Similar in many ways to hockey, bandy is a team sport played on a large ice rink using sticks and a ball, with the objective of scoring goals by hitting the ball into the opposing team's net.
Bandy is often described as a blend of ice hockey and soccer. Played on a large sheet of ice with a ball rather than a puck, and featuring eleven players per side, bandy offers a gameplay experience that emphasizes skill, tactics, and speed. Despite sharing elements with hockey, bandy has evolved its own identity, rules, and cultural significance, particularly in Europe and Russia.
The roots of bandy are in the frozen ponds and lakes throughout Northern Europe and Russia, where early forms of stick-and-ball games were played for centuries before formal rules were codified. In the late 19th century, when winter pastimes flourished in England, pioneers such as Charles Goodman Tebbutt helped write down the first official set of rules for the game. These English rules not only standardized the game but also influenced its spread to Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway, where a passion for the sport endured, while it faded elsewhere. While it is not nearly as well-known as ice hockey worldwide, bandy is one of the oldest team sports played on snow and ice.
A striking characteristic of the game is the size of its playing area. Rather than the relatively confined finks used in ice hockey, bandy is played on a large ice field, commonly known as a bandy field or rink, that measures from 90 to 110 meters in length and 45 to 65 meters in width. This space, roughly the equivalent of an association football field, allows for a pace and style of play that emphasizes endurance, strategy, and continuous movement.
While bandy may have the look and feel of ice hockey, at its core it is built on principles similar to those of soccer. Each team fields 11 players, including a goalkeeper, and matches are typically divided into two 45-minute halves, resulting in a 90-minute game. Players use curved bandy sticks to direct a rubber or cork ball toward the opposing team's goal, where the dimensions and design of the goal further distinguish the sport.
The rules of the game incorporate a soccer-like offside law and stress fair play over physical intimidation. While body contact does occur, heavy checking is forbidden, favoring skill and tactical positioning over brute force. Infractions result in penalties ranging from free strokes to penalty shots, designed not to disrupt the game flow heavily but to maintain its fluid character.
While bandy and ice hockey share a common ancestry, they differ in some key aspects. Bandy is played on a field the size of a soccer pitch with 11 players on each side, while ice hockey is contested on a much smaller, enclosed rink, with six players on each side. While hockey relies on a flat puck and longer, differently curved sticks, bandy is played with a small, round ball and shorter sticks. Bandy's rules borrow heavily from soccer, with an emphasis on offside, continuous play, and strategic positioning.
While the traditional, full-field version of bandy is the standard, the sport has some variants. Rink bandy is an adaptation played on a smaller ice surface, often an ice hockey rink. It retains the essence of the sport while adapting to a smaller venue.
Bandy is most popular where it was born, that being the Nordic countries, Russia and Finland. In Russia alone, more than a million people participate actively in the sport. Although ice hockey has overshadowed bandy in many parts of Europe, the sport maintains a fervent, albeit smaller, fan base and dedicated leagues in its core regions. Increased international exposure and its formal recognition by the International Olympic Committee in 2001 have helped bandy gain attention in North America and Asia.
The sport is governed internationally by the Federation of International Bandy (FIB), which was founded in 1955. The FIB standardizes the rules and organizes flagship competitions, most notably the Bandy World Championship for men and its women's counterpart. National leagues, particularly in Russia, Sweden, and Finland, offer opportunities for participation, which in turn feed into international tournaments. Additionally, several regional tournaments and national championships showcase the sport's top talent.
Recommended Resources
Bandy made its debut as a demonstration sport in the 1952 Winter Olympics and was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a sport in 2001. However, it has not secured a regular spot on the Olympic program. This website represents a robust movement among enthusiasts, athletes, and sports advocates pushing for the sport's full inclusion in the Winter Olympics, actively gathering signatures and offering a case for why it should be a permanent fixture in the Olympic Games.
https://www.bandyinolympics.com/
In Canada, the sport of bandy is governed by Canada Bandy, the official organization responsible for overseeing the development and promotion of the sport. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the organization played a pivotal role in introducing the sport to Canada in 1986, initially focusing its efforts on the Winnipeg area. The organization became a member of the Federation of International Bandy (FIB) in July 1983, linking Canada to the global community.
http://www.canadabandy.ca/
Federation of International Bandy
FIB is the international governing body for the sport of bandy, including the variant known as rink bandy. Headquartered in Karlstad Municipality, Sweden, the website is available in English, Russian, and Swedish. It includes member associations, committees, an organizational chart, and contact data, along with its Hall of Fame, tournament schedules, a timetable, rules and regulations, and a history of the sport, its tournaments, and the organization itself.
https://worldbandy.com/
Maintained by the Federation of International Bandy (FIB), sometimes known as World Bandy, this is a dedicated streaming service designed specifically for bandy fans. The platform is part of an initiative to consolidate the worldwide broadcast of bandy events. In partnership with StayLive, a notable digital sports streaming provider, FIB TV offers live streaming of major tournaments and an archive of classic bandy matches, serving as a central hub for bandy fans.
https://www.fib-tv.com/
The Bandy Association of India promotes and organizes bandy events in the country, working to expand the sport's reach and hosting tournaments such as the National Federation Cup and the Khelo India Winter Games. Its members, games, tournament schedules, player registrations, and a gallery of photos are featured on the organization's official website, which also includes the bandy rules and regulations, available for download in PDF format, a diagram of a bandy field, and contact information.
https://indianbandy.com/
Since its inception at the inaugural Women's Bandy World Championship in 2004, the USA Women's national Bandy team has competed against traditional powerhouses such as Sweden, Finland, Russia, Norway, and Canada. The official website offers a range of resources, including detailed game schedules, player statistics, and information on how to join the sport. An introduction to the sport, the organization, and member clubs are highlighted, along with opportunities to contribute.
https://usawomensbandy.com/
Mental Itch covers a wide range of topics, including music, entertainment, fashion, science, and history, with articles on a diverse array of subjects. Its article on bandy defines the sport, outlines its history and the names it has been known by, along with a description of how the game is played, its rules, comparisons with other sports, such as ice hockey, field hockey, and association football, as well as an overview of a bandy match, and the scoring system used in the sport.
https://mentalitch.com/what-is-bandy/
