The game of broomball was developed in the early 1900's in Canada. It's very similar to hockey; it is played on an ice surface the same as hockey only the red (center) line is used for offsides instead of the blue lines like in hockey. The object is still the same, to score in the opposing teams net. The rules are mostly the same but that's where the similarities end....
Instead of using skates and shooting a puck with a hockey stick, broomball players use specially designed sneakers and run around the ice. A small rubber ball 
(can be different colors depending on where you are playing-blue for the outdoors and the cold temperatures and the orange for indoors and warmer temperatures). A broom (originally a kitchen corn broom modified slightly) is used to hit the ball. Now they are normally made from rubber or plastic 
and are orange in color.
Other equipment is similar to hockey and can be hockey equipment. Most players can play with just three pieces of equipment-a stick(broom), sneakers and a helmet. Shin and elbow pads are also recommended.... a hard swung broom that misses the ball and hits you in the shins hurts and can even break bones... plus when you fall on the slippery ice the elbow pads help keep your elbows from being bruised and in the worse case can be broken or chipped....
But you must be wondering why the heck I like broomball?? Well where I come from.... "Upsalquitch" (try saying that 5 times fast!) broomball is life! When I was a kid (so many years ago... *sigh*) my grandmother used to call my sister and I "broomball orphans" because my parents were both involved in broomball. So every weekend, my parent's would pack my sister and I up into the Bronco (along with any team member's who needed a ride) and we would travel all over northern New Brunswick and parts of Quebec, competing in tournaments. Occasionally we would be lucky and the tournament would be hosted in Upsalquitch and we would be with friends our own age while we stood outside and watched our parents try their best to beat their competitors.
But did we mind being "broomball" orphans? Naaaa.... it was great... my sis and I both play broomball and we both just love it. She plays forward and sometimes goalie while I stick to defence. We don't have as many big tournaments up home anymore but it is still part of our blood and I hope that anywhere I move in the world will always have a broomball team that I can play on.
