The second day of the IFF Associations’ Meeting concentrated on different floorball development projects from around the world and the Future of Floorball was also on the agenda. In addition, the major events, such as The World Games, were presented.

Floorball development projects

Referee education in Asia and Oceania

Ms. Lin Binbin, IFF Referee and Member of Singapore Floorball Association Management Committee presented the positive referee development projects in the Asia Oceania region:

• Tremendous growth in the sport has been observed in the Asia-Oceania region and floorball continues to register interest especially amongst youths in many countries in the region. With that, there has been growing need and potential to expand on the quantity and quality of referees. Singapore, together with the support and partnership with IFF, aspires to lead the region in referee education.

Examples of referee development steps:

• The Singapore & Malaysia referee project that started in June 2016 has expanded beyond its conception to include referees from Indonesia and Philippines (as of 2017).
• More exchange opportunities now exist for referees to share good practices and build a learning community within the floorball family in the region.
• The first AOFC referee clinic was organised in Singapore in April 2019 with 39 participants from seven countries

Danish NOC Project – Movement for life floorball

Mr. Carsten Nymand Provstgaard from Floorball Denmark presented the national vision to get people more active, also called 25-50-75.

• Floorball was one of the first sport to be part of the vision
• A cooperation between major sports institutions and Floorball Denmark
• Funding is received in the project period 2015-2017 and phase two 2018-2020. Possible phase three 2021-2024
• Individual development agreement with clubs are made
• 4.000 more players since 2014
• Good growth rates in kids and 40+
• New clubs have been established
• Clubs with development agreements has grown 33% in members from ‘14 til ‘17
• Recreational floorball is a hit
• 3 against 3 game versions work
• Easy to start (400 € for 12 stick, 20 balls, get started workshop, practice cards, rules, marketing material)
• Studies have been made that prove floorball is good for health

Objectives for 2018-2020

• 8.000 new floorball players
• 50 new stable clubs
• 70 individual development agreement
• 6 regional networks where clubs can share best practice and knowledge
• 90 introduction workshops

Africa Floorball Cup

Mr. Paul Maina, the President of the Kenya Floorball Federation, presented the Africa Cup and development of floorball in Africa. The first Africa Cup was organised in 2018 in Côte d´Ivoire. This year the Cup was organised in Kenya when Kenya won the double championship.

Lessons learnt

• There is hope for African floorball and even more opportunities for growth
• There is great potential in the Africa Cup developing to a championship geared towards the world championships
• The game has greatly improved

Benefits for Kenya

• Media exposure resulted in massive growth and floorball interest from learning institutions
• The players participated for the first time in an official international tournament
• Development seminar that was held during the event improved the skills of the coaches and also their employment in institutions because of the certificate
• Interaction and exchange of ideas amongst African floorball leaders
• Cohesion and unity in purpose in planning for the African Cup

Common challenges

• In adequate equipment and infrastructure
• Low funding both from the government and companies
• Publicity – relatively new sport in Africa

Czech Street Floorball

Mr. Filip Suman, the President of Czech Floorball talked about Czech Street Floorball.

Main advantages

• You can play almost everywhere
• Easy to organise
• Ideal showcase for the public
• Can be a small festival
• Chance to attract partners
• Ideal summer activity, no break for floorball
• Way to recruit new players

How to activate women in floorball

The IFF CB Member, Ms. Kaarina Salomaa, presented the current number of women in the sport and ideas of how to best activate women in floorball. The participants then discussed the different forms and actions needed to be able to find space for more women in the clubs, federations and in different tasks within floorball. The outcome of the discussion was that it is imperative to ask the girls and women what they want and how they want to participate. This requires that the clubs and federations are willing to change the way they operate, in order to engage and welcome girls and women to floorball.

Future of Floorball

The current projects within ”Future Of Floorball” are:

• Testing of new format
• Number of teams participating in adult WFC
• Quota for adult WFC
• Euro Floorball Championships
• Calendar for international events
• Special calendar for 2022 due to World Cup in football

– The format we play with today works, but is it the ideal format for future development and closing the gap. We need to be open to test the alternatives and look for options. If then the floorball community feels that no change or some changes are needed, then that will have to be respected. But due to the complexity of the Future of Floorball projects the IFF Central Board will need guidance from it’s members and this will be done through consultations with the member associations, so that the IFF CB can take decisions and make proposals to the General Assembly 2020, the IFF CB member and Rules and Competition Committee chair, Mr. Martin Klabere, informed.

The member associations then discussed the actions that shall be taken to combine the Future Format of Playing (changed or not) and with the need of closing the gap.

– The IFF member association discussed the different aspects of the Future of Floorball and there was a general understanding reached that the questions related to any change of the competition structure are really diverse and still need a lot of discussions and consultation between the different stakeholders during the coming year, IFF Secretary General, Mr. John Liljelund concluded.

The World Games 2021

The World Games is a multi-sport game for 30+ sports with some Olympic IF’s non-Olympic disciplines, disciplines of the IOC Recognised federations and some non recognised IF’s. It is organised every four years, next in 2021 Birmingham, USA, and then 2025 in Chengdu, China.

The conditions for participation is to have the best athletes taking part. Floorball now has eight teams, but only men and a quota of 14 players and one coach (+ the possibility to bring in three extra officials).

How Teams are qualified for The World Games?

• The qualifications are played at the WFC 2020 in Helsinki
• Top five countries
• Best non-European team, if ranked at least 12th
• Best Neighbouring team, if ranked at least 12th
• Host nation USA

What should be the main Objectives of the participation in the TWG?

• Promote The World Games and floorball
• Achieve higher recognition and awareness for the Sport
• Secure the presence of Floorball in TWG 2025
• Showcase the sport for the Olympic movement (IOC members, NOC, YOG & OG Organisers, IF Leadership)
• Strengthen the position of the National Associations towards their NOC’s
• There will be around over 50 countries participating without Floorball Federations.
• Media exposure
• To receive recognition in all countries
• Unique experience for the athletes
• Possible pathway to the Youth Olympic Games

How can we make The World Games an Event for all of Floorball?

The Member Associations discussed about ideas of how to best promote the The World Games 2021 event. One idea which was raised at the meeting was to build a One World – One Ball Floorball relay starting in one country who passes it forward to the next and building promotion of The World Games, around this. The IFF will develop this idea further.