With the invention of the roller blade came a new sport that was played on playgrounds across the United States and Canada. This sport was a version of hockey played on concrete or asphalt as opposed to the traditional ice or grass field. Because you could play roller hockey anywhere, all you needed was the correct equipment and you would be able to get into a pickup game. Roller hockey equipment was very similar to ice hockey equipment designed for the street.
Roller Skates
The only way to move around on a roller hockey court is with roller skates. While you could play the game in the traditional two-by-two wheeled roller skates, the preferred skating equipment to use was a pair of roller blades. These skates mirror ice skates in that they place all four of their wheels in a straight line. This setup allows the skater to be more agile, which is a huge bonus for hockey.
Ball
In ice hockey, the object is to get a small rubber puck into a goal. Roller hockey has the same concept, except instead of a puck, there is a specialized ball that is weighted so it stays on the ground. This ball is designed to mirror the movements of the hockey puck so the game mirrors its ice counterpart.
Hockey Stick
The hockey stick is a long piece of wood which has a curved plastic attachment on the bottom. The curve of the hockey stick should go away from you so there are different directions of curves depending on which hand you use.
Pads
Hockey can be a rough game that requires the players to push and shove the way down the court in an attempt to get the ball into the goal. Because of this, players are encouraged to wear protective padding on their shoulders, chest, knees and wrists in addition to helmets and gloves. This helps to keep players from getting minor injuries as they play the game.
Net
Most of the players are driving the ball toward a goal. While a goal can be as simple as a placing two cones spaced next to each other, it is much easier to have a net to hit into. This net will help keep the ball in place after a goal is scored and gives the target the players are going for some height.
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