Bandy

Bandy in brief

Bandy is one of the oldest team sports on ice. Two teams of eleven players each try to put a small ball into the opposing goal using curved sticks. The field is roughly the size of a football pitch, and playing time is two halves of 45 minutes. Many rules, such as offside, corners and free strokes, strongly resemble football.

Field and equipment

Depending on the venue, the ice measures around 90 to 110 metres long and 45 to 65 metres wide. Instead of high boards there are only low barriers along the long sides to keep the ball in play. The goals are considerably larger than in ice hockey.

The game is played with a small, brightly coloured ball (usually orange or red) that is easy to see on the ice. The sticks are shorter and more strongly curved than ice hockey sticks. The ball may not be played above shoulder height, and body contact is restricted. Only the goalkeeper may play the ball with their hands and does not carry a stick.

History

Ball games with sticks on frozen surfaces existed in England, Scandinavia and Russia centuries ago. In the 19th century the first rules were written down in England, and from there bandy spread to Scandinavia and Russia. When ice hockey emerged in North America with a puck and a smaller rink, bandy lost importance in many countries but remained very popular in northern Europe.

At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, bandy was a demonstration sport. The world governing body is the Federation of International Bandy (FIB), founded in 1955. World championships are held for men and women.

Where it is played

The strongholds are Sweden, Finland and Russia. In Sweden the national finals traditionally draw large crowds. Bandy is also played in Norway, Kazakhstan, the USA and other countries.

Rink bandy: the compact version

Because large ice surfaces are rare outside Scandinavia, there is rink bandy: bandy on an ice hockey rink with smaller teams. In Germany, where there are hardly any bandy fields, this is the more realistic option. Related games are ringette and broomball.

Bandy rules in detail

• Offside: as in football, an attacker in the opposing half may not be closer to the opposing goal line than the ball when it is passed.
• Penalties: besides free strokes there are time penalties, for which a player has to leave the field for a set period. Coloured cards indicate the penalties.
• Corners and penalty shots: as in football, there are corners and penalty shots. On corners the defenders stand on the goal line, similar to a penalty corner in field hockey.
• Goalkeeper: plays without a stick and may catch the ball with their hands in the penalty area and throw it a long way.