IFF & Floorball History in Short
Some roots of floorball have been found as far back as from 1958 when an industry in Minneapolis, USA introduced plastic sticks under the name Cosom. Cosom floor hockey was played in the USA and Canada. In the 1970’s the floorball sport we play today was developed in Sweden and in 1986 the International Floorball Federation was founded by the Swedish, Finnish and Swiss Floorball Associations
1986
The International Floorball Federation was founded 12th of April in Huskvarna, Sweden, by the Floorball associations of Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.
1991
Denmark and Norway joined the IFF family.
1992
The first official IFF Congress was held in Zurich, Switzerland. The first IFF rubebook was approved. Hungary joined the IFF family.
1993
The first European Cup was played in Helsinki for Women and in Stockholm for Men. Czech Republic and Russia joined the IFF family.
1994
The first European Championships for Men was played in Finland. Estonia, Germany, Japan, Latvia and USA joined the IFF family.
1995
The first European Championships for Women and the second for Men were played in Switzerland. To give Japan the possibility to take part IFF decided that the tournaments should be played as an Open European Championships. Belgium and Singapore joined the IFF family.
1996
The first World Championships for Men was played in Sweden.The final was sold out -15.106 spectators in the Stockholm Globe Arena. Australia joined the IFF family.
1997
The first World Championships for Women was played in Åland, Finland and the first Presidents’ Meeting was held in connection with this. Austria, Great Britain and Poland joined the IFF family.
1999
Brazil, the Netherlands and Slovakia joined the IFF family.
2000
IFF gained provisional membership of GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations).
2001
The first World Championships for Men U19 was played in Germany. Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Canada and New Zealand joined the IFF family.
2002
The first World University Championships in floorball was played in Sweden.
Malaysia, India and Georgia joined the IFF family.
2003
IFF applied for IOC recognition and signed the World Anti-Doping Code. France joined the IFF family.
2004
Pakistan joined the IFF family. IFF gained ordinary membership of GAISF on the 20th of May. The first World Championships for Women U19 was played in Finland.
2005
The Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation was established in Singapore. Korea, Ukraine, Liechtenstein and Iceland joined the IFF family.
2006
Mongolia and Armenia joined the IFF family.
2007
Moldova, Ireland, Israel, Serbia, Argentina, Thailand and Portugal joined the IFF family.
2008
Turkey, Romania and Sierra Leone joined the IFF family. IFF received provisional IOC recognition on the 11th of December.
2009
Belarus, Iran and Indonesia joined the IFF family
2010
Lithuania joined the IFF family
2011
Philippines and Jamaica joined the IFF family. IFF received the full IOC recognition on July 8th.
2012
Mozambique joined the IFF family
2013
IFF accepted as a member of the International World Games Association. South Africa and Cameroon joined the IFF family
2015
Malta and Cote d´Ivoire joined the IFF family
2016
Uganda, Haiti, China, Somalia and Hong Kong joined the IFF family
2017
Floorball as an official sport in the World Games (Wroclaw, Poland) and in the Special Olympics World Winter Games (Austria) for the first time. Venezuela, Kenya and Nigeria joined the IFF family.
2018
Burkina Faso, Croatia and Rwanda joined the IFF family.
2019
IFF signs the UN Sports for Climate Action. A new Women’s WFC total attendance record was reached (44,513). Central African Republic, Kiribati, Kuwait and Togo joined the IFF family.
2020
IFF General Assembly approved the IFF Strategy for 2021-2032 “Strengthening the Foundations”. The first World Virtual Freestyle Floorball Cup was played.
2021
Columbia joined the IFF family
2022
Floorball as an official sport in The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Kazakhstan and Chinese Macau joined the IFF.
2023
Mexico joined the IFF family
Order of foundation
1981
7th of November: Sweden
1983
27th of December: Japan
1985
20th of April: Switzerland
23rd of September: Finland
1987
25th of June: Liechtenstein*
1989
27th of May: Denmark
September: Hungary**
1991
25th of May: Norway
1992
10th of January: Russia
14th of January: Czech Republic
13th of June: Germany
1993
5th of May: USA
27th of November: Estonia
11th of December: Latvia
1995
25th of February: Poland
1st of April: Belgium
June: Singapore
26th of November: Great Britain***
1996
28th of January: Austria
20th of September: Australia
1997
11th of July: Hungary**
1998
2nd of July: Brazil
4th of September: Spain
December: The Netherlands
31st of December: Slovakia
1999
10th of March: Armenia
2000
11th of December: Italy
17th of December: Slovenia
2001
21st of July: New Zealand
1st of August: Malaysia
21st of September: India
2002
1st of April: Georgia
10th of August: France
2003
22nd of May: Pakistan
2004
21st of February: Ukraine
22nd of May: Korea
2005
1st of September: Mongolia
2007
1st of March: Moldova
4th of March: Ireland
5th of May: Israel
28th of September: Serbia
20th of November: Argentina
December: Thailand, Portugal
2008
September: Turkey
October: Romania
December: Sierra Leone
2009
May: Great Britain ***
September: Belarus
December: Iran, Indonesia, New Zealand ***
2010
May: Lithuania
October: Ireland ***
2011
Philippines, Jamaica
2012
Mozambique, Cameroon
2013
South Africa, Cameroon, Great Britain ***, Russia ***
2014
Cote d´Ivoire, Haiti
2015
Malta, Pakistan ***, Uganda
2016
China
2018
June: Central African Republic, Togo
November: Burkina Faso
2019
February: Kiribati, Kuwait
2021
February: Columbia
2022
September: Kazakhstan, Chinese Macau
2023
February: Mexico
* Liechtenstein was founded as the single Club UHC Schaan
**Hungary was reorganized into a new Association 1997
***Great Britain (2009), Ireland (2010), New Zealand (2013), Russia (2013), and Pakistan (2015) were reorganised into a new Association.
IFF Presidents
1986 – 1992 : András Czitrom, Sweden
1992 – 1996 : Pekka Mukkala, Finland
1996 – (present) : Tomas Eriksson, Sweden
