Facility

Broomball will be played at the Tsongas Arena.

Equipment

  1. Footwear: Rubber soled non-marking tennis/basketball type shoes are recommended. No skates, spikes, cleats, heavy boots, street shoes, or similar footwear is allowed.
  2. No street clothes (jeans, button shirts, dress pants, hard soled shoes, etc.) may be worn.
  3. Teams must wear matching colored shirts or use intramural pinnies.
  4. Helmets are mandatory and will be provided by intramural sports.
  5. Gloves/Softball gloves, shin pads, elbow pads, and mouth piece are optional, but recommended. Shin pads/elbow pads must be worn under clothing. Goalie pads/leggings are not allowed.
  6. Balls and sticks will be provided by intramural sports.
  7. Religious & medical alert bracelets/necklaces must be taped to the body for participation (Participant must meet with Coordinator of Intramural Sports before participating the first game)
  8. Players must remove all jewelry prior to participation.

Game Time and Forfeits

  1. All game times will be posted in IMLeagues.com
  2. Forfeit time: 10 minutes after the scheduled time.
  3. In order for a team to win via forfeit they must have at least 4 players on site.
  4. If neither team is able to field the correct number of players, a double forfeit will be declared.
  5. If a team forfeits a regular season game they will be ineligible for the playoffs.

Players and Game Timing

  1. Teams should consist of 5 players (four players and one goalie), minimum of 4 to start.
  2. The game shall consist of 2 periods of 20-minute each.
  3. Running clock throughout the game
  4. Exception- The clock will stop, on all whistles, during the last minute of the game when there is a two goal or less difference.
  5. There will be a 3- minute break between periods.
  6. Time-Outs
    • One 30-second time-out per game.
  7. Substitutions
    • Substitutions may be made after whistles or on the fly. The player being replaced must be off the ice surface before the replacement is on the ice surface.
    • Goalies must notify the referee when substituting (Only during a whistle blows or a timeout is called.)
  8. Overtime
    • Overtime will only occur in playoffs.
    • A five-minute sudden death overtime will be played in the case of a tie in the playoffs. If the game is still tied a 3 player shootout will follow. Shootout will be taken from 5 yards in front of the goal line. Shooters will alternate. If the game is still tied each team will continue to alternate one shooter until a winner is declared.
    • Each selected member of a team must shoot once before a player may shoot a second time.

Playing Regulations

There will be no offside in broomball except during face-off situations.

  1. Start of the Game
    • Each game will begin with a rock-paper-scissors between opposing captains. The winner chooses which side to defend first. Teams will switch sides after each period.
    • Play begins with a face-off at center ice with players in their defensive zone. A face-off at center ice also occurs after a goal is scored and at the beginning of each period. Any face-off requires all players not facing off to be at least 6 feet from the face-off spot.
  2. Checking
    • Checking of any kind is not permitted in Intramural Broomball.
    • Penalty: Ejection and 5-minute major penalty.
  3. Scoring
    • A goal is scored when the entire ball passes over the goal line.
    • Ball must be hit with the broom stick into the goal.
    • No goal for a ball diverted into the goal by an offensive players’ foot or hand.
  4. Passing
    • The ball must be passed from player to player using the stick.
    • Kicking the ball is not allowed.
      • If kicked, indirect shot awarded to opponent at spot of infraction.
    • Players may not catch the ball. They may knock it down with their hand, but if this occurs, they must be the first to play it with their broom before it touches another team member. No hand passes.
    • A broom may never be swung above waist height.
    • A ball knocked out of play will be put back in play with a face-off at the spot nearest where the ball was last touched by a player.
    • After each penalty, a face-off will result at the face-off circle nearest the spot of the penalty. Face-offs will be made at the center circle when the penalty occurred in the attacking area of the player/team being penalized.

Restrictions on the Goalie

  1. May wear a softball glove and dress similar to other players.
  2. May NOT use goalie thigh/shin pads.
  3. May catch and/or freeze the ball as long as some part of their body is in the crease.
  4. May NOT possess the ball for longer than 5 seconds.
  5. May NOT roll or throw the ball out of their own half of the ice.
    • Indirect shot shall be awarded to opponent from the spot it crossed half.
  6. A goalie leaving the crease loses all goalie privileges.
  7. A goalie may be pulled or put back into goal at any time, as long as the officials have been notified.
  8. No player, offensive or defensive, except the goalie is allowed in the crease area. A goal scored by offensive player in the crease is disallowed; a defensive player other than goalie stopping the ball in the crease will be penalized by awarding a penalty shot to the opponent.
  9. Goalies will serve all penalties they receive.

Penalties

  1. Minor violations - indirect shot (The ball must be touched first by a teammate or an opponent before going into the goal)
  2. Minor penalty - penalized player removed for two (2) minutes during which time no substitute is permitted unless the penalized team is scored upon.
  3. Major penalty - penalized player removed for five (5) minutes during which time no substitute is permitted, not even if the penalized team is scored upon. The official will determine whether the severity of the penalty requires the player to also be ejected from the game. If this is the case, the player must set up an appointment with the Coordinator of Intramural Sports or his/her designee prior to playing any intramural activity or forfeiture will result for the teams and games played. A player from his/her team must serve their major penalty.
    • After each penalty, a face-off shall result at the face-off circle nearest the spot of the penalty. Face-offs shall be made at the center circle when the penalty occurred in the attacking area of the player/team being penalized.
    • NOTE: For a second major penalty to the same player in a game, the player shall be ejected from the game. A mandatory meeting must be set up with the Coordinator of Intramural Sports or his/her designee prior to playing any intramural activity or forfeiture will result for the teams and games played.
  4. Minor Violations/Indirect Shots
    • Violations which result in awarding the ball to the opponent at the spot of the infraction for an indirect shot:
    • Playing the ball with a high stick when others are not close and in a non-threatening manner.
    • Hand passes or kicking the ball to a team member.
    • Players other than goalie catching/freezing the ball.
    • Goalie completely out of the crease freezes the ball.
    • Goalie holding the ball longer than 5 seconds (ball awarded to opponent at nearest face-off spot).
    • Goalie rolling/throwing the ball past center ice without it touching another player.
    • Offside on face-off situations.
    • Player in crease or breaking plane of crease with stick or body. When the offensive team breaks this rule, the defensive team shall be awarded an indirect shot; when the defensive team violates this rule, the offensive team shall be awarded an indirect shot only when the ball has come into the possession of the defensive team. If defense stops a goal or ball in crease, penalty shot awarded to offensive team.
  5. Two-Minute Minor Penalties
    • High sticking, or brooms carried in a manner considered dangerous by the official.
    • Too many players on the ice.
    • Deliberate delay of game. This includes a player who deliberately or intentionally knocks or shoots the ball out of the reach of the official who is retrieving it or shoots the ball out of the playing area.
    • Goalie who participates in a play in any manner beyond the center line.
    • Cross-checking and pushing off with the hands.
    • Slashing with the broom.
    • Interfering with or impeding the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the ball, who knocks a broom out of an opponent's hand, or who prevents a player from picking up a dropped stick.
    • Holding, tripping and elbowing.
    • Unnecessary roughness - A minor or major penalty may be imposed on any player.
    • Slapping of brooms or any other equipment on the playing floor or in an inappropriate manner.
    • Playing with a broken broom. Player must drop the broom to the floor immediately.
    • Sliding into opponents (both intentional and unintentional).
    • Removing helmet during play, including shoot-outs.
  6. Five-Minute Major Penalties
    • Checking and cross-checking a player (plus ejection).
    • Charging
    • Throwing broom or gloves at a ball.
    • Boarding (plus ejection) - shall be imposed on any player who body checks, cross checks, elbows, charges, trips, or throws an opponent into the boards or ice.
  7. Penalties Resulting in a Penalty Shot
    • Denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity by stopping/knocking the ball inside the crease.
    • Offensive player has obvious breakaway when defensive player throws anything at the player, including the body or the broom, and makes him/her lose control.
    • Intentionally fouling an opponent from behind on a breakaway.
    • Throwing a stick or helmet in frustration or anger.
  8. Misconduct Penalties
    • Violations which result in the penalized player receiving a ten-minute penalty with a substitute allowed:
      • Verbal abuse to officials can result in immediate game penalty.
      • Showing disrespect for an official. A game penalty may be levied if the player persists in this behavior.
      • Any player who, after being warned by an official, persists in any action designed to delay the game or incite an opponent into an altercation or penalty.
      • If, after the assessment of a misconduct penalty, a player persists in any course of conduct for which he/she has previously been assessed a misconduct penalty, a game penalty will be assessed.
  9. Game Penalties/Ejections
    • Violations which result in the penalized player being ejected from the game:
    • Fighting - a player shall also be ejected for joining in an altercation or fight.
    • Deliberate roughing of an opponent-CHECKING.
    • Slashing, spearing, butting, or swinging stick at a player (hitting or missing).
    • Attempt to injure an opponent.
    • Unsportsmanlike conduct or repeated acts of abuse to officials.
    • Player(s) using obscene gestures or language.
    • Players leaving bench or sidelines to participate in an altercation.