Floorball in the Special Olympics: Get the latest here

Floorball first appeared in the Special Olympics as a demonstration at the 2013 World Winter Games in Korea. It became an official Special Olympics World Games Sport in 2014. In its Sept 2020 census, Special Olympics reported over 36,000 floorball players in 63 countries. For the latest Special Olympics news from IFF, see Special Olympics News from IFF

Special Olympics floorball is a modified version of the regular sport. The games are played 3v3 (with goalies) on a smaller 20m x 12m court, 5v5 with goalies on a standard size floorball court, and 4v4 with goalies as Unified on a 30m x 15m court. An Individual Skills Competition (ISC) is an included event.

Floor Hockey is no longer a competition sport in Special Olympics so many programs that included floor hockey have transitioned to floorball. Special Olympics programs in North America schedule Floorball as a Winter Sport.

Check out this video from the Special Olympics Sweden Invitational Games: 2020 Special Olympics Floorball Video

Special Olympics Arizona was an early leader in the development of floorball here in the United States. They transitioned from floor hockey to floorball in 2016. For the latest, visit Floorball at Special Olympics Arizona.

Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) is also leading the charge. They sponsored the first Unified Floorball Tournament in San Antonio in February 2020 to select a team to represent the United States at the next World Games. Unfortunately, that World Games was postponed and eventually cancelled due to COVID so Texas athletes are eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to send a team to World Games. SOTX makes floorball equipment sets available to Texas programs who join the floorball movement. They sponsor multiple training events for coaches and program directors each year and has included Floorball as an official event at the SOTX Winter Games every year since 2022.

As of early 2024, the following programs offer Floorball as one of their sports:

Arizona (SOAZ)
Arkansas (SOAR)
New York (SONY)
Pennsylvania (SOPA)
Southern California (SOSC)
Texas (SOTX)
Vermont (SOVT)

These states are planning to offer Floorball next season:

Connecticut (SOCT)
Illinois (SOIL)
Massachusetts (SOMA)

To learn more about Floorball in Special Olympics, download the PDF version of a presentation we created with Special Olmpics North America which talks about how floorball for Special Olympics has grown, why it makes for such a great SO program activity and lays out the basic information you need to start a program, including equipment considerations:   Floorball for Special Olympics 2024 Introduction (pdf)

We offer special discounts on floorball sticks sets and equipment that is ideally suited for Special Olympics programs. Download a PDF of our SO catalog 2024 Floorball Catalog - Special Olympics (pdf)  or our SO order forms 2024 Floorball Order Forms - Special Olympics (xlsx) or 2024 Floorball Order Form - Special Olympics (pdf)

If you are starting floorball in your Special Olympics program and you would like a refresher on floorball basics, download a PDF copy of our Floorball Basic Skills.   For a comprehensive review of floorball competition for Special Olympics, try Floorball - Playing the Game (pdf).   You can review some of our basic floorball training videos at FloorballPlanet YouTube.  The presentations that we use at Special Olympics clinics and training events (listed earlier for download as PDF files), include links to supporting document and videos. If you would to receive access to the Dropbox containing these presentations in Powerpoint format along with supporting files and vidoes, send us an email request at [email protected]

To see Special Olympics Floorball at the 2013 World Games, click here: Special Olympics Floorball Video (IFF)

To visit the Special Olympics Floorball page, click here: Special Olympics Floorball

To download the latest Rules for Floorball in Special Olympics, click here: Floorball Rules for Special Olympics 2022 (pdf)

To download the Special Olympics Floorball Coaching Guide, click here: Special Olympics Floorball Coaching Guide (pdf)

Floorball rink boards are not required for local programs. However, if you would like to see what boards are available for floorball competition, visit Floorball Rink Boards

Whether you are already associated with a Special Olympics program or just thinking about learning more about floorball, it's always a good idea to become familiar with floorball sticks and practice some basic skills. All you need is a stick and ball to get started. Choose from these recommended items or check out a larger selection on our Beginner Sticks page of our online store. If you are not sure which size stick to select, see the sizing chart below. We offer discounts for participants in Special Olympics programs. Check with your state program director for a coupon code.

$39.99 2019 Campus Aero 32 Floorball Stick

$41.99 2017 Salming Campus Shooter 30 Floorball Stick

$44.99 2019 Campus Shooter 30 Floorball Stick

$49.99 Fatpipe Zortex Floorball Stick, 80-92 cm

$54.99 Fatpipe Zortex Floorball Stick, 96-103 cm

$36.99 Wooloc Force 3.2 Junior Floorball Stick

$39.99 2019 Campus Aero 35 Kid Floorball Stick

Use this stick chart to select the correct stick length. We mark our sticks by shaft length (the middle column).

Remember you will free ground shipping on ANY order over $100!