Foot hockey

Foot hockey (also known as Hocker) is a sport related to hockey in which the only equipment is a ball, most commonly a tennis ball, that is kicked about the playing surface by the players in an attempt to score a goal on the opposing goaltender. It has been described as a "combination of hockey, soccer and handball" and "a form of soccer with a tennis ball". Foot hockey is played indoors or outdoors; footwear is optional indoors, but must be worn by either all or none of the players. It may be unisex or coed. Participation in foot hockey produced fewer catastrophic injuries than other winter sports in studies from 1986 to 1995.

The game is mostly played in grade schools, and is popular in Canada and parts of the United States. The usual age of foot hockey players can range from 6 to 13 years old. Because it has few requirements regarding equipment and can be played on most hard surfaces, it is more accessible than ice hockey. The game is listed amongst those to keep children interested in playground activities in the 1915 issue of The Playground published by the Playground Association of America. In his book Brian Mcfarlane's NHL Hockey 1984, Brian McFarlane mentions how brothers Joe and Brian Mullen played the game as kids in arena stairwells while waiting for ice time at the rink.Anson Carter's introduction to ice hockey was a game of foot hockey played in his hometown of Scarborough, Ontario when he was a child.Neal Broten played the game in his family's kitchen with his brothers.

A variant of the game, called "Sockey", is commonly played among elementary school children in Southwestern Quebec. Unlike the Ontario version, Sockey is most commonly played on outdoor hockey rinks in Fall and Spring using a soccer ball, designating specific board panels as "nets" and full body contact is permitted. Another variant of the game still called Foot Hockey, is played by children ranging from age 6 to 13. The version is played Southern and Eastern Ontario. The nets are either coats or the patterns among the walls, in this version players are allowed to move the ball with their feet and hands (by throwing it to each other) but must be kicked with their foot. Semi-Body contact is commonly allowed and the goalies commonly use baseball caps as gloves. In the Indian state of Manipur, the game is called Khong-Kangjei.

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