Bandy

From Free net encyclopedia

(Redirected from Bandi)

Bandy is a winter sport, where a ball is hit with a stick. It is often considered to be an ancestor of ice hockey, but there is no definite historical evidence for this theory. It likely descended from shinty and in turn field hockey. Bandy is played outdoors on a sheet of ice, and has rules that are similar to association football.

Template:Wiktionarypar A synonym to bandy used to be the term hockey on ice, due to the sport being "field hockey played on ice", but since this term can be confused with ice hockey, most people prefer the term bandy nowadays.

Bandy is now played in a few nations, including Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Estonia, Hungary, and Mongolia

Contents

[edit]

Rules

The size of a bandy field is in the range 4,050 - 7,150 square metres (45-65 by 90-100 metres), about the same size as a football field. The size of the ball is 60-65 mm and it is usually red to orange in colour. The goal measures 7 ft by 11½ ft.

Each team has 11 players in the field at one time, including a goalkeeper. While the goalkeeper wears more padding than other players he or she does not use a stick, but the goalkeeper is the only player allowed to use his hands to control the ball.

A game goes on for two 45 minute halves. A ten minute interval takes place at half-time when the teams change ends. Ties are usually broken with 15 minute overtime periods.

The rules of bandy are overall very similar to the rules of association football.

[edit]

International

Image:BandyCountries.png

[edit]

Bandy in the Olympics

Bandy was the demonstration sport at the VI Olympic Winter Games in 1952 (Oslo, Norway).

Even if the IOC frequently states that they are looking for more sports to add to the Winter Game programmes, bandy is still waiting for acceptance as an Olympic sport.

[edit]

World Championships

World Championships for men were first held in 1957 and then semiannually starting in 1961, and every year since 2003. There were 12 countries participating in the 2006 championships: Belarus, Finland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Russia, Sweden (group A) and Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Mongolia, The Netherlands, United States (group B). Finland won the 2004 world championship. All the previous championships were won by the Soviet Union, Russia, or Sweden.

In February 2004, Finland hosted the first World Championship for women. Sweden won the tournament. The second women's World Championships were held in Roseville, Minnesota in the USA in 2006. The outcome was, Sweden defeated Russia in the final (3-1).

For all the tournaments since 1957, see Bandy World Championships.

[edit]

World Cup

There is an annual Bandy World Cup held in Ljusdal in Sweden. This is not played by national teams but is for bandy clubs from around the world.

[edit]

International federation

FIB, the Federation of International Bandy, has 15 members (2004).

[edit]

Bandy in Britain

A game similar to bandy was once known in Wales as bando, known throughout the country in varying forms and still to be found in some areas. The earliest example of the Welsh language term bando occurs in a dictionary by John Walters published in 1770–94. It was particularly popular in the Cynfdg-Margam district of the Vale of Glamorgan where wide stretches of sandy beaches afforded ample room for play.

Modern bandy was founded in England in the 19th century. The first rules were written down in 1891 by Charles Goodmann Tebbutt from Bluntisham near Saint Ives. Goodmann Tebbutt also took initiatives to international exchange, particularly with the Netherlands and introduced bandy in Sweden and Norway (where it is still played today) and a couple of other countries. England won the first European Championships in 1913. Goodman Tebbutts home-made bandy stick can be seen in the Norris Museum in Saint Ives.

[edit]

Bandy in Russia

In Russia bandy is known as hockey with a ball or simply Russian hockey. The game became popular among nobility in early 1700s, with the royal court of Peter I the Great entertaining the crowds playing bandy on Saint Petersburg frozen Neva river. Russians played in bandy with sticks made out of juniper wood later adopting metal skis (imported by Peter I from Holland). By second half of the 19th century the game became also popular among the masses throughout the Russian Empire. Russia has since adopted the international rules of the game developed in England.

[edit]

Bandy in Sweden

Bandy was introduced to Sweden in 1895. The Swedish royal family, barons and diplomats were the first players. In the 1920's students played the game and it became a largely middle class sport. After Slottsbron won the Swedish title in 1934 it became popular amongst workers in the smaller industrial towns and villages. Bandy remains the main winter sport in many of these places.

Bandy in Sweden is famous for its "culture" - both playing bandy and being a spectator requires great fortitude and dedication. A "bandy briefcase" is the classic accessory for spectating - it must be made of brown leather, well worn and contain a warm drink in a thermos and/or a flask of liquor.

The play-off match for the Swedish Championship is played every year on the third Sunday of March in Uppsala.

[edit]

External links

[edit]

National Bandy Federations

de:Bandy et:Jääpall fr:Bandy it:Bandy ja:バンディ no:Bandy nn:Bandy pl:Bandy ru:Хоккей с мячом fi:Jääpallo sv:Bandy

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Bandy"