Underwater Hockey
Where is it Played
From October through to April, underwater hockey is played on Wednesday and Friday nights from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Norville Park Pool, 148 Enterprise Street, Bundaberg.
From May through to September, play then moves to Monday nights from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the heated ISIS War Memorial Pool, 77 Churchill St, Childers for the winter period.
But what is it?
Underwater hockey first originated from a game called Octopush that was invented in 1954 by a group of divers from the Southsea branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club in order to give their members something to do during winter. Since those early beginnings, the game has evolved into a fast dynamic sport that is played all over the world with the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques, abbreviated CMAS, as the world governing body.
Basically it is a non-contact sport in which two teams of players compete to manoeuvre a weighted puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opponent's goal tray at the end of the playing area. Each team consists of up to 10 players with 6 players in the pool and 4 interchange players on the side who can substitute at any time.
Players wear a diving mask, fins and a snorkel for play. Safety gear includes ear protection usually in the form of a water polo cap, a mouthguard, and a glove. Each player uses a small stick which is coloured white or black to indicate the player's team.
Underwater hockey is played in a 25m x 15m pool that is between 2m and 3m deep. Play starts with the puck in the middle of the pool and the teams at opposite ends of the playing area touching the wall above the goals they are defending. On the referee's signal, the teams race to get posession of the puck and try to score by manoeuvring the puck into the opponent's goal. The puck is not allowed to rest on the glove or be carried on top of the stick or stopped deliberately by anything other than the stick.
Both teams are free to swim anywhere in the playing area as there is no off side rule however shepherding and obstruction are not allowed, and a player cannot interfere with another player with their free hand.
Play continues until either a goal is scored and players return to their wall to start anew, or a break in play is signalled by a referee due to a foul, a time-out, or the end of the period of play.
Modifications are often made to the game while it is played recreationally such as allowing more than 6 players per team in the water. Recreational games often have no referees so penalties and free pucks are decided by the players.
Information for New Players
New players are welcome to come and have a go.
Equipment required: Mask, Snorkel and Fins.
Club Caps and gloves are available for new players to use.
In accordance with the Australian Underwater Federation and Underwater Hockey Australia guidelines, new players are advised to:
- Complete and sign the AUFQ's HAVE-A-GO-DAY form.
- Join as full members within four weeks if continuing playing.
Club Membership includes:
- AUF Membership.
- AUF Queensland Membership.
- Public liability insurance & limited personal injury insurance.
View the AUF website for details on insurance.
Where to Buy Gear
True Blue Underwater Hockey Supplies (Australia)
CanAm Underwater Hockey Gear (Canada)
Hydro Underwater Hockey (New Zealand)
Australian UWH Commission
Underwater Hockey Australia
UHA YouTube Channel
UWH Rules
Vol 1: Playing Area Requirements (v11.0) Vol 2: Rules of Play (v11.0)
The Rule Book - Sheffield 2019
A series of short video clips explaining many of the rules of the game was created for the 2019 world age group championships in Sheffield. They can be viewed below, or by following this link to 
.
Drills and Skills
The following playlist is a compilation of short videos on UWH skills and training drills from around the world that can also be viewed on .