Rink too small?

[CUDangled]

Started thinking about this question...

How small is small when it comes to rink size? I know a lot of inline/roller hockey rinks are smaller than the standard ice size, but how small/large are the rink dimensions that you guys skate at? Please only post if you actually know the dimensions, as guesses will just screw up this informal survey.

Is 70x150 too small? What about 70x165?

Thanks!

[DannyG]

frankly, a great game of roller hockey is to be had on a playing surface of 150 by 75.

My facility is a playing surface of 75 by 70 feet. We play a 3v3 "small-floor" game. Yes, the game is a different game than on a reg rink. It's still hockey, and in fact, it is tremendous hockey.

Imagine Johnny Pinheiro, Aton Chavira, or the Yoder bros playing a 3-on-3, end-to-end game for 40 minutes. Like, 300 shots on goal..would that be a regulation game? nope. Would that be great hockey....aboslutely.

I am a proponent of short, small floor games. I am not sure that a rink can ever be "too small." The game becomes different, and that isn't a bad thing. Like many business owners, my playing surface was dictated by my financial state, and the dimensions of the building as available...but, if I could wave a magic wand, I would still only make my building/playing surface 100 by 75, and continue to play 3v3.

I realize that this response does not really address the intent of your question, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in, anyway...

[CUDangled]

DannyG

I agree with you totally! I love 3-on-3. It REALLY opens up the floor, even on a smaller surface.

But...in regards to my original question, I guess I am asking what is considered "small" for a standard game of 4-on4.

[DannyG]

Mario didn't want to usurp the thread, but I wanted to expand on the concept. So, with apologies...from his pm to me:


Hey,

...like a half rink?

...people can basically rip an accurate wrist/snap shot from one extreme end to the other?

Mario

Mario...actually, no. All our games (soccer, lacrosse, hockey, aussie rules football) have the "short-floor rule" of a shooting zone. You must have an offensive touch in the front half of the floor for a goal to count. If you don't have this as a rule, then two guys at opposite ends just take cannon shots back and forth, and that's ping-pong, but it isn't hockey.

So by our rules you must make some semblance of a pass/play then take the shot...makes it actual hockey.

the half-rink assessment is close to the truth. As Skylier puts it, "A breakaway is, like, two strides." Even with only three players, the reduced spaces force you to make faster, better decisions, and better plays. The proportionally extra width gives you enough room to skate and make plays. I feel that it is the best of both worlds. Our correspondent games of lacrosse and soccer have the same benefit.

It is also the absolute best floor for wheelchair roller hockey. Which we will be promoting soon. Some of you are aware that sled hockey is sanctioned all the way up through the olympics. Wheelchair hockey as the roller version is the best game in the world. We especially like it because you don't even have to change any of the rules to "accommodate" the athletes' disabilities...we just consider the chairs to be the skates, and the rule book remains the same. Same sticks, same equipment, same tactics, everything. Ask any disabled athlete how valuable that fact is.

Since wheelchairs can only wheel at about 5-6 miles per hour, the game is decidely slower than the 25 mph able-bodied, regulation game. That's where the small floor really works...it's the perfect size.

We plan on petitioning USAHIL to include a wheelchair division(s) in this year's InLine Cup in Vegas in October. I haven't told Gary or Jeremy yet, hopefully I'll get to them before thay read this.

you can, of course do the same thing with a cross-rink game...just like USA Hockey recommend to its ice programs for little kids...

I am certainly interested if anybody has other experiences with small-floor games, again, with apologies to CUD about hijacking his thread.

anybody?

[MotherPucker21]

thanks for the explanation!! That is exactly what i was curious about. I'm sure having that rule in effect makes it an awesome game. On a regulation rink i know guys who can rip shots from half or further. If your rule was not implemented, as you said, it could easily turn into a game of ping pong puck shooting.

Very interesting stuff!