Floorball (IFF) — Official Rules

Floorball is played indoors on a rectangular rink. The standard competition rink measures 40 m long by 20 m wide (the rules permit a range of 36-40 m by 18-20 m). The rink is enclosed by boards 50 cm high with rounded corners. Lines are marked 45-50 mm wide, and the rink has a centre line and centre spot, along with marked face-off spots used to restart play.

Two goal creases of 4 m x 5 m (length x width, lines included) are marked 2.85 m from the short sides of the rink and centred between the long sides. Inside each, a goalkeeper area of 1 m x 2.5 m is marked 0.65 m in front of the rear limit of the goal crease. The rear lines of the goalkeeper areas serve as the goal lines; goal-post marks are made on these lines so the distance between the posts is 1.6 m.

Each goal is a cage measuring 160 cm wide and 115 cm high, with a depth of 65 cm. The goals are placed on the goal lines (the rear lines of the goalkeeper areas), 2.85 m from the nearest short boards, opening toward the centre of the rink, and must be secured so they cannot be displaced during play.

The ball is made of plastic, is hollow with 26 holes, weighs 23 grams, and has a diameter of 72 mm (each hole 10 mm). It must be white unless another colour is approved, and only IFF-approved and marked balls may be used in official matches.

A field player's stick may not exceed 350 g, and its blade may be bent no more than 30 mm. Approved (IFF-marked) sticks are required in official matches. Players wear matching jerseys with numbers; goalkeepers play without a stick and wear a protective face mask and approved goalkeeper clothing without padding that gives an unfair size advantage.

A team may use a maximum of 20 players in a match (recorded on the game card). During play, a team may have at most 6 players on the rink simultaneously - normally 5 field players and 1 goalkeeper, or six field players only when the team chooses to play without a goalkeeper. Each team designates a captain who wears a marked armband.

Substitutions may be made at any time and an unlimited number of times during a match, including while the ball is in play (flying substitutions). All substitutions shall take place within the team's own substitution zone, and the player leaving the rink must cross the board before the substitute enters. An incorrect substitution (too many players, or substituting outside the zone) is penalised.

A match is played in three periods of 20 minutes each of effective (stopped) time: the clock is stopped on every whistle - goals, penalties, time-outs and other interruptions. Between periods there are two intermissions of 10 minutes (which may be up to 15 minutes in some competitions), and the teams change ends for each period.

Each team is entitled to one time-out of 30 seconds per match, which may be taken at any stoppage of play after asking the secretariat. During the time-out players gather at their own bench; a second signal marks its end. A team that has not used its time-out may take it at any later stoppage, including in overtime.

A goal is scored and counts as one point when the whole ball has passed completely over the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar, provided no offence by the attacking team preceded it. Every goal counts equally; there are no multi-point goals. The match is won by the team scoring the most goals; if the goals are equal at the end of regulation, the result is a draw (or overtime is played in knockout games).

A goal is not allowed if the ball was directed in deliberately with any part of the body (foot, hand or head), if it was played in with a stick above knee height (a high-stick hit), if an attacking player committed an offence before it entered, if the defending goalkeeper threw the ball directly into the opponents' goal, or if it entered after the final signal. A ball directed in off a defending player or the goalkeeper still counts as a goal for the attacking team.

Under the 2026 edition, a goalkeeper may now score a goal in the regular 5-against-5 game (previously this was permitted only in the 3-against-3 format). A goalkeeper without a stick may direct the ball legally with the body/hands within the rules; a goal directly thrown into the opponents' goal by a goalkeeper, however, is not allowed.

The goalkeeper plays without a stick and may use any part of the body to play the ball only while at least part of the body is inside the goal crease. Outside the goal crease the goalkeeper is treated as a field player without a stick and may not catch, carry or throw the ball with the hands. A goalkeeper who has the ball under control for more than 3 seconds commits an offence, and the goalkeeper may not receive a pass from a team-mate while inside the goal crease.

Introduced for player safety in the 2026 edition: a field player must make a reasonable effort to avoid a collision with a goalkeeper inside the goal area; failing to do so is an offence. Field players may not pass through the goalkeeper's area, and may not repeatedly screen or block the goalkeeper's view. These changes respond to a rise in goalkeeper injuries, including concussions.

Common offences leading to a free-hit (and, when serious or repeated, a penalty) include: hitting, blocking, lifting or kicking an opponent's stick; raising the stick or playing the ball above knee height in a way that endangers an opponent; playing the ball with the head, or with the foot/leg other than a single passive control; jumping to reach the ball; pushing an opponent other than shoulder-to-shoulder; tripping, holding, hooking or obstruction; and incorrect distance at a free-hit or face-off.

