Underwater hockey. Underwater hockey - history, basic concepts and rules of the game Underwater hockey

What kind of hockey does not exist: underwater, under ice, swamp, vertical?

Game "Who wants to be a millionaire?" for December 8, 2018 has already been aired in the eastern regions of the country, so the answers to all the questions of the game are already known and they can be found on the Teleotvet website as well.

Here is one of the interesting questions of today's game and the correct answer to it.

What hockey doesn't exist?

1. underwater
2. under ice
3. marsh
4. vertical

The history of this sports game is one of the most contested of all sports. The traditional birthplace of hockey is Montreal, Canada (although more recent research points to Kingston, Ontario or Windsor, Nova Scotia).

However, some 16th-century Dutch paintings also show many people playing a hockey-like game on a frozen canal. But despite this, home modern hockey still counts as Canada.

Types of hockey regarding answer options in the TV game:

• Vertical hockey and sledge hockey are varieties of hockey for the disabled.
• Underwater hockey and its variety - ice hockey.

Answer: option number 3 - swamp.

The goal in underwater hockey is higher than in its land-based counterpart. They have a height of 3 meters, and also have a recess into which the puck must be driven.

Underwater hockey is essentially the same classic hockey, only the teams in his case play under water. This is currently unusual view sport is a member of the World Underwater Confederation. And it was invented in England in 1954. It was invented by Sir Alan Blake, who was the owner of the Sub-Aqua Club. The purpose of the creation was quite prosaic: to keep the members of the club who were interested in outdoor activities in winter, as their favorite diving was impossible at this time of the year in the open sea.

Currently, underwater hockey is played all over the world. He gained no small popularity in South Africa, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada. But in Russia, it is still exotic and known to a few. In Canada, the first Underwater Hockey World Championship was held in 1980. And in 1984 it was held women's championship world in this sport.

The rules for playing underwater hockey are simple. The playing field is located in the pool, in which two teams of athletes compete. Each consists of 10 players equipped with fins, masks, snorkels and clubs. During the game, 6 players swim out into the pool, and four are outside to replace. As in ordinary hockey, they try to score the puck into the opponent's goal by moving it with a stick along the bottom of the pool.

By the way, the puck weighs 1.2-1.5 kg. It is made of lead, covered with a plastic shell, and has negative buoyancy, so it is always pressed to the bottom. It is allowed to touch the puck only with sticks no longer than 30 cm. Sticks have different widths. Defenders are wider than attackers. A silicone glove is put on the hand with which the player holds the stick. The glove protects the hand from hitting with a stick, puck and other injuries.

The goal in underwater hockey is higher than in its land-based counterpart. They have a height of 3 meters, and also have a recess into which the puck must be driven. There is a wall at the back of the goal, from which the puck bounces if it accidentally hits it. However, a goal in this case counts. Game over at goal scored or if the referee sees fit to stop her. As in regular hockey, underwater hockey consists of two periods, but their duration is 10-15 minutes. The game is judged by two referees in the water and one on the surface.

Underwater hockey is a non-contact sport. Since, unlike the classic version, it does not have protective equipment, captures, holdings or any other influence on the opponent are strictly prohibited here.

There are many sports in the world today, some of which are quite ordinary and familiar to any person. However, among them there are very impressive and unconventional sports, one of them is underwater hockey. This is a relatively young sport, the official date of its creation is 1954. This game was first hosted by Alan Blake, a diver. He wanted to diversify his underwater training and thus came up with the new kind sports. the first official game held only 8 years later in 1962 in Vancouver. Since then, underwater hockey has become quite a well-known and popular hobby.
The pace of development of underwater hockey is really amazing. Of course, when a person first hears the name of this sport, he has a variety of questions. It is quite difficult to imagine how exactly this game is played. In fact, underwater hockey is a variation of regular hockey, the difference is only in the place of training and competition: all the actions of the game take place at the bottom of the pool.

Let's talk a little about the structure of the team. Underwater hockey is usually played by two teams, the standard number of participants in each of them is ten people. Six players directly take part in the game itself, and the remaining four people are in reserve. Each player is equipped with special equipment, consisting of a mask, fins, a breathing tube, a swimming cap, gloves and a small stick. The puck during the game should not pop up and rise. That is why its weight is about one and a half kilograms. An interesting fact is that the participants in the game are not allowed to dive underwater with scuba gear. During the game, they hold their breath for a sufficiently long period of time and then constantly emerge to get oxygen. That is why, in addition to bottom training, athletes often practice holding their breath.

The main goal of the game is to hit the opponent's goal. To do this, you need to move the puck along the bottom of the pool, and thus throw it into the opponent's goal. The competition consists of two periods, each of which lasts fifteen minutes. Two referees help to judge the game at once. One of them is under water in full diving equipment and constantly monitors what is happening at depth. The second referee watches the game from outside, he is called the surface referee.
As already mentioned, the main goal of the players is an abandoned goal into the opponent's goal. What do these gates look like? In fact, they are very similar to ordinary hockey goals, only their dimensions are much larger, they reach three meters in length. They are made from stainless steel for maximum durability. The gate is installed at the bottom of the pool at its opposite ends. They have a small recess where the puck should actually fly into. Behind the gate is not an empty space, but a wall. That is why, if the puck flies into the goal and bounces off the wall, the goal is also counted.

This sport is becoming more and more popular among guys. However, many girls are also fond of underwater hockey. Unfortunately, the competition between exclusively women's teams not yet carried out. However, given the speed at which this sport is spreading around the world, it can be assumed that such competitions will also begin to be held in the near future. In fact, underwater hockey is a great way to diversify your life and test your sporting abilities.