Basics of the Sport of Street Hockey

The sport of street hockey goes by different names like ground hockey, road hockey and ball hockey. Street hockey is a sport that is patterned after the more popular ice based game with a few variations in the rules and game play. One distinct difference between street hockey and ice hockey is the lack of protective gear for the former. This is due to the sport's lack of intense physical contact. While it is possible that players may bump into each other during the game, the contact is usually limited to light bumps and blocks.

The equipment used for street hockey includes the street hockey stick, the ball or puck and depending on the type of street hockey game being played, in-line skates. Usually, when in-line skates are used, the game is usually called roller hockey and is sometimes considered an altogether different sport. Despite the term used for this sport, it is not necessary that it be actually played in the street. There are street hockey players who play this game in parks, basketball courts, and roller rinks and even in lacrosse boxes. Those who do play the sport on the street, as the name implies, often use two terms to stop and restart the game. It is not uncommon for you to hear the word “car” being shouted out to stop game play to alert the players that an incoming car needs to pass and the phrase “game on” to signal players to return to the game.

There are people who play street hockey with a couple of nets for goals set up on each end of the gaming area although it is also possible that goals can be as simple as a couple tin cans placed a few feet apart from each other to simulate goal posts. Rules for the game are often left to the players to decide on, although most players do try and follow the usual rules put in place for ice hockey on their street hockey game.