Road hockey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Road hockey, also known as street hockey, dek hockey, ground hockey, or ball hockey is a version of ice hockey (or inline hockey) played with or without skates. It is possible to play with either a puck or ball, although a roller hockey puck is required when not on ice. Generally, the game is played with little to no protective equipment, therefore physical contact is not very common and is played without body checking but does permit a level of physical contact similar to that allowed in basketball. Though, when playing among friends, it's not uncommon for a fight to break out. An ice hockey puck would only work on a frozen over street. If a puck is used, for safety the puck usually must not be raised in the air (lifted or roofed). However, rules and playing styles can differ from area to area depending upon the traditions a certain group has set aside.
On ice the game is played in boots; on pavement it may be played in shoes or in inline skates. The goals often are marked by whatever objects are handy (for example, using two soda cans or water bottles as goal posts), although goal nets either designed for street hockey or ice hockey could also be used.
Due to the general prohibition of body checks, most of the pads and other safety equipment used for ice or roller hockey are not worn or required to be worn in street hockey games. However, most "skaters" tend to play with a minimum of hockey gloves and shin guards. Shin guard are often of the soccer type when the game is played on foot. Goalies typically wear equipment similar in appearance to their ice hockey counterparts so as to help block more of the goal area. However, such goalie equipment used in street hockey is generally lighter than that used in ice hockey due to the reduced weight and density of the ball that is typically used in street hockey as compared to the rubber puck used in ice hockey.
The word 'CAR!' is a common one to hear on busier streets which generally means 'stop the game and move the goal nets'. This is often followed by the phrase "game on" once the car has passed.
Although road or street hockey is popular throughout Canada and parts of the United States, some residents in Canada have been raising concerns about how road hockey disturbs the neighbourhoods with the noise that the game creates and balls being accidentally flicked into the residents' yards.
A popular alternative to playing hockey on the street in Canada is to play in outdoor lacrosse boxes. The lacrosse boxes contain the same asphalt surface as the streets, but offers a more realistic feeling of hockey since the playing area is larger than the average street, plus there are boards that surround the lacrosse box. The only downside to this is the smaller size of the lacrosse nets that are already in place.
Similarly to lacrosse boxes, outdoor roller hockey rinks are becoming quite popular in public areas around the United States which allow for a place to play off the sometimes dangerous streets. Outdoor roller hockey rinks are usually covered in a sport court surface so equipment does not wear down as quickly as on asphalt. Many can also be covered to allow play during wet weather, and lighted for nighttime hockey.
In the United States the term "street hockey" is a generic one and usually refers to an ice hockey based game that is played without inline skates (when inline skates are worn the game is usually called roller hockey) and is rarely played on public streets. In the United States "street hockey" is most often played on outdoor basketball or tennis courts as well as indoor basketball courts and/or gymnasiums. The walls or fencing of these "rinks" serve to keep the ball (or the less often used puck) in play similarly to the boards of an ice rink. The United States definition of "street hockey" is more closely related to that of the Canadian terms "dek hockey" or "ball hockey."
In 1970 Raymond W Leclerc regarded as the Founder and Father of organized Street Hockey/Dekhockey in the USA and Canada. Ray Leclerc created the NO BOUNCE ORANGE BALL. No more bouncing tennis balls, rolling pucks,or rolls of tape, now a ball all the players could control, accuated shooting and passing was a smooth as a puck on ice. Mr Leclerc then established the basics of the game an Official Rink 160 ft long by 80 ft wide, special lightweight protective equipment and a game that featured NO CHECKING and that all players ages 4 to over 50 could play. He then established an organization ASHI/IDTA with a special Street Hockey Rule Book to control the game. Mr Leclerc built a model site to play and advance the game known as "Home of Street Hockey" in Leominster Ma., 3 Outdoor rinks, with the Headquarters and governing body of Street Hockey/Dekhockey. The next evolution took place with the first sanctioned Offical US Nationals played in Leominster Ma in 1974. Today the US Nationls are an annual event and the game has advanced with Indoor and Outdoor rinks playing on special plastic modular Sports Surface. Tournaments continue are all over the world and most recently in 2006 Disney World, Orlando, Florida hosted the first USA CUP .
There are now a number of organized street hockey/dek hockey/ball hockey leagues throughout the United States and the world, in a number of cities, and for a variety of age groups. These leagues are played both indoors and outdoors, usually on rinks used by roller hockey leagues. Street/dek/ball hockey has a national organization and world championships. One non-professional Canadian league is the Canadian Ball Hockey League in which teams from across Canada play in the U.S. under rules variant to standard Dek Hockey.
Newfoundland And Labrador, Canada, is an example of where the sport if often referred to as "street hockey"
[edit] Road Hockey in Pop Culture
In the Disney film D2: The Mighty Ducks, the team learns from a gang of street hockey players. Street sports are often known for their tricks, and this film popularized the knuckle puck shot.
In Wayne's World, the main characters play road hockey, and the custom of yelling "CAR!" and "GAME ON!" was illustrated by them.
In Road Hockey Rumble two hosts spend each episode searching out the best teams they can to compete against each other at road hockey.
In Clerks., the main character closes the store to play road hockey on the roof.
[edit] Road Hockey Nomenclature
- In Central Ontario, long considered a hockey hotbed, the term 'yard sale' refers to the dropping of player equipment and the beginning of a fight.
- "Goal suck," "loafer", "The Donsky" or "cherry picker" refers to players who stay in the opponents end, waiting for an easy chance to score.
- "Hog" is often used as a term for a game of road hockey in which two teams shoot on one goalie.
[edit] External links
- Street Hockey USA
- International Dekhockey Tournament AssociationThe IDTA is the Official governing body of Street and Dekhockey in the USA
- Road Hockey Television Series
- Stephenville Area Hockey League
- Ball Hockey International BHI is the largest outdoor Ball Hockey operator in Ontario to date.
- Ball Hockey Edmonton
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