In which country was underwater hockey invented? Underwater hockey is a spectacular sport

What should a hockey player do when the ice melts? Either look for alternatives or train hard off the ice. Today in HS, I present to your attention the first alternative, enough unusual look sports - underwater hockey. What it is and how to play it, read right now. — discipline of underwater sports. During the game, two teams of athletes compete, each of which consists of 3-6 players equipped with fins, caps, masks, snorkels and sticks. The goal of the game is to score the puck into the opponent's goal by pushing it along the bottom of the pool. Summer has come and your favorite skating rink has melted? Then go play hockey in the pool. In underwater hockey...

Underwater hockey


Underwater hockey


is the brainchild of British diving instructor Alan Blake, who was looking for a way to keep fit during the long winter, as well as to train students to hold their breath for as long as possible underwater. It was invented back in 1954, in the city of Portsmouth.


Underwater hockey


As in regular hockey, the main goal of the game in underwater hockey is to score as many pucks as possible into the opponent’s goal. The size of the goal for underwater hockey is quite large - 3 meters wide. A puck for underwater hockey is approximately the same in size as for regular hockey, but its weight is significantly higher than that of a regular puck - as much as 1.36 kg. Thanks to the heavy steel core of the puck, it does not bounce and always remains securely pressed to the bottom of the pool.

In underwater hockey, it is prohibited to use force or hold an opponent in any way, as well as to touch the puck with anything other than a stick - the violation is punishable, as in hockey, by a two-minute penalty. Let's talk about an underwater hockey stick. For starters, her appearance: Typically, underwater hockey sticks are about 30 centimeters long. Sticks for defenders, by the way, are slightly wider than the sticks of forwards. Also, the player must wear a thick glove on his hand with the stick. This glove is an analogue of a hockey glove that protects the hand from possible blows to the hand from the puck and sticks of opponents.

The size of the pool for playing underwater hockey must be 25 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 2 meters deep. Duration of the game: 2 halves of 10-15 minutes. Do you think it's not enough? Not at all, because The player has to surface for a breath of air approximately every 15 seconds.

The big advantage of underwater hockey is that absolutely everyone can play it, regardless of the player’s gender, age or build - water almost completely equalizes the chances of underwater hockey players. The leading countries in underwater hockey are South Africa, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand and, as in all other forms of hockey, Canada. Underwater hockey is played in many countries, but we have to admit: it is still considered very exotic all over the world...

This is an extreme and spectacular sport. The history of the emergence of underwater hockey is interesting. It was invented in England in 1954. The first rules of the game were invented by the owner of the diving club, Alan Blake. His main goal was to attract new members to the club in the winter, when open water activities are not popular. At first, the game was used by divers as additional training. But gradually it grew into an independent sport. Divers highly appreciated new game. It quickly spread throughout the world. Underwater hockey is especially popular in Canada and Western Europe.

World Championships

In 1980, the first Men's Underwater Hockey World Championship was held. A similar competition for women was organized four years later. World Championships are held every two years. The first underwater hockey competition in Russia took place in 2010.

Currently, more than 220 clubs of this type of hockey are registered around the world. The game is very democratic and has no age restrictions. To begin training, you only need regular diving equipment and special protective gloves.

Rules

The rules of underwater hockey are similar to the rules of regular hockey. The game takes place in a pool 25 m long and 2.75 m deep. Two teams consisting of 10-12 players compete with each other. Athletes are equipped with masks, fins, snorkels, caps, gloves and sticks. During the game, six players from each team are in the pool. The rest are located in a special zone and come out as replacements. Athletes do not use scuba gear. During the game, they constantly rise to the surface of the water, so in underwater hockey there is no clear division of athletes into goalkeepers and defenders.

Players spend a lot of time practicing holding their breath. Many athletes have experience playing water polo. The goal of the game is to score the puck into the opponent's goal using a short stick. The washer is made of lead and plastic. In this case, the projectile can only be moved along the bottom of the pool. The gate has a special recess in the center. You need to lower the washer into it. For convenience, teams use sticks of different colors. Just like in regular hockey, athletes use various passes and combinations. Players claim that they can feel their partners by the vibration of the water.

Violations

Three referees ensure that the rules are followed. Two are in the pool, one is on its surface. They communicate with hockey players using gestures and various sound signals. Violations are punishable by free throws. Two players attack the goal until the puck is scored or a projectile is thrown out of the attack zone. Any gripping with hands or a stick is prohibited. The puck can only be touched with the stick. Hockey players practically never get injured during competitions. The hands of hockey players are reliably protected by gloves from blows with a stick.

The game consists of two periods of 15 minutes of pure time. The stopwatch stops at each pause. Teams may take one minute timeout during the game. Underwater hockey is a very entertaining game. This is one of the most popular underwater sports. Television broadcasts of this game attract a large audience.

