Special Olympics Floor Hockey is floor hockey played by competitors with physical or mental disabilities.

Special Olympics floor hockey is a form of hockey adapted from ice hockey and ringette, and is the only team sport in Special Olympics Winter Games competition. Floor hockey is played in a rink, but the surface is made of wood or concrete, not ice. The teams are composed of six players, including a goalie. The athletes use wooden poles (without blades) as the sticks and the pucks are large felt discs with an open center. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender.

The goal of floor hockey is to score more goals than the opposing team at the end of regulation time.

Each team is comprised five players and a goalie on the floor at any one time. The game begins with a face off at the centerline and resumes there after each goal, or start of a period. There are two, 12-minute running time halves with no time outs allowed during play. A goal is scored when a player hits, sweeps, or pushes the disc into the opposing team's net directly off of the pole; a kicked disc will not count as a goal. However, players may advance the disc with their feet.

Floor hockey first debuted at the Special Olympics during the 1970 World Winter Games. The popularity of the sports continued to increase and by the 2005 World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, 900 athletes competed in the floor hockey event. More than 47, 000 Special Olympics athletes reported participating in the sport of floor hockey in 2005.

Felt Disc
Helmet
Hockey Pole
Protective Padding

Special Olympics floor hockey offers individual skills competition to allow athletes to train and compete in basic floor hockey skills. The development of these key skills is necessary prior to advancing to team play. These events include shooting, passing and stick handling. A player's final score is determined by adding the scores together achieved in each of the events.

Backhand - a pass or shot with the bottom hand pulling the stick forward

Centering - passing the puck to a teammate in front of the opponent's goal

Clearing - moving the puck out of the zone to prevent an opponent from scoring

Dribble - using both sides of the blade, or pole, to control the puck

Face-Off - begins play at each period, after a goal is scored, or another stoppage in play; two opposing centers face each other and the puck is dropped between them by a referee

Forheand - a pass or shot with the bottom hand pushing the stick forward

Goal - each goal is worth one point; a goal is scored when a puck crosses the goal line and is not kicked in

High-Sticking - penalty called when a player lifts the blade above the waist, winds up, or follows through when attempting an illegal slap shot

Icing - occurs when a player on the defensive side of the floor sends the puck down the length of the floor and it crosses the designated line without being touched by a teammate

Offside - occurs when players move or cross out of the designated areas assigned to their position

Power Play - occurs when a team has a player advantage over a team with a player serving time in the penalty box

Slap Shot - an illegal shot in floor hockey; involves the swinging of the stick behind, slapping the puck, and a follow through bringing the stick high

Wrist Shot - a player uses a flicking motion to move the puck; the stick remains in contact with the floor

http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Coach/Sports_Offered/Floor+Hockey.htm
http://www.plattsburgh.edu/athletics/recsports/intramurals/hockey/rules.php
http://www.belleville.k12.wi.us/bjhs/physed/studyguides/floor%20hockey.htm