• Goal nets (2): 1.22 m high and 1.83 m wide
• Puck (1): made from vulcanized rubber; standard hockey puck size
• Sledge: each player has a sledge; the design of the sledge varies to accommodate the individual athlete, but all sledges have a metal frame that is at least 15 cm wide, 80 cm long and from 8.5 cm to 9.5 cm above the ice (high enough to allow the puck to pass underneath), a bucket for the player to sit in that is no more than 20 cm above the ice, one or two metal skate blades 16 cm to 32 cm long underneath the bucket and a skid at least 10 cm long on the front of the frame
• Sticks: two per player; made from wood, aluminum, carbon or some other material; up to 1 m in length with a blade up to 32 cm long and 7.5 cm wide on one end and a pick for moving on the ice on the other; the goaltender’s stick has a blade up to 38 cm long and 9 cm wide, and may have a pick on both ends of the stick
• Gloves: goalkeeper has a goalkeeper’s glove and blocking glove
• Personal protective equipment: each player requires a helmet, pads, gloves, etc.

 Rules:

• A team is composed of 15 athletes if males only are on the team or 16 athletes if there is at least one female player.
• Each team is allowed to have six players on the ice at any one time – a goalkeeper, two defence players and three forwards.
• Two teams compete against each other.
• Standard ice hockey rules apply.
• The game consists of three 15-minute periods with two 15 minute breaks.
• The winning team is the one which scores the most goals at the end of regulation time. If the game is tied after regulation play then a 10-minute sudden-death overtime period is played. If the game is still tied at that point, game-winning penalty shots will be done until there is a winning team.

Eligibility:

• Ice Sledge Hockey is generally open to individuals who are non-ambulant or can only walk short distances. This includes athletes with significant impairments in lower leg/gait function (i.e., spinal injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, double leg amputation, etc.), who usually require a wheelchair for daily mobility.

Modifications:

• Team benches and the penalty box are placed at rink level, so that players can enter and exit the rink unassisted.
• Team benches and the penalty box have a smooth surface so that the blades on the sledges are not damaged.

History:

• A direct descendant of Ice Hockey, Ice Sledge Hockey was invented at a rehabilitation centre in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1961 by a group of Swedes who, despite their physical disability, wanted to continue playing Hockey. The men modified a metal frame sled, or sledge, with two regular-sized Ice Hockey skate blades that allowed the puck to pass underneath. Using round poles with bicycle handles for sticks, the men played without any goaltenders on a lake south of Stockholm.
• The sport caught on and, by 1969, Stockholm had a five-team league that included players with physical disabilities and able-bodied players. That same year, Stockholm hosted the first international Ice Sledge Hockey match between a local club team and one from Oslo, Norway. During the 1970s, teams from these two countries played once or twice a year. Several other countries began to establish teams, including Great Britain (1981), Canada (1982), USA (1990), Estonia and Japan (1993).
• Two Swedish national teams played an exhibition match at the inaugural Örnsköldsvik 1976 Paralympic Winter Games in Sweden; however, Ice Sledge Hockey did not become an official event until the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games.

Governing Bodies:

• IPC Ice Sledge Hockey is the international governing body for Ice Sledge Hockey and sets the rules of competition.
• Hockey Canada is Canada’s national sports organization.