Street Hockey was appropriately described by Toronto Star writer Mitch Potter as, "the recessive gene that makes us Canadian.....the precise point on the genetic double-helix spiral that equates road hockey with spontaneous, innocent fun.....a truly cultural phenomenon that harkens to Canadians on the street and their memories of childhood."
Although Street Hockey was not originally intended to have been played in manufactured concrete structures, governed by administrative authorities with established rules and regulations in highly organized leagues that provide it's participants with local, provincial and national championship competitions. The sport is now much more organized, for many, their first experience remains the same as for those who first played ball hockey. It simply involved a few friends or family members, an open area, such as a roadway or parking lot near their home, some rocks or bricks to mark the goal posts, a tennis ball, old hockey sticks, and the game was on.
The official version of street or ball hockey is a relatively young sport with a very short modern history, but its roots can be traced back to similar games played with a ball and stick. The first documented history of such a game, called hurling, dates back to the second millennium BC when it was played in Ireland. The word hockey derives from a similar game played by the Native Indians in North America, firstly observed in 1572.
The development of ball hockey has closely followed that of ice hockey, as it has spread around the world in the northern (colder) climates. Formally organized street or ball hockey leagues, in its modern form, grew independently in several countries, Canada (late 1960s), the USA (early 1970s), Austria, Czechia, and Slovakia (1980s), Finland, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland (early 1990s), and more recently in other countries. Due to its close relationship with ice hockey, street and ball hockey developed with similar rules throughout these countries. After the political changes in Eastern Europe in 1989, international exchanges flourished, and included cross-Atlantic competitions as early as 1991, leading to the establishment of the World Ball Hockey Federation and the bi-annual World Junior and Senior Championships.
The Canadian version of the game began to take its shape in the late 1960s in Toronto, Ontario, with Habitant Arena hosting a summer program in 1969, and some speculate that it may have even started the year before in the east end of the city. The oldest continuously run league is the Mississauga Ball Hockey Association, which commenced in 1971. The first plastic orange ball was introduced by Arnold Herka, of Viceroy Rubber, to George Butterwick who was operating a Toronto league circa 1970, and the game has never looked back.
The first known provincial association was formed in 1974 in Ontario, and the Canadian Ball Hockey Association a few years later in 1977. Ken White, John Forrest, Paul Coulter and Mike Bernard founded the OBHA in 1974. The game's trailblazers could not have imagined the association's ensuing growth and development at the Minors, Womens, Mens and Masters levels of participation throughout the province of Ontario. No one, however, bothered to inform the "administrative pioneers" who steadfastly moved the game "off the streets" and into rinks.
The metamorphosis had began as one of the most successful amateur sports organizations in Canada, notably the Ontario Ball Hockey Association (OBHA), was born and the evolution ensued. Since it's inception the OBHA has arguably become the standard for the Sport of Ball Hockey in Canada and throughout the world as it continues to enhance the development of the game at the local, provincial, national and international level of competition well into the new century.
Because street hockey is so easy to play, it is quickly finding its way around the world in as many as 48 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honk Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, USA, and Yugoslavia.
The object of the game quite simply is to strike the ball with the hockey stick and knock it into the opponent's hockey net (6 feet wide x 4 feet high, 1.83 m x 1.22 m). Typically, a low-bounce type of ball is used. For added safety, hockey gloves and helmets are recommended, and in fact are mandatory for play in our member leagues.
Any size or type of non-slip flooring can be used as a playing field. In Canada, most of our leagues operate in hockey arenas or gymnasiums. All OBHA provincial, regional and national events are held in full sized hockey arenas (generally around 200 feet long x 85 feet wide, 60.96 m x 25.91 m). When played on the surface of a hockey rink, six players, including the goalie, compete against the opposing team's six players. Extra players are usually kept on each bench, outside the playing surface, and interchanged with the six on the floor either during play or at a stoppage of play.
When played on smaller surfaces, fewer players can be used during play. In its simplest form, the game can be played without floor markings and few rules. However, in organized competition regular ice hockey floor markings are used, including goal lines, goal creases, blue lines, center line, face-off circles and neutral zone face-off dots.The following are additional rules:
- Face-offs(players are lined up facing each other in a designated area on the floor), are used at the start of each period of play and after goals, penalties, icing, offside, or when the ball leaves the playing area.
- Penalties are called when a player commits a foul. The offending player is then removed from playing for a period of time, depending on the severity of the infraction and the team continues play one player short until the penalty has elapsed.
- When an offside occurs Play is stopped. Before entering an opponent team's zone (the area from behind their net to their blue line) the ball must cross the blue line first before the player or any of his teammates.
- Icing (or flooring) occurs when a team shoots the ball before the player physically crosses the center line and the ball passes the opponent's goal before any player, of either team, can touch it. A stoppage of play shall occur with the ensuing faceoff taking place in the end zone of the team that shot the ball. If the goalie touches the ball, or the shot creates a goal, there is no icing on the play.
- "Floating Blue Line": expansion of the offensive zones occurs once a team crosses the opponent's blue line with the ball. The attacking team will then have half of the entire playing surface within which to control the ball, from behind the opponent's goal to the center line of the area. If the defending team sends the ball past center, the zone is reset to the blue line and their opponent must regain it as explained above.
- To score a legal goal, it cannot be kicked in; struck with a stick above the shoulders; pushed in using the hand, or while offside.
Games may vary in length, for example two 15 minute periods, but are generally played with either two or three periods of equal time. Where a time clock is available, there is a stoppage in play, after a goal, penalty, offside, icing, ball out of play, or goaltender holding the ball for more than a few seconds. If a clock is not available, or the time available to play is limited, running time periods may be used, for example three 15 minute periods.
|AGE GROUPS & LEVELS OF PLAY
Programs available vary from province to province with the youngest age groups commencing at five years old. Youth leagues typically run in groupings of two to three years depending on the size of the community and number of participants. A sample program may offer the following age groups:
- Junior - under 18 (as at start of year)
- Bantam - under 16
- Pee Wee - under 14
- Atom - under 12
- Novice - under 10
- Tyke - under 8
- Squirt - under 6
Mens programs usually commence at 18 years of age with some exceptions allowing under 18's to play with parental consent. In Ontario, there are five levels of play Menís A, B, C, D, E and Recreational based on competitiveness of the player/team. Masters Open (over 31) & Masterís (over 40) is also available for any individual interested in participating in the old-timers (pizza & pop) leagues. Ontario offers six levels of play at the Womenís/Girls level of play. Two of the levels are determined by age and the other two by level of play, below are the four levels:
- Womens 'A'
- Womens 'B'
- Womens 'C'
- Girls Under 18
- Girls Under 16
- Girls Under 14
- Girls Under 12
As players/teams succeed at each league level, they are normally expected to graduate to higher competitive levels of play if offered in their communities, in order to keep programs fair and fun for all participants.
All players must wear a CSA (Canadian Standards Association) approved helmet, ice hockey gloves and running shoes.Women and players under the age of 18 are required to wear full facial protection as well.
Although not mandatory, it is recommended that players wear elbow pads, athletic cup, soft knee pads and shin guards. As well, adult men should consider wearing facial protection to protect their eyes. Standard ice hockey sticks are used to play the game.