Inline Hockey: Ice Hockey for when there is no ice
Ice hockey is a very popular sport in many countries around the world. It is especially popular in North America and other countries where it gets sufficiently cold to foster an interest in the winter sport. Over time the sport spread to many countries where
they do not get a lot of ice and snow, so innovation was a necessity. The game was adapted to be done on inline skates instead of ice skates and a new version of the game was invented. Now it could be played on the street, in playgrounds and even on basketball
courts. Over time the sport has grown and become very popular wherever it is played.
The sport of inline hockey developed as an alternative to ice hockey for people who wanted to play the game when the weather was warmer. The rise in the game followed the increased popularity in riding around on the newly invented inline skates. As the inline
skates resembled ice skates people figured the game could be adapted slightly and a new form of hockey could be made. In 1993, the first professional inline hockey league was formed in North America with teams popping up in both America as well as Canada.
In a few years, two separate international governing bodies were formed to control and oversee the sport. The two separate bodies were formed because people could not decide whether the sport was a form of ice hockey or part of roller skating. So the two
different bodies that emerged were firstly the International Ice Hockey Federation and it organises the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships. The second organisation is the French named Federation Internationale de Roller Sports and this roller skating body
has set up the FIRS Inline Hockey World Championships. This at times makes the sport confusing because it may become a problem to decide which governing body is the one that controls players, or the international rules and the team rating figures.
The sport is very similar to ice hockey and has almost the same rules except for some critical differences. The surface that the game is played on has to be kept at a constant temperature to minimise friction on the puck and the wheels of the inline skates.
Unlike ice where the puke can slide over, on tarmac or other rough surfaces friction can build up quickly. The other big difference is that there are only four players plus a goalie on each team instead of the five plus a goalie in ice hockey. The inline version
is also a much less physical contest than ice hockey. Fighting is harshly punished and body checking is not allowed either. What results is a game that is based on skill and speed as opposed to strength and intimidation and turns out to be much more enjoyable
as well.
There are several benefits to the game of inline hockey. The first is that besides being a fully independent sport, it can also be used as a vehicle for training for ice hockey when it is the offseason for ice hockey. A lot of top ice hockey players can
stay in shape during the offseason and keep up with their training. The other benefit is the fact that because fighting is not allowed in the sport in any way, the players do not get injured playing the sport and they develop into more skilful players as a
result.
Due to the fact that inline skating is a fun activity for young people to take part in, it will spread to many different parts of the world. In places, like the Middle East, where there is no trace of ice and snow, something like inline hockey can become
very popular among the youth. It may take some serious investment in the sport in these new places but it has the potential to become very popular.
At the moment, ice hockey is a much more well-liked sport in many countries than inline hockey. In a few years, inline hockey might become as popular as or even more famous than ice hockey because at the moment there are a lot of places in the world that
are not cold enough to sustain ice hockey. This mushrooming sport looks all set to grow and it may win over the fans of ice hockey in the next few years.
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