The only official or required position in bandy is the goalkeeper. Heading the bandy ball results in a five-minute penalty for the player. That said, tackling is minimal, and unlike football, the game rarely stops unless the ball goes out of bounds. The opposing team can intercept, steal, or tackle to try and take over possession of the ball. That said, players mostly use their stick to dribble and pass the ball down the field toward the goal. Bandy players (aside from the goalkeeper) are not permitted to intentionally touch the ball with their heads, hands, or arms while it’s in play, though other body parts are legal. Including the goalkeeper, there are 11 players per side. The aim of bandy is to score more goals than the other team. However, the popularity of viewership pales in comparison. Interestingly, though many people know very little about bandy, it’s actually the second-most played ice sport worldwide after hockey. It is mostly played in Russia and Northern European nations such as Finland and Sweden. Where is Bandy Played?īandy is played on an ice field, which is a very large sheet of ice. Body contact, such as shouldering, does occur in bandy, but checking and fighting are not permitted. The sticks and ball used in bandy resemble the bowed stick and small ball used in field hockey rather than the stick and puck used with ice hockey. The fields are also similarly sized, though bandy is played on ice. Like football, a bandy game usually has two 45-minute halves and there are 11 players per side. For example, bandy goals are larger, standing 11 feet wide and nearly 7 feet tall.īandy also shares similarities with football and field hockey. How is Bandy Different Than Hockey?īandy is related to ice hockey, though the equipment, field, and rules are somewhat different. Bandy is extremely fast-paced and is a relatively free-flowing game with few interruptions. Athletes wear ice skates and use sticks to move the ball down the bandy field (which is essentially a very large ice rink) towards the goal. What is Bandy? Unsplashīandy is a winter sport played by teams on the ice. Keep reading to learn more about the sport of bandy, and what other ice sports you can catch at the Winter Olympics. Though you won’t find bandy on the Winter Olympics schedule for 2022, it’s still contested internationally outside of the Olympic Games. Unsplashīandy is a version of hockey that even many sports enthusiasts know very little about. While the inclusion of demonstration sports in the Olympic Games has been suspended, one of the previous demonstration sports at the Winter Olympics was bandy. The Olympic Games also used to occasionally feature demonstration sports, which were sports played at the Games as a means to showcase them, but they were not included in the medal ceremonies. What Sports Are Played at the Winter Olympics Instead of Bandy?.