Broomball
 

Has anyone played before? I joined a broomball team that plays each Thursday from April to the end of May. I've never played before but would love some advice from those who have!

man, you're bringing back memories there. Use to play during lunch hour in the school yard back in high school, that was 20+ years ago. Have not played since then. :)

For anybody asking "wtf is broomball?", here's a link to a vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-No1Srqc--8

some pretty neat trick with the hands in there...

FM

I played a couple of times years and years ago. It's been so long that I can't even remember the basics. It was fun.

The only thing I really remember was that it was pretty hard - at least for the people I was playing with - to lift the ball with the broom. I was playing defense and essentially acted like a second goalie. Whenever the ball was around the net I'd get down on my knees or lay down and block as much space as I could. I have no idea that's actually legal, but it worked.

Used to play all the time back in high school. There was an indoor rink at the old Tandy Center in downtown Fort Worth that had a league. There isn't much strategy. The biggest thing is to try and not get clotheslined.

or hit in the shins by a winging broom...

FM

we played in college... it was stupid! I just went to run people over :)

I already informed our captain that I will be the designated goon/instigator.

Ah great memories. Played in college. If you have hockey gloves, wear 'em. Your hands take a beating otherwise.

We had a couple of guys with great endurance so we had 2 guys just guard the blue line. Their job was to keep the ball in the other teams zone. They would just run from one side to the other along the blue line. We could almost play without a goalie because the ball was always in the other zone.

We would play until there was blood on the ice, which was often not very long.

one guy used to wear his catcher leg gear and slide across the rink and knock out the other team like bowling pins...good times

+1

Our college league was no checking... needless to say I hold the Oswego State record for fastest broomball game ejection at 3 seconds :)

There's nothing better than perfectly timing a monster hit into the boards on some frat tool.

Played in college....what ever you do, if you feel your self falling/sliding into the ice/boards, for God's sake keep the broom handle away from "the boys"

I was a major broomball enthusiast at a college where the sport REIGNED in intramurals. Total school attendance 1400, and we regularly fielded nearly 100 10-person teams for the regular season before whittling it down on record to see who got into the 64-team tournament at the end. Awesome game - if the rules are understood, suited to the level of play and enforced.

Couple pointers:

1. If you're playing on a co-ed team, try to find girls who are willing to drop to their knees (yes, I know how THAT sounds - is common joke). The best way to defend is to get a body in the way, as the broom is just about worthless defensively, and most girls will be better defenders/midfielders than strikers.

2. Likewise, drop to the knees to block or even to receive a pass. Then hop up and swing. Consequently, if knee pads are allowed - wear them. Multiple layers on your legs is important, too, as good players are down on the ice a lot.

3. While some teams stick their worst or slowest player in the goal, a good goalie can make a world of difference. Stick a cat in the crease, and since the ball isn't moving nearly as fast as a puck, you can pitch shutouts against better teams.

4. Shoe selection can be important - know the rules. Basketball shoes can be a good choice.

5. Find out who can fly on the ice, and send him (or her) down the boards, as it will be easier for him/her to pick up a pass off the board and race to the other end.

6. Like in football, field position is key. Keep the ball on their end of the ice, and good things happen. Dumping into their zone makes good things happen, too.

7. Insist on well-enforced rules. It's a strategic, fun, fast game otherwise reduced to bloody mayhem without the rules.

Oh, and tell your goalie to keep his stick flat on the ice and use his gloves to make saves (again stick is worthless defensively). HOWEVER, a quick poke away with the stick wreaks havok on a streaking striker, because controlling the ball is so difficult. Many more saves with goalie pokeaways in broomball as opposed to hockey.

Please grow a terrible stache and insist everyone call you "Carcillo"

I was actually just going to stop cutting my hair and be Hartnell.

Find the guy who has already quit cutting his hair, bang his wife, and be Carter.

I figure Hartnell will be easier since I won't be able to stand on the ice without falling down every shift, just like him!

Our team name is


Petr North Stars

The initial logo is attached...

We played last Thursday in our first game and won 2-0. I took a slap shot square in the face. The goalie went out of the net and fell, I was on defense and dropped to my knees, the guy lifted the ball and smoked me square in the face. Hurt like a bitch.

We have some pretty athletic girls on our team and the guys have all played some sort of hockey, whether it be dek, roller, or ice so we have the position down pretty good. I play defense and my job is slap shots from the point (I am the only one who can lift the ball) and to keep the ball in the zone.

So are any of the girls fans of your teams namesake?

The one gals who is our captain (and from Winnipeg) chose the name!

Hrmm, I can think of one alteration to the logo that would make it fit the name a bit more. That arrow point just seems like it needs to have more rounded corners...

What, you have local blood over there?

Yep!

Pix pls? kthnx.

Last week we got beat 3-0 and totally dominated. You could tell this team played a lot before. They kept it in our own end and we really couldn't get any sustained pressure in theirs.

Do you guys have any strategy or positioning techniques? I play defense mainly because I have a longer reach and am not afraid to slide and block shots but the rest of the team just stands around, that was fine against the first team cause they stunk. But was we play better teams we need some sort of game plan.

I got called for boarding last week too...I didn't think I hit the guy that hard but he flew into the boards like he was shot out of a cannon.