Competitive Fitness Activities - Broom-ball Hockey


This game is played on ice or a frozen field using hockey rules. Players wear boots with normal soles and carry broom-shaped sticks with which they hit the ball into the goals.
The object of this game is for teams to score goals through the opponent’s defenses. Using only brooms, players pass the ball through the opposing team to reach its goal. The first team to score five points wins. Broom ball provides a good cardiorespiratory workout.

Players
There are 15 to 20 players on each team. One is a goalie and the others are divided into three equal groups. The goalie plays in the goal area of a standard soccer or hockey field or along the goal line if the two opposing goals are the same size. One soccer ball, or some other type of inflated ball, is used. The players need no padding.
The three groups begin the game in center field. All players must stay in their designated space throughout the game.

The Game
The face-off marks the start of the game, the second half, and the restart of play after goals. Each half lasts 15 minutes. For the face-off, each player is on his own half of the field. All players, except the two centers, are outside the center circle. The referee places the ball in the center of the circle between the two centers. The signal to begin play is one long blast on the whistle. The ball must travel forward and cross the center circle before being played by another player. There are no time-outs except for injury. The time-out signal is two sharp whistle blasts.

Rules
All players, including goalies, must stay inside their legal boundaries at all times. Only goalies may use their hands to play the ball, but they must always keep control of their sticks. Other players must stay in their respective zones of play (Attack, Defense, Centerfield). The ball is played along the ground or over one or more groups of players. It may travel any distance as long as it is legally played.
The referee calls infractions and imposes penalties. Basic penalties are those called for the following:
•Unnecessary roughness or dangerous play. (The player is removed from the game; he stays in the penalty box for two minutes.)
• Ball out-of-bounds. (The team that caused it to go out loses possession, and the opposing team puts the ball back into play by hitting it to the nearest player.)
• Use of hands by a player other than a goalie. (The player must stay in the penalty box one minute.)
• Improper crossing of boundaries. (When a member of the team in possession of the ball crosses the boundary line of his zone of play, possession will be awarded to the other team.)


Orienteering
Orienteering is a competitive form of land navigation. It combines map reading, compass use, and terrain study with strategy, competition, and exercise.
This makes it an excellent activity for any training schedule.
An orienteering course is set up by placing control points or marker signs over a variety of terrain. The orienteer or navigator uses a detailed topographical map and a compass to negotiate the course. The map should be 1:25,000 scale or larger. A liquid-filled orienteering compass works best. The base of the compass is transparent plastic, and it gives accurate readings on the run. The standard military, lensatic compass will work even though it is not specifically designed for the sport.
The best terrain for an orienteering course is woodland that offers varied terrain. Several different courses can be setup in an area 2,000 to 4,000 yards
square. Courses can be short and simple for training beginners or longer and more difficult to challenge the advanced competitors.
The various types of orienteering are described below.