Illustration by Todd Detwiler
STL_Broomball
Broomball is a lot like hockey. It’s played on ice with nets in which to score, but it requires shoes, a ball, and (of course) brooms. Ron Blanton, an original member of the China Shop Bulls, one of Steinberg Skating Rink’s Tuesday-night league teams, says that even after more than a decade of playing, “the hardest thing is to not fall every 15 seconds.”
The Game
Broomball is played on a smaller version of a hockey rink. (Regular-size rinks leave the teams exhausted.)
There are six people per team: three forwards, two defenders, and a goalie. (The league at Steinberg is coed, with four guys and two girls per team.)
The game is broken into 20-minute halves. Each team gets one timeout.
The ice must be at the right temperature: At zero degrees or below, it’s not safe for play; above freezing, there’s usually an inch of slushy water, which can be like sand to play in.
The Penalties
Rough play does happen, but a bad temper will result in a foul. The first offense is two minutes in the penalty box. The player is disqualified, with the potential of being barred for the season, for a second offense.
A penalty shot is awarded if a player is taken down on a breakaway in which it’s obvious that he or she was going to get a clean shot on the goal.
No raising or follow-throughs with the stick above the waist are allowed; neither is checking.
The Gear
At first, players taped up the bristles to make one solid piece at the end of a broom. Now, the broom heads have evolved into triangular heads made of molded rubber on aluminum or wooden shafts.
Shoes made for broomball look like old-school Keds, except with spongy bottoms punctuated by small inverted holes. They make a significant difference in traction when the player’s running on the ice.
The goalie wears shin and forearm guards, knee and elbow pads, and a full baseball catcher’s helmet. The goalie is allowed to wear a single blocker glove, but the other hockey catching glove is outlawed.
The small soccer-like ball is approximately 5 inches in diameter. (Though not as painful as being hit by a puck, stopping a slapshot can result in significant discomfort.)
