3vs3 with goalkeepers, small court and modified rules. How does it look like? Is it entertaining? And is it fun? The Finnish Floorball Federation has produced a replay from the exhibition match that was played earlier this spring and has now released it on their Youtube channel.

The exhibition match between two Finnish 1st division teams – Hawks and M-Team was meant to test the 3vs3 format and its functionality  – both the playing and entertainment side. The idea is to develop and test new ways of playing within the traditional floorball – not to replace it as it states in the Finnish Floorball Federation’s press release.

The exhibition match was planned and organised by the Finnish Floorball Federation, IFF, sports hall company Arena Center and equipment manufacturer FatPipe – actors who all share the same concern: is this sport popular enough?

The match was played with modified rules. Game  time was 4×5 minutes, size of the court 22×13 metres and roster 6 field players plus a goalkeeper and one coach. Offences in defence lead to a throw by the goalkeeper while after a foul in offence, the game continues with a free-hit from the middle. The goalkeeper can also score a goal and when the ball leaves the rink, the game is continued with a throw by the goalkeeper instead of a hit-in. 2-minute penalty leads to a penalty shot.

Watch the match on Finnish Floorball Federation’s Youtube channel: