Quick answer
Floorball and ice hockey share stick skills, hand-eye coordination, shooting variety and many tactical ideas, so training in one sport helps the other. Floorball gives you many ball touches in a small space, quick decisions and an accessible indoor surface all year round. What does not transfer is skating, body contact and handling the puck on ice. Use floorball to sharpen hands and game sense, and keep ice time for skating and contact.
Key takeaways
- Floorball is an excellent off-ice tool for hands: stickhandling, receiving, passing and shot variety.
- Both games reward scanning, positioning and quick decisions in small spaces.
- A floorball is light (about 23 g) and a different shape from a puck, so the touch feels different. Skills transfer, but not one-to-one.
- Floorball is played on a hard floor without skates, so there is no transfer for skating technique or body contact.
- Rules differ. The floorball stick must stay below waist height, and the ball may not be played above knee height with the stick.
- Many hockey players use floorball in the summer to stay sharp. Floorball players can borrow hockey ideas for shooting and tactics.
What is the main difference between the two sports?
Floorball is played indoors on a floor with a light plastic ball (72 mm, 26 holes), 5 outfield players and a goalkeeper per team, on a rink of 40 x 20 m with 50 cm boards. The goal is 160 x 115 cm, and the goalkeeper plays without a stick. Ice hockey is played on ice, with skates and a puck, and with body contact. The sports look alike on the surface, but the movement, the equipment and the rules are very different.
| Area | Floorball | Ice hockey | Transfer? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movement | Running and sidesteps on a floor | Skating on ice | Low: different muscles and technique |
| Stick handling | Light plastic ball, short stick, blade on the floor | Disc, longer stick | Medium to high: hands, wrists and head-up habits |
| Shooting | Wrist, snap, drag, slap and backhand shots | Similar shot families | Medium: the feel and the release are close, the weights differ |
| Game sense | Scanning, positioning, transitions | Scanning, positioning, transitions | High |
| Contact | Non-contact in spirit | Body contact allowed | None |
| Stick rules | Below waist, ball below knee with the stick | Different rules | Know the rules of the sport you play |
I have coached players who play both sports, and the clearest thing I notice is how fast they scan the floor. Floorball asks for many decisions per minute, and that habit carries over.
What can ice hockey players gain from floorball?
Hands and touch. A floorball session gives hundreds of touches an hour, in a small space and without needing a rink. Stickhandling around the body, changing from forehand to backhand and receiving with soft hands all help.
Quick decisions. The floorball ball moves quickly, and the floor is smaller than many ice rinks, so you have less time to think. Players learn to scan before they receive and to play in one or two touches.
Shot variety. With a light ball you can practise wrist, snap and drag shots many times a session. Even if the weights differ, quick release and accuracy habits transfer. See our shooting accuracy guide for drills.
Year-round training. You do not need ice. A hallway, a garage or a garden path with smooth tiles is enough. The Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (€79) cover about 0.9 m² and are Made in Europe. Better Floorball is a Swedish brand, and the tiles are designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability.
What can floorball players learn from ice hockey?
Floorball players can borrow the idea of a sharp, quick shot release and the habit of looking for the next pass before the disc arrives. These ideas are general, so check them against the floorball rules: the stick must stay below waist height in the backswing and follow-through, and there is no jumping to play the ball.
Fitness work from hockey, such as off-ice strength and short repeated sprints, also suits floorball. For a plan, read our complete floorball fitness guide.
How can you use floorball training if you play ice hockey?
- Stickhandling circuit (10 minutes). Use a trainer on tiles. 4 rounds of 40 seconds, 20 seconds rest. The Extreme Floorball Stickhandling Trainer (€69) folds into different shapes and is Made in Europe. Cue: wrists lead, head comes up every third touch. Watch for: a straight-arm swing.
- Receive and shoot (10 minutes). Pass against a rebounder like the Extreme Floorball Passer (€129), receive, take one touch across your body, and shoot at a target. 4 sets of 8 shots.
- Quick release ladder (8 minutes). Shoot 5 shots in 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, repeat 4 times. Focus on a short wind-up and a fast follow-through. Keep the stick below waist height.
- Small-sided game (10 minutes). 2v2 in a 6 x 8 m space with two small goals. Two-touch maximum. Play 5 rounds of 90 seconds.
- Scanning task (6 minutes). A partner stands behind you and holds up fingers. Call out the number between passes. 3 sets of 20 passes. Cue: look, then receive.
Coach Erik's tip: If you move between the two sports, change the equipment but keep the habits. Keep your head up, play with both sides of the blade and shoot with a short release. Do not expect your feel for the disc to be an exact copy on the floor. Give yourself a few sessions to adjust to the lighter ball.
What does not transfer?
Skating is the biggest difference. Balance on a blade, edge control and the stride all need ice. Body contact is another: in floorball, you win the ball with your stick and position, not with checks. The stick rules differ too, so a habit such as raising the stick above waist height in a swing is a penalty in floorball. Treat floorball as a complement to ice time, not a substitute for it.
How can floorball players use ice hockey ideas?
Borrow carefully. Practise quick shot release, tactical ideas such as passing lanes and support positions, and strength work for the legs and core. Do not copy hockey positions or rules directly, because floorball has its own rules and player roles. If you want to understand floorball positions, read our guide to floorball positions.
Common mistakes
- Expecting exact transfer. The ball, the stick and the surface are different. Fix: treat the first sessions as an adjustment period.
- Using a hockey swing in floorball. A big backswing breaks the waist-height rule. Fix: keep the stick below waist height in backswing and follow-through.
- Playing the ball above knee height. Not allowed with the stick. Fix: practise low touches and short passes.
- Skipping skating work. Floorball does not train your stride. Fix: keep regular ice sessions if hockey is your main sport.
- Only shooting. Fix: split the session between stickhandling, passing, shooting and game play.
- Ignoring rest. Playing two sports can add up. Fix: schedule at least one full rest day a week.
FAQ
Does floorball help ice hockey players?
Yes. Floorball trains hands, stickhandling, shot variety, scanning and quick decisions, all of which are useful in ice hockey. It does not train skating or body contact, so keep ice sessions for those skills.
Is floorball easier than ice hockey?
They are different. Floorball is easier to access because it needs no ice and little equipment, and it is non-contact in spirit. It is not easier to master: the pace is fast, decisions come quickly and the technique is detailed.
Can floorball players learn from ice hockey?
Yes, in tactics, strength training and the habit of a quick shot release. Do not copy hockey rules or swings directly, because floorball has its own stick rules and playing style.
Is a floorball stick different from a hockey stick?
Yes. The floorball stick has a plastic blade and a light shaft, with a maximum total length of 114 cm under IFF rules, and it is used with a plastic ball. A hockey stick is built for the disc and for ice. Technique is related but not identical.
How often should a hockey player play floorball?
One or two sessions a week of 30-45 minutes works as a supplement, especially in the off-season. Keep your main sport as the priority, and avoid adding sessions on top of an already full schedule.
Can I train floorball at home for hockey?
Yes. A smooth floor, a stickhandling trainer, a rebounder and a small goal with a net cover most of what you need. Keep the area clear, use a safety net, and keep the stick below waist height.
Summary
Floorball and ice hockey help each other through hands, shooting and game sense, but not through skating or contact. Use floorball for touches and decisions, and use ice for stride and contact. Find more practice ideas in the Floorball Training hub and the passing and stickhandling collection.
