How is a tied rink hockey match decided?
B · Beginner · Restarts and results · 4 of 4When a match must have a winner, a draw goes to extra time: two halves of 5 minutes (3 for under-15 and under-17), after a 3-minute break, played in full. If still level, each team takes five penalties with different players, alternately, against one goalkeeper. Then one each, until one scores and the other misses.
How it works
- Break: 3 minutes; teams stay on the rink.
- Extra time: 2 x 5 minutes, or 2 x 3 for under-15 and under-17.
- Played in full: no golden goal.
- No timeouts in extra time.
- Shootout: five penalties each, different takers, in the coach's order.
- Goalkeeper: one may face all the shots.
- Then: one each until one scores and the other does not.
- Shooting time: five seconds to take each penalty.
The glossary has the extra time (rink hockey), the penalty shootout (rink hockey), the penalty (rink hockey), the timeout (rink hockey), the yellow card (rink hockey) and the red card (rink hockey).
Tricky cases
Are yellow cards from the match counted in the shootout?
No. They are wiped; a second yellow in the shootout brings a red card.
Can an expelled player take a shootout penalty?
No, nor can a player still serving a blue-card suspension.
The shot hits the back barrier and then the goalkeeper before going in. Goal?
No. In the shootout that goal does not count.
Can one player take every sudden-death penalty?
Yes. After the first five, one player may take them all.
Why the rule exists
Playing extra time in full gives both teams the same chance. The shootout ends the match when play cannot.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Senior and older youth | 2 x 5 minutes | Art 32.4b |
| Under-15 and under-17 | 2 x 3 minutes | Art 32.4a |
| Round-robin events | Draws stand, one point each | Art 33.1 |
From the rule book
World Skate, Rink Hockey Rulebook 2027, Rules of the Game, Articles 32 and 33. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Skate Rink Hockey Rulebook 2027.