Floorball Tactics T he choice of tactics usually depends on what is known about the opponents. For the chosen tactics, it is essential that every player knows what to do and that they all work as a team. Usually the team has decided how they will fore-check, meaning how they will group to take on the opponents attack. There are common tactics for fore-checking and defending, but when it comes to attacking the players are usually left to use their imagination. In the following examples the formations are grouped with the defenders first and the fore-checking forward/forwards last. The players are placed into three different levels on the field and the amount of players on each level describes the tactic.
execute impressive feints and give unexpected passes. Other wing forwards are more straightforward and usually these forwards are good at sensing the free scoring opportunities and as hard working players are good at fore-checking.
the IFF referees have to pass physical tests as well as rules tests in order to be able to referee in the international matches. The referees make the decisions in the game, but there is the match secretariat assisting the referees in technical issues. The match secretariat is responsible for the match record, time keeping and speaker tasks.
Physical requirements The physical requirement for Floorball players has developed a lot during the existence of the sport. A modern Floorball player takes a lot of short spurts in different directions, so they need to be athletic, have good reaction, speed and elasticity skills, and have good eyehand coordination and stick handling skills. The training is a combination of tactical, technical and muscle fitness, including speed and running coordination. The goalkeeper needs good endurance and very good mid body muscle fitness.
Match Officials Each match should be led and controlled by two referees with equal responsibility. The referee’s two main tasks are to make the game safe for everyone and to accept the goals, which are scored according to the rules. Another important focus for the referees is that the game
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should run smoothly and therefore it should be interrupted as seldom as possible. Modern Floorball is one of the fastest indoor sports and therefore it requires a lot from the referees. The referees are well educated to interpret the rules, but they are also in excellent physical condition. The referees must be able to make decisions in a split of a second and be able to follow the game all the time. The moving and positioning patterns for the referees have changed dramatically over the last five years due to the speed of the sport. All
Floorball is a sport which everybody can take part in and the rules encourage quick and technical play. When offences are made, free hits are given for the opponents and if offences are bad enough penalties are given. Players can be sent off for two, five, or ten minutes or for the rest of the game, depending on the severity of the offence. A penalized player is not allowed to leave the penalty bench area, until their penalty time has finished. The most frequent offences are slashing (incorrect hit) and illegal pushing although the rules allow playing shoulder to shoulder with the opponent. The intensity of the game requires two referees, in order to swiftly and correctly interpret situations and make sure that the rules are followed.
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Defensive tactics: 2-1-2 Probably the most commonly used tactic all over the world. Here the center has an important job keeping the team together and being correctly positioned when defending. The team can then vary on which level of the field they want to encounter the opponent’s attacks. The level can be high and then the forwards press the opponent’s defenders already in the opponent’s defensive corners. In the low version the forwards play passively in the midfield and wait for the possibility to block the opponent’s opening passes.
1-2-2 In this formation the center forward plays on one side of the field, which then puts more responsibility to the single wing forward forechecking. He must move quickly sideways in order to direct the opponent to give the opening pass into the well gathered defence behind him. The middle level (formed by center and one
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1-3-1 forward) and the lowest level (formed by defenders) of players move sideways to the side where the ball is played and the distance of the players on the same level should stay almost the same all the time.
2-2-1 This tactic is based on aggressive fore-checking and is used when the team is trying to take control of the ball as soon as possible. The forwards form the highest level and they actively give pressure to the opponents. The middle level is formed by the center and one of the defenders and their job is to move sideways and block the midfield. The lowest level is formed by only one defender, which makes this tactic more vulnerable if the opponent team is able to get past the two highest levels. This is however difficult as there are four players moving actively and trying to block the openings.
THIS IS FLOORBALL 7
This tactic is not used very often and demands a high tactical knowledge and disciplined play by the three midfielders who have to take extra responsibility, both in defence and offence. The advantage of this tactic is that there are always four players in the offence and when defending the team is usually able to stop the opponent’s passes in the early stage.
Man to Man defence/ Man cover Another type of defence is man cover, which means that each player has the duty to cover a certain player. Usually the defenders cover the wingers, the center forward covers the opponent’s center forward and the wingers cover the defenders. Man cover is dependent on the offensive team’s moves and against a moving team it is physically very demanding. Man cover is however used in combination with zone defence and is highly recommended in certain areas of the rink, especially in the slot.