness are learned and developed as you play the game. Important skills you will learn include:
Rules
All you need to play this game is a mask, snorkel, flippers, protective glove, a small stick and a puck (a lead disc).
Equipped with these six objects, you're ready for action!
- The stick is used to push or flick the puck along the bottom of the pool. At each end of the pool is a goal. The object of the game is to flick the puck into the opposition team's goal. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
- The pool is 1.5 - 2.5 metres deep, and the court area itself is 20-25 by 10-15 metres, so there's lots of room to swim about in.
- There are twelve players in the pool at any one time (six players per team) with four subs each waiting at the side.
- A game is 30 minutes long, with 3 minutes at half time for a breather.
Learning to Play
If you're comfortable in the water, you can easily learn to play Underwater Hockey. Go along to a local club and find out how to play. The club should have some gear for you to borrow and will teach you how to snorkel and how to play the game. All you need is your togs and lots of enthusiasm!
You do not have to be particularly fit to play, nor do you have to be able to hold your breath abnormally long. Like any sport, the skills and fitness are learned and developed as you play the game. Important skills you will learn include:
- Duck diving
- Swimming flat on the bottom of the pool
- Turning on the bottom of the pool
- Passing the puck
- How to be in the right place at the right time
- How to stay under the water
Rules
- At the start of play and after a goal has been scored, both teams line up at their goal and the puck is placed in the middle of the court.
- The referee (who is also in the water) hits a gong to start play.
- All players can move freely throughout the court. There are no offsides, goalkeepers, etc.
- If the puck goes out of the court or a foul is committed, play is stopped and restarted with either an advantage puck or equal puck (depending on the type of offence).
- The stick is held in one hand, and is the only thing allowed to touch the puck.
- A point is scored when the puck enters the goal.
- A player whose stick is touching the puck can do almost anything, but tackling players can only use their sticks to gain possession of the puck.
