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Roller Hockey Leagues: Teams, Players And Professionals
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Published: November 1, 2006
In in-line skating, as in life, some participants are more like lone wolves while others are clearly pack hunters. For those skaters who resemble the latter type, team sports like in-line roller hockey are a premier form of recreation. Perhaps because it is packed with high-speed chases, intricate footwork and brilliant strategy, in-line roller hockey has spawned numerous indoor leagues throughout the U.S.
and Canada.
Though ice hockey is played with six men on the ice per team (counting the goaltender), roller hockey is played in 3 v. 3, 4 v. 4 or 5 v. 5 teams. Depending on the size of the venue and the preferred play style of the individual athlete, one number of players may feel most comfortable.
Since ice and roller hockey often use the same size rink, especially in 5 v. 5 games, many indoor facilities will simply de-ice their hockey rink and allow roller hockey leagues to play on the bare floor.
Roller hockey involves more friction on the skates than ice hockey, which scientifically means in-line players have to work harder to change speed as quickly as ice-hockey players do. Generally, this implies in-line play speeds are steadier and dodges are less complex than in ice hockey. Greater friction makes roller hockey somewhat easier than ice hockey for the true beginner, but it also comes with a drawback; in-line skaters have to hone their footwork and stopping skills especially well to play hockey like pros.
Roller hockey leagues may have as few as four teams, or they can be as large as 30 teams. Seasons run year round because roller hockey is played indoors. However, most roller hockey leagues play between May and September. Leagues can be found in all 50 states and in Canada. One has only to search the Internet for a local league.
Roller hockey leagues come in all shapes and sizes, but the primary criteria include age, gender and skill level. Generally, there are more men's leagues than women's leagues, but youth and adult play levels exist for both genders. Youth leagues generally range from 10 and under to 18 and under, with level cut-offs every two years. After 18, adult leagues are generally divided up by skill level until age 30, where there are designated over 30 leagues.
What qualifies a player for different skill levels in roller hockey leagues? For some leagues, it is years of play experience; for others, it is determined by the highest level of competition in which the player has participated. For example, one common scale of league divisions is done using names of precious metals. Skill levels range from bronze to platinum, with bronze division players being recreational hockey enthusiasts and platinum players being national tournament-experienced or even former professional players.
With the range of levels to choose from, in-line roller hockey leagues are welcoming to many, especially those who commit the time to learning the sport.
Sources:
Inline Roller Hockey—Adult Hockey Leagues. Available at http://www.goodsportsusa.com/Hockey/adult_leagues. htm, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Leagues and League Sanctioning. Available at http://www.usahockey.com/inline/main_site/main/lea gue_sanctio/sanction2//, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Mississauga Roller Hockey League. Available at http://www.mississaugarollerhockey.com/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Ontario Inline Hockey League. Available at http://www.oihl.com/html/home.html, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Rocky Mountain Roller Hockey League. Available at http://www.rmrhl.org/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Toronto Inline. Availabe at http://www.torontoinline.com/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Though ice hockey is played with six men on the ice per team (counting the goaltender), roller hockey is played in 3 v. 3, 4 v. 4 or 5 v. 5 teams. Depending on the size of the venue and the preferred play style of the individual athlete, one number of players may feel most comfortable.
Since ice and roller hockey often use the same size rink, especially in 5 v. 5 games, many indoor facilities will simply de-ice their hockey rink and allow roller hockey leagues to play on the bare floor.
Roller hockey involves more friction on the skates than ice hockey, which scientifically means in-line players have to work harder to change speed as quickly as ice-hockey players do. Generally, this implies in-line play speeds are steadier and dodges are less complex than in ice hockey. Greater friction makes roller hockey somewhat easier than ice hockey for the true beginner, but it also comes with a drawback; in-line skaters have to hone their footwork and stopping skills especially well to play hockey like pros.
Roller hockey leagues may have as few as four teams, or they can be as large as 30 teams. Seasons run year round because roller hockey is played indoors. However, most roller hockey leagues play between May and September. Leagues can be found in all 50 states and in Canada. One has only to search the Internet for a local league.
Roller hockey leagues come in all shapes and sizes, but the primary criteria include age, gender and skill level. Generally, there are more men's leagues than women's leagues, but youth and adult play levels exist for both genders. Youth leagues generally range from 10 and under to 18 and under, with level cut-offs every two years. After 18, adult leagues are generally divided up by skill level until age 30, where there are designated over 30 leagues.
What qualifies a player for different skill levels in roller hockey leagues? For some leagues, it is years of play experience; for others, it is determined by the highest level of competition in which the player has participated. For example, one common scale of league divisions is done using names of precious metals. Skill levels range from bronze to platinum, with bronze division players being recreational hockey enthusiasts and platinum players being national tournament-experienced or even former professional players.
With the range of levels to choose from, in-line roller hockey leagues are welcoming to many, especially those who commit the time to learning the sport.
Sources:
Inline Roller Hockey—Adult Hockey Leagues. Available at http://www.goodsportsusa.com/Hockey/adult_leagues. htm, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Leagues and League Sanctioning. Available at http://www.usahockey.com/inline/main_site/main/lea gue_sanctio/sanction2//, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Mississauga Roller Hockey League. Available at http://www.mississaugarollerhockey.com/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Ontario Inline Hockey League. Available at http://www.oihl.com/html/home.html, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Rocky Mountain Roller Hockey League. Available at http://www.rmrhl.org/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
Toronto Inline. Availabe at http://www.torontoinline.com/, last accessed October 25, 2006.