There are several varieties of underwater hockey. Ice hockey is very popular in Europe. Austria is considered its homeland. The main feature of the game is that athletes compete under a frozen pond. In this case, the playing surface is ice. Hockey players play while upside down. The puck is made of lightweight polymers, so it is always pressed against the ice. The gates are triangular holes cut into the ice. Athletes use special insulated wetsuits and fins with skates at the ends. The game takes place at low speeds. Most often, competitions are held in a one-on-one format. The game lasts three periods of ten minutes.

Hockey players are required to swim to the ice surface every thirty seconds. Beginning athletes often lose orientation in space. A team of rescuers equipped with oxygen cylinders monitors the safety of athletes. A live broadcast from underwater cameras is organized for viewers. In Russia, a more common type of game is the one in which scuba gear is used. The first Ice Hockey World Championship was held in Austria in 2009.

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

Underwater hockey is essentially the same classic hockey, only the teams in his case play underwater. Currently, this unusual sport is part of the World Confederation of Underwater Activities. 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 retain club members who were interested in active recreation in winter, since their favorite diving was impossible at this time of year in the open sea.

Currently, underwater hockey is played all over the world. He has gained considerable popularity in South Africa, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. But in Russia it is still exotic and known to few. In Canada, the first world championship in underwater hockey was held in 1980. And in 1984 it was held women's championship world in this sport.

The rules of playing underwater hockey are simple. The playing field is located in a swimming pool in which two teams of athletes compete. Each consists of 10 players equipped with fins, masks, snorkels and sticks. During the game, 6 players swim into the pool, and 4 are outside to replace. As in regular 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. Touching the puck is allowed only with sticks no longer than 30 cm. Sticks have different widths. Defenders have them wider than attackers. A silicone glove is put on the hand with which the player holds the club. The glove protects the hand from being hit by a stick, puck and other injuries.

The goal in underwater hockey is higher than in its land-based counterpart. They are 3 meters high and also have a recess into which the washer must be driven. There is a wall behind the goal that the puck will bounce off if it accidentally hits it. However, in this case the goal is counted. Game over at scored a goal or if the referee deems it necessary to stop her. Like 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, then grabbing, holding or any other influence on the opponent is strictly prohibited.

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

Game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for December 8, 2018 has already been broadcast in the eastern regions of the country, so the answers to all the questions of the game are already known and can be found on the Telerespont website, among others.

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

What kind of hockey doesn't exist?

  1. underwater
  2. subglacial
  3. swamp
  4. vertical

The history of this sports game is one of the most contested of all sports. Traditionally, Montreal (Canada) is considered the birthplace of hockey (although more recent studies point to the primacy of Kingston, Ontario or Windsor, Nova Scotia).

However, some other 16th-century Dutch paintings depict many people playing a hockey-like game on a frozen canal. But despite this, Canada is still considered the birthplace of modern hockey.

Types of hockey regarding answer options in the game show:

  • Vertical hockey and Sledge hockey are types of hockey for the disabled.
  • Underwater hockey and its variation - ice hockey.

Answer: option No. 3 - swamp.

There are many sports in the world today, some of which are completely 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 considered to be 1954. This game was first played by Alan Blake, a diver. He wanted to diversify his underwater training and thus came up with new look sports First official game carried out only 8 years later in 1962 in Vancouver. Since then, underwater hockey has become a fairly well-known and popular hobby.
The pace of development of underwater hockey is truly amazing. Of course, when a person first hears the name of this sport, he has various questions. It is quite difficult to imagine exactly how this game is played. In fact, underwater hockey is a variation of regular hockey, the only difference is in the location of training and competitions: all the action of the game takes place at the bottom of the pool.

Let's talk a little about the team structure. Underwater hockey is usually played by two teams, the standard number of participants in each team 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, breathing tube, swimming cap, gloves and a small stick. The puck should not float or rise during play. That is why its weight is about one and a half kilograms. An interesting fact is that participants in the game are not allowed to dive underwater with scuba gear. During the game, they hold their breath for a fairly long period of time and then constantly emerge to gain 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 enemy'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 lasting fifteen minutes. Two referees help judge the game. One of them is underwater 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 to score a goal against the opponent. What do these gates look like? In fact, they are very similar to ordinary hockey goals, only their sizes are much larger, they reach a length of three meters. They are made of stainless steel to maximize their service life. The gates are installed at the bottom of the pool at opposite ends. They have a small recess where the puck should actually go. Behind the gate is not empty space, but a wall. That is why if the puck goes into the goal and bounces off the wall, a goal is also counted.

This sport is becoming more and more popular among guys. However, many girls are also interested in underwater hockey. Unfortunately, competitions between exclusively female teams are not yet held. However, given the rapid pace at which this sport is spreading throughout the world, it can be assumed that similar competitions will also begin to be held in the near future. In fact, underwater hockey is great way diversify your life and test your sporting capabilities.