| Roller hockey or inline hockey is played on roller or | | | | wrist guards, shoulder pads, and padded pants with |
| inline skates, with wheels placed in groups of 3 or 4 in | | | | shin guards. Goalies need more protection, and it should |
| a single line. In the United States of America, it has | | | | be made sure that his or her chest, back, and throat |
| grown into a significant sport, and indoor roller teams | | | | are protected. It is suggested for a goalie to wear |
| now play on blue plastic tiles, and with a plastic roller | | | | extra-padded leg pads, and mask cages. |
| puck. Roller hockey players can alternatively choose | | | | As far as US rules for this game are concerned, rink |
| aluminum sticks, or wooden sticks that are covered | | | | must be 200 by 100 feet in size, and the minimum size |
| with fiberglass. A great number of people in the United | | | | is 165 by 65 feet. It can be of wood, cement, asphalt, |
| States, Canada, and some other countries, have never | | | | or plastic. Its design is similar to that of ice hockey. |
| watched a game of hardball hockey, because inline | | | | Two goals are centered 12 feet from the far ends of |
| hockey is much more common in these countries. | | | | each court. There are four face-off circles, each 12 |
| This game is played with either a puck, or a ball. A | | | | feet in diameter, and one red centerline having 12 |
| puck is made of hard, vulcanized rubber. Goal nets are | | | | inches wide. Goals are 4 feet in height and 6 feet in |
| essentially just steel frames with nylon nets, and they | | | | width. |
| can be dismantled for storage. They are quite similar | | | | Roller hockey is a street game, and can be more |
| to those used in ice hockey. The gear used by roller | | | | dangerous than regular ice hockey. This game is not |
| hockey players is generally loose-fitting sport shirts, | | | | quite as fast as ice hockey, but when a roller hockey |
| pants, and socks. They may also put on helmets with | | | | player falls, he or she cannot slide along cement or |
| jaw guards, kneepads, and elbow pads for protection | | | | concrete surfaces, and this can cause major injuries. |
| purposes. They may also wear hockey gloves, or | | | | |