Table hockey
Table hockey (in Switzerland table hockey ) is a game that is popular in many countries in Europe and North America, especially in typical ice hockey nations such as Russia and Canada. Similar to the well-known table football , two players play on a mechanical game device that simulates a team sport.
Since the middle of the 20th century there have been a number of different makes from Canada , the USA , Russia , the Czech Republic and Finland . However, it was Swedish players who began to organize large tournaments such as world championships on the model of the local brand Stiga .
At the latest with the establishment of the world association, International Table Hockey Federation (ITHF), this brand gained international acceptance.
The game
Table hockey is comparable to table football . The sport of ice hockey was transferred to a small table that is approx. 1 m long, 0.5 m wide and 20 cm high.
The game is played by two players. As in ice hockey, the goal is to score more goals than your opponent in a prescribed time. In contrast to table football, each of the 12 game figures is controlled with its own rod. The bars run under the playing surface along certain tracks. Their ends are led out on the long side of the table, so that you can move the rods and thus the players back and forth. By turning the rods you can turn the pieces around their own axis and play the puck with the pieces' bat.
A multitude of "moves" and combinations can be performed with it. Table hockey is an extremely fast game that requires good coordination and reaction.
The ITHF
See main ITHF article
As part of the 2005 World Cup in Riga , Latvia , the ITHF, the international table hockey federation, was launched.
The tasks of the ITHF are to spread table hockey all over the world and to organize international tournaments such as B. the world championships or the tournaments of the World Table Hockey Tour, which has been held since 2005 . Furthermore, an internationally valid set of rules was drawn up for the first time in 2006.
In addition, the ITHF is for the official world ranking (World Ranking) responsible, in all of ITHF rules played tournaments are entered. In addition, all known tournaments and game series since the beginning of organized table hockey are listed in the world rankings.
The rules in detail
Where table hockey is primarily viewed as a game, there are a variety of different rules, e.g. B. how long a game lasts and when a goal is valid. Often one orientates oneself on ice hockey.
In organized table hockey, however, there are certain basic rules that are clearly different from ice hockey:
- A game lasts exactly 5 minutes. The time continues even when the puck is not in play.
- Bully (dropping the puck) over the center circle after every goal or game interruption.
- After a face-off, at least three seconds must elapse before a goal can be scored.
- The center forward is not allowed to score a goal directly after a face-off - the puck must first have touched another playing figure or the boards.
- A playing figure may not hold the puck for more than five seconds without having taken a pass or shot.
- A goal only counts if the puck remains in the goal.
The ITHF has had an official set of rules since 2006.
International championships
World table hockey championships have been held every two years since 1989 . Since then, the number of participants has increased steadily. European championships have also been held every two years since 2006. The ITHF has been the official host of world and continental championships since the World Championships in Riga .
| Art | year | place | winner | Number of participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WM | 1989 | Stockholm , Sweden | Mikael Kratz, SWE | 42 (7 nations) |
| EM | 1990 | Lund , Sweden | Jörgen Sundqvist, SWE | 63 (9 nations) |
| EM | 1992 | Brno , Czechoslovakia | Mikael Kratz, SWE | 75 (5 nations) |
| WM | 1992 | Brno , Czechoslovakia | Jacob Lindahl, SWE | 32 (5 nations) |
| WM | 1993 | Paris , France | Not so Ekestubbe, SWE | 61 (9 nations) |
| WM | 1995 | Stockholm , Sweden | Jacob Lindahl, SWE | 66 (8 nations) |
| WM | 1997 | Helsinki , Finland | Hans Österman, SWE | 61 (9 nations) |
| WM | 1999 | Wilhelmshaven , Germany | Stefan Edwall, SWE | 71 (15 nations) |
| WM | 2001 | Pilsen , Czech Republic | Hans Österman, SWE | 100 (16 nations) |
| WM | 2003 | Zurich , Switzerland | Daniel Wallén, SWE | 102 (19 nations) |
| WM | 2005 | Riga , Latvia | Hans Österman, SWE | 132 (22 nations) |
| EM | 2006 | Skalica , Slovakia | Alexey Zakharov, RUS | 111 (17 nations) |
| WM | 2007 | Moscow , Russia | Roni Nuttunen, FIN | 117 (19 nations) |
| EM | 2008 | Riga , Latvia | Ahti Lampi, FIN | 103 (10 nations) |
| WM | 2009 | Budapest , Hungary | Roni Nuttunen, FIN | 131 (16 nations) |
| EM | 2010 | Överum , Sweden | Ahti Lampi, FIN | 82 (9 nations) |
| WM | 2011 | Turku , Finland | Oleg Dmitrichenko, RUS | 105 (17 nations) |
| EM | 2012 | Riga , Latvia | Maksim Borisov, RUS | 106 (13 nations) |
| WM | 2013 | Stavanger , Norway | Atis Silis, LAT | 121 (23 nations) |
| EM | 2014 | Riga , Latvia | Maksim Borisov, RUS | 122 (14 nations) |
| WM | 2015 | Saint Petersburg , Russia | Maksim Borisov, RUS | 108 (16 nations) |
| EM | 2016 | Tallinn , Estonia | Edgars Caics, LAT | 124 (15 nations) |
| WM | 2017 | Liberec , Czech Republic | Edgars Caics, LAT | 146 (25 nations) |
| EM | 2018 | Eskilstuna , Sweden | Maksim Borisov, RUS | 128 (17 nations) |
| WM | 2019 | Minsk , Belarus | Maksim Borisov, RUS | 115 (16 nations) |
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Germany
In 1993 German players from Hamburg, Bonn and Wilhelmshaven took part in the world championships for the first time. In the same year, the 1st German Championship was held in Königswinter in 1993. In 1995 the German Table Hockey Association (DTEV) was founded.
The highlight of the German table hockey scene was the hosting of the 1999 World Cup in Wilhelmshaven, where for the first time over 70 participants took part in the open competition.
Austria
In 1994 Austrian players took part in an international tournament in Wilhelmshaven for the first time. In the period that followed, a small community of players developed and played the first Austrian tournaments. In 1997 Austrian players took part in the World Championships for the first time. Championships have been held in Austria regularly since 1999.
Switzerland
Swiss players have been represented at the world championships since 1993.
The highlight of Swiss table hockey was the hosting of the 2003 World Cup in Zurich.
