Floorball is a variant of hockey played without skates on a regular gym floor, usually indoors, without an ice surface. The standard competition rink is 40 meters long and 20 meters wide; the international rules permit smaller rinks down to 36 by 18 meters. A half-meter high board surrounds the rink, with small curves at the corners forming a nearly rectangular playing area. As in other forms of hockey there are two netted goals, one near each end of the rink. A whiffle ball is used instead of a puck.

The players move on foot over the gym floor and use sticks to play the ball toward the opposing goal. The low surrounding board defines the rink while the absence of ice distinguishes it from ice hockey.

Inline hockey and roller hockey also use dry playing surfaces, but their players wear skates. A dry floor alone therefore does not identify floorball without the skate-free game and its ball-and-stick equipment.