Another form of the attractive and popular sport, hockey, is with roller skates. Like in-line hockey, quad hockey can be played dry surface. This surface can be of standard indoor parquet for competitions with a high level or at a recreational level on asphalt.

As mentioned in previous articles, there are two forms of hockey; on-ice and off-ice. In-line hockey and quad hockey are derivatives of off-ice hockey. In-line hockey and quad hockey are different from each other, and the first marked difference is in the type of skates used in this sport.

As the name implies, hockey quad skates (four wheels with two axles) are used in quad hockey. Using quad skates, players will have much more maneuverability. The hockey sticks used in this sport is more or less very similar to hockey sticks and the techniques of hitting with backhand and forehand with this stick are very similar to the hitting technique with hockey stick.

Goalkeeper gloves, like other forms of hockey, are a catch glove and a blocker glove.

Quad hockey is officially present in more than sixty different countries and competitions are held in them, so this sport has different names in different countries.

Quad Hockey was referred to as Hardball Hockey in the United States until November 2008 when the USOC adopted the sport’s more common name, Rink Hockey.

But this was not an international choice and quad hockey is introduced worldwide with names like Rink Hockey, Quad Hockey, Ball Hockey, Roller Hockey and Hardball Hockey, English Roller Hockey, Hockey Sobre Patines, Hockey Pista, Hoquei Em Patins, Hockey Skids, Traditional Hockey, Cane Hockey, Hokel Na Koturaljkama and Rulluisuhoki. Depending on the region of the world where you intend to enter this sport, you will encounter different names of this sport.

Quad hockey attracted a large audience at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics as a dramatic competition. The World Championships of this sport are also held every two years by the World Skate Federation.

One of the most prestigious and professional countries in this sport is England, which is currently active with 9 teams in the Roller Hockey Premier League, under the supervision of NRHA, and its competitions are being held on a regular basis.

As mentioned, quad hockey has some differences compared to in-line hockey. Another difference between in-line hockey and quad hockey is the type of moving the puck. In quad hockey, the puck can only be moved with a stick, not a skate, and if a skate is used to move the puck, a penalty will be imposed by the referee.

Competitions are held in two halves of 25 minutes, with a break of 15 minutes between the two halves. If the two teams are tied, two extra 5-minute halves will be counted as golden goals (each team that scores the first goal in overtime will be declared the winner and the end of the game will be announced at the same time) to determine the winning team. If the two teams also draw in overtime, the winner will be awarded a penalty kick.

Unlike ice hockey and in-line hockey, excessive contact and collision between players is prohibited, and in the event of a collision, the referee can stop the game and fine the offender.

As we mentioned, the World Championships in this sport are held every two years and regularly, so far 44 competitions have been held and the countries that have won the most championship titles since 1940 include as below:

Spain (17 titles)

Portugal (16 titles)

Argentina (5 titles)

Italy (4 titles)

And England (2 titles)

Other countries such as Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Andorra and France are also regular and powerful international teams, but they have never won the world championship.

Quad hockey is a fast paced sport, and due to the increase in fans of this sport and also the requests for television broadcasting of the competitions of that, the officials and macro level decision makers of this sport, issued a letter section and obligated all clubs to use blue or white flooring in order to have the ball seen clearly on TV, after agreeing to the television broadcast of that.

As mentioned, the rink suitable for quad hockey is a dry field with a polished wood surface. However, this sport can be expanded in any flat and non-slippery surface. The advertisements used around the hockey arena also have various rules and regulations, the most important of which is that the use of banners and advertisements in dark colors is prohibited. This is to avoid the players to be tricked and also help them not to lose the puck.

Quad hockey field can be in three standard sizes (a minimum of 34×17 meters, an average of 40×20 and a maximum of 44×22). These dimensions are not strict and a 10% margin of error is acceptable. In addition, fields with dimensions between maximum and minimum are also qualified to hold competitions.

The ice hockey rink must have rounded corners with a radius of 1 meter surrounded by a one-meter wall around it. At the bottom of this wall there is a wooden base with a width of 2 cm and a height of 20 cm. Behind the goal posts, there is a 4-meter-high net that should be installed even on rinks where there is no spectator seating. This is to prevent the puck from returning and colliding with the players.

If the puck hits the net, it is considered out of range.

• The clothing is similar to that used in football—socks up to the knee, shorts and a shirt.

  Players can use the sticks of any material approved by the World Skate. Although wooden sticks are still most often used, with a minimum length of 90 cm and maximum of 115 cm. They cannot be wider than 5 cm or weigh over 500 g.

  The ball is made of pressed cork, has a 23 cm in circumference, and weighs 155 g.

  The skates must have two pairs of wheels, with a minimum diameter of 3 cm. Players are allowed to use brakes in the front of the skate, with a diameter or larger side not larger than 5 cm.

  Protective material includes shoulder pads, knee and elbow guards and gloves. Specifications for helmets and elbow caps vary from federation to federation.

  Goalkeepers use protective padding on the torso and just like the goalkeepers of in-line hockey and ice hockey, they like to use massive protection to make them larger in order to increase the protection from the goalpost. They have two different gloves that are responsible for catching and blocking. Goalkeepers also wear arm and knee guards, as well as helmets with cages or visors.

  The first recorded game of this sport was played in 1878 at the Denmark Rink in London, England. In the early days of this sport in 1876, it was introduced as the Roller Polo.