A free-hit is awarded to the non-offending team. It is taken from where the offence was committed, but never behind the imaginary extensions of the goal lines, and never closer than 3.5 m to a goalkeeper area (it is moved out to that distance). All opponents must immediately move at least 3 m away from the ball, sticks included. The ball may be hit or passed directly, and a goal may be scored directly from a free-hit.

When the ball leaves the rink (over the boards), a hit-in is awarded to the team that did not touch it last. The hit-in is taken 1.5 m from the board at the point where the ball left, the ball must be hit (not dragged, flicked or lifted), and opponents must keep 3 m distance. A goal may not be scored directly from a hit-in.

The 2026 edition clarifies and tightens the rules on holding and grabbing an opponent or an opponent's equipment. The aim is to reduce interruptions and reward skill and dribbling, so that players who beat opponents by ball control are not unfairly stopped by holding. Holding that prevents a legal play is a free-hit, and where it stops a clear scoring chance it leads to a penalty.

A face-off restarts play after a goal, after the period starts, or when play is stopped without either team being clearly entitled to a free-hit (for example simultaneous offences). It is taken at the nearest face-off spot (or the centre spot to start each period and after a goal). One player from each team faces their own end with sticks on the floor on each side of the ball; play starts on the referee's signal.

A 2-minute bench penalty is the standard penalty: the offending team plays short-handed while the penalised player sits in the penalty bench area. Typical offences include repeated or dangerous stick fouls, tripping, holding, pushing, obstruction, incorrect distance, illegal substitution and delaying the game. Crucially, a floorball minor penalty is served in full - it does not end early when the opposing team scores (unlike ice hockey), so one power play may yield several goals.

A 5-minute penalty is given for more serious offences - violent or dangerous play and certain repeated infractions. The team plays short-handed for the full 5 minutes regardless of goals conceded. A 5-minute penalty may be combined with other personal sanctions and is recorded against the player.

A 10-minute personal (misconduct) penalty is given for unsportsmanlike conduct such as protesting, abusive language or disturbing the game. The player sits for 10 minutes, but the team is not short-handed for that period: a substitute serves any accompanying 2-minute team penalty, and the penalised player may return only at the next stoppage after the 10 minutes have elapsed.

A match penalty ejects the offending player from the rest of the match for brutality, violence, or serious abuse of officials. The team plays short-handed for 5 minutes (a substitute serving the time), and the ejected player takes no further part. Match penalties are reported to the competition authority, which may impose further suspension.

Two 2026 changes affect penalties. First, coincidental penalties (offsetting penalties on both teams at the same time) no longer change the number of players on the rink - both teams keep their full strength, ending the previous short-handed-against-short-handed situations. Second, a new instigating penalty is introduced for a player who initiates an altercation during a stoppage of play.

A penalty shot is awarded when a defending player prevents a clear scoring chance with an offence inside or near the own goal crease (for example pulling down or displacing the goal, or an illegal action that denies an obvious goal). A penalty shot may be given instead of, or in addition to, a team penalty depending on the offence.

The penalty shot is taken from the centre spot. On the referee's whistle the shooter moves the ball and plays it in one continuous forward motion toward the goal - the ball must keep moving forward and may not be touched a second time; the shot ends with the next whistle. The goalkeeper must start on the goal line and may move only after the ball is played. A scored penalty shot counts as one goal.

In knockout matches that are tied after three periods, an overtime of up to 10 minutes is played at full strength (5v5) on a sudden-death basis - the first goal wins and ends the match immediately. There is a short break before overtime, and teams change ends; any time-out not yet used may be taken during overtime.

If the match is still tied after overtime, a penalty shoot-out decides it. Each team begins with five different field players taking one penalty shot each (taken like a penalty shot from the centre spot), alternating. If the score is still level after these first five, the shoot-out continues in sudden-death rounds; under the 2026 edition, any player may take any subsequent penalty shot (players may now repeat), instead of requiring fresh shooters each round.

A match is led and controlled by two referees with equal authority, supported by a secretariat (timekeeper and scorer) at the score table. The referees decide on goals, offences, penalties and the validity of equipment; their decisions on points of fact are final. They may stop play for injuries, irregularities or external interference, and the match clock is managed by the secretariat following their signals.

The 2026 edition tightens conduct in and around the substitution (bench) area to improve the game climate. There are clearer restrictions on players and coaches standing in or leaning over the bench area and on their positioning, with breaches subject to bench penalties. The aim is to keep the substitution zone orderly and safe for play and officiating.