Floorball Referee Guide
Referee Roles, Penalty Types, Free Hits, Penalty Shots & Crease Rules — A Complete Official's Handbook
Last updated: April 6, 2026
Floorball matches are officiated by two referees with equal authority — both can call any penalty, award free hits, confirm goals, and manage the match. Key penalties include minor (2 min), major (5 min), and match (10 min + red card). Unlike ice hockey, all penalties are served in full. Free hits are the most common restart, and penalty shots are awarded when a clear scoring chance is illegally prevented. The crease is exclusively the goalkeeper's zone — field players entering it face severe consequences.
The Two-Referee System: Equal Authority
Floorball uses a two-referee system where both officials have identical authority. This is fundamentally different from ice hockey, which uses a hierarchical system with referees and linesmen who have different powers.
Both Referees Can:
- Call any penalty (minor, major, match)
- Award free hits for infractions
- Confirm or disallow goals
- Stop play for any reason
- Manage the match clock (signal starts and stops)
Positioning on the Court
The two referees typically position themselves diagonally on the court:
- R1 follows the play from one sideline, staying near the attacking zone
- R2 positions on the opposite sideline, providing a wider angle and covering the defensive zone
When play moves from one end to the other, the referees adjust their positions, with one staying close to the action and the other maintaining an overview. This diagonal system ensures that at least one referee has a clear view of any incident on the court.
Communication Between Referees
Referees communicate using eye contact, hand signals, and brief verbal exchanges during stoppages. Before making a penalty call, a referee may consult with their colleague if the incident occurred in the other official's primary zone. Both referees must agree on goal decisions in ambiguous situations.
The Scorer's Table
In addition to the two on-court referees, the scorer's table includes:
- Timekeeper: Manages the game clock, starts and stops on referee signals
- Secretary (Scorekeeper): Records goals, penalties, and substitutions on the official match sheet
At recreational and amateur levels where a formal scorer's table is not available, JudgeMate's Free Scoreboard can serve as the digital equivalent — one person controls the clock, goals, and penalties from their phone while the spectator display provides the public scoreboard.
Pre-Match Responsibilities
Before the match, referees must:
- Inspect the court (boards secure, goals properly anchored, crease markings visible)
- Check equipment (sticks within legal length, goalkeeper equipment complete)
- Meet with both team captains to review ground rules
- Verify the scorer's table is ready
Penalty Types and Their Consequences
Floorball penalties are divided into three severity levels, each with distinct consequences for the offending player and team.
Minor Penalties (2 Minutes)
The most common penalty in floorball. The offending player sits in the penalty area for 2 minutes of playing time, and their team plays shorthanded (5v4).
Critical rule: Unlike ice hockey, a minor penalty in floorball is always served in full — it does NOT end early if the opposing team scores a power play goal. The penalized player returns only when the full 2 minutes of playing time have elapsed.
Common minor penalty infractions:
- Tripping — using the stick or foot to trip an opponent
- Holding — grabbing an opponent's body, clothing, or stick
- Pushing — shoving an opponent with hands or body
- Hooking — using the stick blade to hook an opponent
- High sticking — lifting the stick above waist height during a stroke or above knee height during play (resulting in a penalty rather than a free hit depends on the severity)
- Playing without a stick — actively participating in play without holding a stick
- Incorrect substitution — too many players on the court during play
- Delay of game — deliberately delaying the restart of play
Major Penalties (5 Minutes)
Assessed for more serious or violent infractions. The offending player sits for 5 full minutes, and their team plays shorthanded.
Common major penalty situations:
- Violent or dangerous play — reckless actions that endanger an opponent
- Repeated minor offenses — the same player committing multiple minor infractions
- Serious high sticking — hitting an opponent with a high stick causing injury
- Dangerous pushing — pushing an opponent into the boards dangerously
Match Penalties (10 Minutes + Red Card)
The most severe sanction. The player receives a 10-minute penalty and a red card, meaning they are ejected from the match. A substitute may take their place on the court after the 10 minutes expire, but the ejected player cannot return.
Match penalty situations:
- Brutality — deliberate attempt to injure an opponent
- Abusive language or behavior toward officials — verbal or physical abuse directed at referees
- Extreme dangerous play — actions showing complete disregard for an opponent's safety
Penalty Signals
Referees signal penalties using standardized hand signals:
- Point to the offending player
- Signal the type of infraction (e.g., tripping motion, pushing gesture)
- Point to the penalty area
- Show the penalty duration (fingers indicating 2, 5, or 10 minutes)
JudgeMate's Free Scoreboard tracks all three penalty types with live countdown timers, ensuring everyone in the hall knows exactly when each penalty expires.
Free Hits: The Most Common Restart
The free hit is the most frequent restart in floorball, awarded for a wide range of minor infractions that do not warrant a penalty.
