The question “What is X?” can feel like a bit of a catch-22 when it comes to underwater hockey. On the one hand, you don’t want to reveal too much about the game lest someone figure out a way to copy it. On the other hand, you want to give the game enough details that fans can have some idea what it is they’re playing.
To help you out, we’re breaking down the differences between traditional hockey and underwater hockey.
Table of Contents
The Differences In Game Play
To begin with, let’s talk about the way the games are played. Most people who play hockey consider themselves to be pretty handy on the ice. But that’s not what happens in underwater hockey. While you might be able to fake a few moves here or there, at least in theory, you’re not going to be able to play the game the way you would on land.
First off, getting the ball in the air is pretty much impossible. For that matter, getting the puck anywhere near the surface is sometimes difficult as well. The fact that the ball must stay under water puts a different spin on how you have to approach the game. As a result, there are a number of restrictions that come with playing underwater hockey.
One of the main differences between the two games is in how you shoot the puck. In standard hockey, the hands are used to shoot the puck. In underwater hockey, it’s more common to see the feet do the work. This is mainly because kicking the puck does a better job of controlling it underwater. You have to maintain better direction while playing underwater hockey than you would in normal hockey. This is because the slightest miscalculation can lead to you accidentally hitting the ball with your nether regions.
The Equipment You Need To Play
Not only do you have to think about how you’re going to play the game, but you have to consider what kind of equipment you need to play it. In order to accurately simulate the game on land, you will need to invest in some specialized gear. This includes a wetsuit, booties, snorkel, and maybe even a hood.
On the other hand, playing underwater hockey doesn’t require as much gear as you’d think. Mostly, you just need a pair of swim fins, a mask, and a snorkel. The ball is also usually made of hard plastic rather than rubber, so it doesn’t require the same kind of protection.
Now, we’re going to get into the nitty gritty of what exactly is underwater hockey and how you can play it. Read on and discover everything you need to know.
All You Need To Know About Underwater Hockey
The Rules
Like any other sport, there are rules that govern underwater hockey. Unlike other sports, however, these are a set of guidelines rather than an established set of rules. This is mainly because the game itself is still a relatively new phenomenon rather than an established one.
The first set of rules deals with how the game should be played. They dictate such things as the number of players, the size of the rink, and the distance between the goal posts.
The second set of rules dictates how the game should be recorded and who should get what kind of penalty for the different infractions.
Minor vs. Major Penalties
One of the things that make underwater hockey different from other sports is the fact that it doesn’t use the traditional goal posts and nets. Instead, the goal is represented by a buoy that is sunk in the middle of the rink. The game ends when someone scores a direct hit on the ball with their hands or feet.
As you might imagine, there are different rules for minor and major penalties. A minor penalty is something that can be ignored while a major penalty is not. In case you’re curious, some of the infractions that lead to a minor penalty include but are not limited to:
- Loosing Your Head
- Faking An Injury
- Faking A Goal
- Overuse Of Stick Skills
- Failing To Keep Your Head Up
- Diving
- Diving From Behind The Play
- Delaying The Game
- Roughing
- Cross-checking
- Tripping
- Fouls
- Off-side
- Too Many Men On The Ice
- Too Many Women On The Ice
- Illegal Skate
- Hacking At The Ball
- Hacking At The Net
- Fouls That Lead To The Play Ending
- Other
As you can see, a number of these rules are designed to simulate the dangers of being under water. It would be a shame to injure yourself trying to show off your stick skills or to prove that you’re better than the other players. More often than not, injuries happen because of collisions or falls, especially when playing in cold waters. There are also a number of diving infractions that can lead to you being disqualified. This kind of thing doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. It’s just a fact of life in underwater hockey.
How Do You Score?
One of the most intriguing aspects of underwater hockey is how you score. Normally, in hockey you would score by putting the puck into the net. In underwater hockey, however, you get points for hitting the ball with your hands or your feet. This makes it a little bit more complicated than your standard hockey game. The object is to get the puck into the net, but you have to keep track of how many points you’re getting along the way.
This also makes it more difficult to determine who the best player is. The standard tool used is the scoring bell, which rings when you get a point and stops when the timer reaches zero to signify the end of a period.
In case you’re wondering, you get three points for a direct hit with your hands, two points for a direct hit with your feet, and one point for an indirect hit. Indirect hits include things like deflecting a shot with your hands or your feet as well as hitting the ball while it’s in the air, bouncing it off the ice, and so on. One of the dangers of playing underwater hockey is that if you don’t keep track of how many points you’re getting, you could find yourself with three or four points while your opponent has none. This could result in you gaining an unfair advantage.
Where Do You Play?
One of the things that makes underwater hockey different from other sports is the fact that it’s played in different locations. Typically, you’ll find the games played in warmer waters such as lakes or oceans. This is mainly because when the water is cold, it’s difficult for the players to keep their body heat sufficiently high. As a result, you can easily get frostbite or other serious injuries from playing in really cold waters.
Another place you might find the games is in smaller bodies of water such as ponds or the like. These can be a great place to play, since you don’t have to worry about the ice getting damaged during games. It would also be a shame to waste all that energy playing on a frozen pond when there are perfectly good beaches just down the road.
The location of the game itself doesn’t really matter, as long as there’s somewhere to play. The important thing is that you find a large enough body of water that is free from ice and has enough space for everyone to play without getting hurt. After all, the last thing you want is to injure yourself just to prove that you’re the better player.
The Future Of Underwater Hockey
Like any other sport, there is speculation that the future of underwater hockey might be in danger of becoming a thing of the past. For the most part, this is due to a number of factors. The most obvious factor would be climate change. As the environment around us changes, so does the way we play sports. It might not be long before the ice that we know and love is no longer available for us to play on. This is mainly because the ice is just too fragile to remain intact for long periods of time. Once the ice starts to melt, it gets progressively easier for water to flow underneath. This makes the ice quickly disappear, especially in areas where it’s been significantly melting due to climate change. This is a real problem, since we need ice to play on for the entirety of the winter.