Inline Hockey Ireland
FAQ
Inline Hockey Ireland
- What is Inline Hockey Ireland (IHI)?
- What Clubs are affiliated with IHI?
- How do I join IHI?
- Is there a Club in my area?
Inline Hockey
- What is Inline Hockey?
- What are the rules of Inline Hockey?
Equipment
- What equipment do I need to have?
- Where can I buy equipment?
- What side stick should I buy? Right or left?
- How do I know what sizes to buy?
- How do I care for my equipment?
Starting a Club
- How do I start a club?
- How do I spread the word about our club?
- There is no club in my area, and I don't want to start one. What should I do?
Answers
Inline Hockey Ireland
What is Inline Hockey Ireland (IHI)?Inline Hockey Ireland (IHI) is the national governing body for inline hockey in Ireland. IHI acts just like the FAI for soccer and the GAA for Gaelic Football and Hurling. IHI runs national competitions, sets out the rules and regulations associated with playing inline hockey, and fosters development of the sport in Ireland. [Back to section]
What Clubs are affiliated with IHI?The Clubs page of this website lists all the clubs affiliated with IHI. [Back to section]
How do I join IHI?First of all, contact one of the clubs in your area.
Next, you should go to fill out the registration form here. When you submit that form you will be presented with your registration form that you need to print, sign and post to Inline Hockey Ireland. [Back to section]
Is there a Club in my area?If you cannot find any information about a club in your area or near you, contact us. There may be other people in your area looking for a club and if there is enough of you, you can start a club and we can help. See the Starting A Club FAQ section below. [Back to section]
Inline Hockey
What is Inline Hockey?Inline hockey, sometimes referred to as roller hockey, is a sport similar to ice hockey but played with inline skates. Like ice hockey, skaters on two teams use hockey sticks to direct a disk-shaped puck into the opponent's goal; however, various details of the game, such as the playing surface and puck design, have been adjusted to allow the use of inline skates at above-freezing temperatures. (from wikipedia.org) [Back to section]
What are the rules of Inline Hockey?The rules of inline hockey can be downloaded from our downloads page.
Compared to the rules of ice hockey, the primary differences are as follows:
- No checking. Contact is allowed, but only when aiming to play the puck.
- Played with 4 players (instead of 5 for ice) and a goalie from each team.
- Instead of a rubber puck, the game is played with a non-bounce plastic puck with hard nubs to reduce friction and it is lighter than an ice puck.
- Players wear a long and less padded pant specifically made for added mobility in inline hockey and often don't wear shoulder pads (no checking).
- No fighting.
Equipment
What equipment do I need to have?There is a set of mandatory equipment that all officials and players are required to wear during all IHI activities such as training sessions and games. Players and officials are required to have to following equipment for all IHI activities:
- Helmet - All players and officials must wear CSA/HECC-approved helmets, with a properly-fastened chin strap. Goaltenders must wear approved face masks. Full face protection (cage or full shield) is required for players less than 18 years of age.
- Gloves - All players must wear approved ice hockey, ball hockey or Lacrosse gloves.
- Elbow Pads - All players must wear approved elbow pads.
- Protective Cup - Male players must wear a protective cup at all times during the game.
- Shin Guards - All players must wear shin guards designed for ice or roller hockey.
- Skates - In-line skates or roller skates are allowed. Skates must be free of any unsafe protrusions.
- Eyeglasses - Any eyeglasses must have plastic, not glass, lenses.
- Jersey and Long Pants or Hockey Pants and Socks - As all equipment must be covered a jersey and long pants or hockey pants and socks are required.
In addition to the above list, Goaltenders must have the following pieces of equipment also:
- Goaltender Helmet - A helmet which is CSA/HECC approved for goaltenders is required.
- Catcher/Blocker - Goalies must wear gloves designed for hockey goaltenders, not player gloves.
Unfortunately there are not many shops in Ireland selling inline hockey equipment. The web is the easiest place to find equipment. Search for 'inline hockey equipment' in Google and you will get some results. [Back to section]
What Side Stick Should I Buy? Right or Left?Imagine you are holding a hockey stick. If your right hand is closest to the ground when playing the puck you should buy a right sided stick. If your left had is closest to the ground when playing the puck you should buy a left sided stick. [Back to section]
How Do I Know What Sizes To Buy?Generally, different brands have different measurements for sizing their equipment. To ensure you are purchasing the right size equipment make sure to check the brand's sizing guides. Ask the seller if you are still unsure of the size or cannot find a sizing guide. You could also try on club mate's equipment to get an idea of the size you will require. [Back to section]
How do I care for my equipment?The better care you take of your equipment the longer it will last. It is also important to take care of your equipment so that it is in a suitable state for use. Our tips for taking care of your equipment are:
- Remove the insole of your skates from your skates and loosen the laces on your skates so you can pull out the tongue and allow the skate to dry. Allow the insoles to dry also. This will help to stop the rivets in your skates from rusting.
- Hang your protective equipment to allow them to dry after each session. Some parts of your equipment can be washed but washing too regularly will be bad for your equipment too.
Starting a Club
How do I start a club?If you'd like to start a club we recommend you do the following.
- Contact IHI - Contact us and we will give you help and advice for starting. You should also contact us so that you can be affiliated with us to benefit from being part of the association.
- Get The Word Out - You'll need to get the word out that you are starting a club to find people interested in joining. See the Publicity question below.
- Find A Venue - You'll need to find somewhere to play. You'll need a hall that is suitable for playing inline hockey in.
The biggest problem you will have starting the club is that nobody will know you are there. There are people interested in playing inline hockey but they don't know there are clubs they can join. The best way to publicise the fact that you are starting a club would be:
- Ask us to publish a news article on this site saying where the club is starting and who to contact in relation to joining the club.
- Create threads on boards.ie in both the Hockey sub forum and the sub forum for the region you are in.
- Print posters and put them up in local sports halls, schools, notice boards etc.
- Submit an article in your local newspaper, newsletter.
- If you have a Facebook profile, create a new page for the club and invite your friends to join it.
- Email the other inline hockey clubs around the country. They may know someone in the area who would join your club.
Get in touch with us using the Contact page on the website. Let us know where you live and we'll keep a list of players in your area. When there are a few of you, we'll help bring you together to form a club! [Back to section]
