Court:Indoor Roller Hockey Court 33mx15m (Approx)
Goals:Goals will be netted. Size: 180×80x40cm
Bikes:You can ride any bicycle you like, handlebars must be plugged and you must have at least one brake. A fixed drivetrain equals a brake. Wheel covers are allowed but any defense oriented frame additions are not.
Mallets:Referee will have the final say in mallet safety. Mallet heads should not be made of metal or any material that is sharp and/or could obviously chip, shatter or splinter. The handle end of the mallet shaft must be securely plugged.
Players:Teams will consist of 3 players.
Start of the Game:Players will start from behind their goal-line, with their back wheel touching the back wall of the court, with the ball placed at court centre. At the referee’s shout of “3,2,1, Polo!” Any player or players can charge the ball for possession.
Called Goals:Goal is called when ball entirely passes the goal-line.
Shuffles & Hits:A ‘Hit’ is only made from the end of a player’s mallet. A ‘Shuffle’ is hitting the ball with the broadside of the mallet or when the ball is being shoved with the end of player’s mallet. An offensive shuffle does not count as a goal. If the ball is shuffled into the goal by the offensive team, the defensive team gets possession of the ball. If a team puts the ball into their own goal in any way, it is a goal for the opposing team.
Ball Joint and Lobs:It is legal to lob the ball (’throw’ the ball with the mallet) and/or to travel with the ball using the ‘ball joint’ cupping style of carrying the ball but you cannot score with either method.
After a goal is scored/resetting the game:After a goal is scored, the scoring team must return to their own half and cannot come back across center court until the ball or any player of the conceding team has come past center court. The conceding team takes possession of the ball. No conceding player with or without the ball can then pass half court until at least two players of the scoring team have returned to their own half, one of these players can be a ‘goalie’ who was already in the goal area. A player is not required to tap out for a foot-down after a goal has been scored but must return to his own half.
Fouls:Players must not touch the floor with their feet. Each time a player does foot-down, that player is out of play until tap-out has been succeeded. The player must immediately tap-out and not purposefully obstruct play. Intentionally obstructing play after foot-down will be considered a strong penalty. A possible goal that is blocked by a player out of play due to foot-down is not a goal. Leaning on the goal while playing goalie is not allowed, you have to tap-out. Throwing your mallet is not allowed at any time and will be considered a strong penalty. Overly aggressive behavior such as unnecessary elbowing, grabbing, pushing, punching with hands, pushing or kicking with feet, and head-butting will be considered a strong penalty.
‘Like’ contact that is allowed:Non-aggressive body to body, mallet to mallet, and bike to bike. Apart from the fouls listed above. Players are allowed to tap goal keeper’s mallet.
‘Non-like’ contact that is allowed:Body to ball is allowed if the player is sat on saddle, feet on the pedals, hand holding mallet, other hand on bars. If the ball becomes trapped within a player’s bike or person, let player drop the ball.
Time outs:Refs can call and extend injury and mechanical failure timeouts over and above these rules, but is under no obligation. The ref will call game-on when appropriate and if the timeout is unnecessary. Can be called by a player only after a goal is scored. May be called in order to tend to physical injury. Will be limited to maximum five minutes, one per game per team.
Referees and Penalties:Above all, the players have the responsibility to keep legal play on the court. In the case of disputes there is a referee that will be appointed per game. The referees’ duties will be: Call goals. Determine what is and is not a foul that can result in a penalty and what the penalty is for such foul. Keep track of score. Score must be called out after every goal. Keep track of time. Keep track of fouls of players during games. Call injury time outs for major injuries. Respect ref’s final call.
Penalties can be:- First accidentally foul = tap out- Second accidentally foul or first purposely foul = double tap out- Second double tap out = Time penalty- Be removed from the game for a set time (Time penalties: 8 min game = 30 second penalty, 15 min = 45 sec, over 20 min = 1 min) or even permanently.
Tap out in the middle of the court (Both sides)After any kind of foul (except a foot-down), the fouled team gets possession of the ball.
