What the bloody hell is... Floorball?

Other / Richard Douglas / 30 March 2009 / 1 Comments

In a new series of articles, Richard Douglas introduces a range of obscure but potentially lucrative sports for betting, explaining how you can find the value in some of Betfair's less likely markets. This week - floorball.

Floorball is a pretty odd sport. One of those European pastimes that may stir peculiar passions in certain cities on the Continent but is frankly nothing in this country.

But then cricket could probably fill the same criteria in reverse.

Of course, most English sports have acquired gravitas and popularity over time. Organised, competitive Test and domestic cricket goes back well into the 19th century, the origins of the game were recorded a couple of hundred years before that. Whereas the Svenska Superligan, Sweden's top-flight floorball division, was only convened in 1995-6.

The sport itself first surfaced in the 1970s. It has been suggested that it grew up after North Americans took field hockey with them during a mass exodus to Scandanavia.

The main attraction of the game is it pace. Basically, it is a kind of 'ice-hockey lite', played on gym floor 40m x 20m which is enclosed by boards with rounded corners. The sticks cannot be longer than 105cm and cannot weigh more than 350 grams. A small highly-aerodynamic plastic whiffle ball is spanked around at speeds of up to 190km.

Each match is split into three periods of 20 minutes. You are only allowed six players on the floor at any one time and the keeper is allowed to use extra padding.

The big difference is the contact. In ice-hockey, body-checking is expected and lauded but it is strictly forbidden in floorball. It is suggested that contact is minimal and therefore "similar to football". Not quite sure about that.

The name of the sport is perhaps derived from the fact that players are not allowed to raise their stick or play the ball higher than their knees. This is a low-level sport in many senses.

The Swedish Superligan is the world's best domestic competition and we are at that sharp end of the season right now. The 14-team division finished their regular season some time ago. The top eight win through to Play-Offs, from which the champions are decided. The first two rounds are the best of five games but the final is a one-off affair.

Warberg IC finished on top in the regular season. They have won the Superligan in three out of the last four years and are well-positioned to do it again ([1.03]).

They beat IBF Falun in the first round of the Play-Offs. The decisive game saw Warberg win 8-4 with Magnus Svensson grabbing four goals and Kimmo Eskelinen a couple. The former now has an incredible 63 goals in 38 games plus 19 assists. His main support is Jim Canerstam who has averaged a goal a game in his 40 appearances

They face Balrog IK [1.03] in a semi-final series which starts Monday March 30. The Stockholm side pulled up a shock by whitewashing the well-fancied Caperio/Täby in their quarter-final. Balrog, the 2004 Superligan winners, had only scraped into the Play-Offs after finishing eighth in the regular season table. They have no-one in the class of Magnus Svensson but they do possess Mikael Karlsson, who has 29 goals and 38 assists in 35 games.

The other semi-final sees AIK take on Storveta. Both are priced at [1.03] to take the Superligan title but AIK must be favourites for this tie. The three-time EuroFloorball Cup winners finished a healthy 13 points above their opponents in the regular season table. They also walloped Pixbo Wallenstam 3-0 in the quarter-final, including a 7-1 drubbing in the final game. Not playing those extra games will be significant. The AIK roster is packed with 30-somethings including key players Patirk Edgren, Mats Egnell and leading scorer Niklas Jihde.

For Storveta, much depends on the form and fitness of Mika Kohonen. The 31-year-old club captain has been involved in an outstanding 80 goals in 33 games - 28 as the scorer, 52 as the assist-maker.

To be honest, it is hard to look past Warberg for the Superligan title. But don't take my word for it, why not ask one of the main protagonists.

If you are interested and can speak Swedish you can contact Warberg head coach Isac Carlsson. His mobile number and email address are posted on the main floorball site.

Comments (1)

1. Banny | 31 March 2009

   Watch this youtube-clip from quarter-final 3 between Warberg and Falun! Great stuff!