Floorball is played five outfield players and a goalkeeper a side, on a rink enclosed by low boards, with a light plastic ball and a stick that weighs under three hundred grams.
It looks like ice hockey and moves like handball, and the positional structure sits somewhere between the two.
Here is what each of the four positions does, and why floorball teams are built in lines rather than individuals.
- The Goalkeeper plays without a stick and defends from a kneeling position.
- The Defenders play as a pair and start almost every attacking move.
- The Centre takes the face offs and covers the most ground of any player.
- The Wingers work the boards and finish the moves the centre creates.
- Teams rotate whole lines of five every ninety seconds or so, not individual players.
#1 Goalkeeper
The floorball goalkeeper is the only one in a major indoor sport who plays without a stick. They defend the goal from a kneeling position, using the hands, arms, body and legs to block a ball that arrives at more than a hundred kilometres per hour from a few metres away.
They are also the first passer. A goalkeeper may throw the ball out to start an attack, and because the transition from defence to attack is so fast in floorball, a keeper with a good throw can send a winger away before the opposition has reorganised.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- A blocking position that covers the low corners, where most shots go.
- Reflexes at short range, especially against deflections in front of the crease.
- An accurate throw out to a moving teammate.
- Reading the shooter’s stick, since there is no glove to rely on.
#2 Defender
Two defenders play as a pair in front of the goalkeeper area. Their defensive job is to keep attackers out of the dangerous zone in front of the goal and to block the shooting lanes rather than chase the ball into the corners.
In attack the defenders hold the blue zone at the top of the offensive end. They keep the ball in when it comes back to the boards, switch the play from side to side and take the long shot when the forwards screen the goalkeeper. Most floorball attacks are built through the defenders, not around them.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Positioning in front of the crease rather than ball chasing.
- A hard, accurate shot from distance.
- Passing under pressure along the boards.
- Communication with the defensive partner, since they cover for each other constantly.
#3 Centre
The centre takes the face offs, plays through the middle of the rink and links the defenders to the wingers. They cover more distance than anybody else in the line and are usually the most complete player in the team.
Defensively the centre is the first pressure, forcing the opposition into the boards and cutting the passing lane back to their defenders. In attack they occupy the space in front of the goal, take the rebounds and screen the goalkeeper on shots from the blue zone.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Face off technique, which decides who starts with the ball.
- Two way running through the middle of the rink.
- Playing with the back to goal in front of the crease.
- Vision to find the winger arriving late on the far side.
#4 Winger
The two wingers work the sides of the rink along the boards. Floorball allows play behind the goal, so a winger who is good at the corners can hold the ball, wait for the centre to arrive and feed the shot from behind the net.
Wingers are the finishers. Most goals come from a one touch shot or a deflection at the far post, which means the winger without the ball is often more important than the one with it. The far post run is the single most common goal in the sport.
Key Characteristics or Skills:
- Ball control tight to the boards under pressure.
- The far post run, timed so it arrives with the pass.
- One touch finishing from a low cross.
- Backchecking, since a winger caught upfield leaves the defenders two on one.
How Floorball Lines Work
Floorball is played in lines. A team of twenty carries three complete outfield lines of five plus two or three goalkeepers, and the whole line comes off together after roughly ninety seconds of play.
| Unit | Who is in it | What it means in a game |
|---|---|---|
| First line | Two defenders, centre and two wingers | The strongest five, on the rink for the biggest moments and most power plays. |
| Second line | A complete second five | Rotated in on equal minutes with the first in most teams. |
| Third line | A complete third five | Shorter shifts, often used to keep the tempo high against a tiring opponent. |
| Power play unit | Usually four attackers and one defender | Used during a two minute penalty, when the other team is a player short. |
| Box play unit | Four players in a defensive square | Used while shorthanded, protecting the area in front of the goal. |
Because the whole line changes at once, players train with the same four teammates all season. A floorball squad is really three small teams that share a goalkeeper.
Hybrid Positions
Field Player Without a Goalkeeper
A team losing late may pull the goalkeeper and play six outfield players. Floorball rules allow this, and the extra attacker usually joins the blue zone.
Power Play Specialist
A player selected purely for the two minutes when the other team is short. Usually the best shooter or the best passer in the squad.
Defensive Forward
A winger or centre used against the opponent’s strongest line, chosen for backchecking rather than scoring.
Floorball borrows its line changes and its rink from another fast indoor sport. To compare the two structures side by side, see our guide to ice hockey positions and roles.
FAQ
What are the positions in floorball?
Floorball has four positions: goalkeeper, defender, centre and winger. Each team has one goalkeeper and five outfield players, normally two defenders, one centre and two wingers.
Does the floorball goalkeeper use a stick?
No. The floorball goalkeeper plays without a stick and blocks shots with the hands, arms, body and legs from a kneeling position inside the goal crease.
How many players are on a floorball team?
Six players from each team are on the rink at once, one goalkeeper and five outfield players, and a match squad usually holds twenty players who rotate in complete lines of five.
Conclusion
Floorball keeps its positional structure simple: one goalkeeper, two defenders, one centre and two wingers.
The goalkeeper without a stick is the detail everyone notices first, and the reason the position is unlike any other in indoor sport.
Attacks are built from the defenders at the blue zone rather than from the front, which is why defenders in floorball score more than their name suggests.
The centre carries the workload and the wingers finish it, usually at the far post.
Above all, floorball is a game of lines. Learn who plays with whom and the rhythm of the ninety second shift, and the whole sport starts to make sense.