When a Free Hit Is Awarded
- High sticking: Stick blade raised above knee height during play (or above waist height when making a stroke at the ball)
- Playing the ball with hand/head/foot: Deliberately touching the ball with anything other than the stick (except the goalkeeper in the crease)
- Incorrect distance: Opponent standing within 3 meters of the ball during a free hit
- Lifting or holding an opponent's stick: Interfering with an opponent's stick
- Playing the ball while lying on the floor: A field player may not play the ball while any part of their body other than their feet is on the ground
- Goal crease violation (minor): Field player stepping into the crease without significantly affecting play
- Ball out of play: When the ball leaves the playing area (over the boards or hitting the ceiling)
Free Hit Execution Rules
- The ball must be stationary at the location of the infraction
- The player taking the free hit has 5 seconds to play the ball
- All opponents must be at least 3 meters from the ball
- The free hit taker cannot play the ball again until another player has touched it
- The ball must be played along the surface — it cannot be lifted directly from a free hit
Free Hit Near the Goal
If a free hit is awarded within the attacking zone near the goal, the defending team gains a significant advantage from the 3-meter distance rule and the requirement for the ball to be stationary. Coaches design specific set plays to maximize free hit opportunities near the goal — quick passes, screens, and one-timers are common tactics.
Hit-In (Sideline Restart)
When the ball leaves the court over the side boards, the opposing team receives a hit-in — functionally similar to a free hit, taken from the point where the ball crossed the board. The same 3-meter and 5-second rules apply.
Goalkeeper Restart
If the ball goes over the end line and was last touched by an attacking player, the goalkeeper restarts play by throwing the ball back into play from within the crease area.
The Penalty Shot: One-on-One with the Goalkeeper
A penalty shot is the most dramatic restart in floorball — a one-on-one confrontation between a shooter and the opposing goalkeeper.
When a Penalty Shot Is Awarded
A penalty shot is given when a clear goal-scoring opportunity is illegally prevented. Specific situations include:
- Crease violation by a defender: A field player enters their own goal crease to block a shot or play the ball. Since only the goalkeeper may be in the crease, this is a serious offense that denies the attacking team a fair scoring opportunity.
- Goal displacement: A defender deliberately moves or displaces the goal to prevent a scoring chance.
- Breakaway foul: A penalty offense committed against a player who has a clear breakaway (no defenders between the attacker and the goalkeeper).
- Covering the ball: A field player deliberately lies on or covers the ball in the crease area.
Penalty Shot Execution
- The shooter places the ball at the center spot of the court
- On the referee's whistle, the shooter may begin moving forward
- The ball must be kept moving forward at all times — no backward movement is allowed
- The goalkeeper must remain in the crease until the shooter touches the ball
- The shot must be taken within a reasonable time — the shooter cannot skate around indefinitely
- The attempt ends when:
- The ball crosses the goal line (goal scored)
- The goalkeeper saves the ball
- The ball hits the goal frame (post or crossbar) and does not enter
- The ball stops moving forward
- The shooter commits an infraction (e.g., moving the ball backward)
Referee Decisions on Penalty Shots
The decision to award a penalty shot is one of the most consequential calls a referee can make. Referees must evaluate:
- Was there a clear scoring opportunity? (Not just any chance — it must be a high-probability goal-scoring situation)
- Was the opportunity illegally denied? (Not just contact, but a clear rules violation)
- Could the referee award a lesser penalty (minor or major) instead?
In ambiguous situations, referees tend to award a penalty (2 or 5 minutes) rather than a penalty shot, reserving the penalty shot for clear-cut denial of obvious goal-scoring chances.
Crease Rules: The Goalkeeper's Protected Zone
The goal crease is one of floorball's most strategically important areas — and understanding its rules is essential for referees and players.
What Is the Crease?
The crease is a semi-circular area directly in front of each goal, defined by a painted line on the court surface. It extends approximately 2.5 meters from the goal line. This area is the exclusive zone of the goalkeeper.
The Fundamental Rule
Only the goalkeeper may be in the crease. No field player — from either team — may enter, stand in, or play the ball while inside the crease. This rule is absolute and strictly enforced.
Consequences of Crease Violations
The consequences depend on which team's player enters the crease and the context:
Attacking field player enters the crease:
- If a goal is scored while the attacking player is in the crease or has just left it, the goal is disallowed
- A free hit is awarded to the defending team
- The crease violation does not need to directly affect the play — mere presence in the crease is sufficient to disallow a goal
Defending field player enters their own crease:
- This is a serious offense because the defender is essentially acting as a second goalkeeper
- A penalty shot is typically awarded to the attacking team
- If the defender enters the crease to block a shot or play the ball, the penalty shot is virtually automatic
Ball in the crease:
- When the ball comes to rest inside the crease, only the goalkeeper may play it
- If a field player reaches into the crease with their stick to play the ball, a free hit or penalty may be awarded
- The goalkeeper may pick up the ball with their hands inside the crease (unique to the goalkeeper)
The Goalkeeper in the Crease
Inside the crease, the goalkeeper has special privileges:
- May use their hands to catch, throw, and direct the ball
- May lie down to make saves (field players cannot play while on the ground)
- Is protected from contact by opposing players
- May throw the ball to restart play after a save
Goalkeeper Outside the Crease
The goalkeeper may leave the crease to play the ball with their body (but not hands) outside the crease area. However, this is risky — the goal is unprotected, and the goalkeeper is subject to the same rules as field players when outside the crease (except they still cannot use a stick).
Practical Refereeing of the Crease
Crease violations are among the most frequently called infractions in floorball. Referees must watch for:
- Attackers drifting into the crease during scrambles around the goal
- Defenders deliberately stepping into the crease to block shots
- Players reaching their sticks into the crease to play the ball
- The ball stopping inside the crease — only the goalkeeper may play it
Clear communication between the two referees is critical for crease decisions, as the referee closer to the goal typically has the best angle to judge whether a player's foot has crossed the crease line.
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