Floor hockey is a popular version of the game that is played on skates by ice hockey players. It can be played in a driveway on a casual basis among friends or in organized leagues primarily for young people in gyms or small arenas. Floor hockey players need to concentrate on their skills with the puck in order to make plays and score goals.
Stickhandling
This is the ability to move the puck from one point on the floor to another to help your team get in position to mount an offensive attack. Stickhandling requires a player to move the puck from his forehand to backhand while moving forward, backwards or sideways to get away from the defender. This is a relatively easy skill when the stickhandler is not being challenged by the defense. However, the stickhandler must keep his eyes on the floor to look for openings in the defense so he can pass or shoot the puck. He cannot stare at the puck during the stickhandling process.
Passing
Floor hockey players have to be able to pass the puck accurately to teammates from any spot on the floor. Passing well means sending the puck to the spot where your teammate will be. That means you must calculate where your teammate will be when the puck arrives. In most cases, players are moving and running on floor when you pass it -- they are not standing still. Passing is usually accomplished by rolling your wrists as you release the puck so it travels smoothly and cleanly. A puck that travels directly to a teammate without bouncing is often referred to as a "saucer" pass.
Shooting
Shooting the puck is a skill that almost all floor hockey players learn first. The slap shot is the most powerful shot, but floor hockey players quickly learn that unless they are wide open it is tough to use that shot because it can be easily blocked or deflected by the defense. The wrist shot is favored in floor hockey because the player merely twists his wrists to release a hard shot on net. A backhand shot is effective because it is released quickly and difficult for the goaltender to read. A deflection takes place when a teammate -- typically a defenseman -- fires a long shot on goal and a forward puts his stick on the puck as it flies and that changes the angle and direction of the shot.
Defense
Floor hockey players must defend the opposition. To defend well, you have to stay between your opponent and the goal. This means you are in a position to block a shot, deflect a pass or steal the puck. Try to force your opponent to the outside of the playing area when he has the puck. This makes it much more difficult to create scoring opportunities because it gives the goaltender more time and space to observe the puck and make the stop.
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