About the Sport

What is it?

Underwater Hockey (UWH) is a co-ed, non-contact water sport played on the bottom of the pool. Each team is composed of six players, and a player can score by shooting the puck in the opponent’s goal.

UWH is played by two teams of six players each. To start the game, the puck is centered on the bottom of the pool. In practice, a player will yell “Sticks up, GO!” and the game begins.

Unlike ice hockey, the game is non-contact so there is no checking and certainly no fighting. There is a goal ~10 feet wide at each end of the pool. However, there is no goalie since no one can hold their breath forever.

An official game is composed of two 15 minute halves, and we change sides at half-time. In practice, we play continuously with informal breaks between points. If we have extra players then each team will have subs. During a tournament game, a team can have up to ten players, so you can have a maximum of four subs.

Why should I play?

UWH is unique because it is a three-dimensional game which forces players to move forward/back, left/right, and up/down. You do all this underwater for about a few seconds at a time, and at the most 15 seconds with each submersion. It is a lot more fun than swimming laps, and it is a great way to improve your fitness.

Since the game is underwater, there is very little stress on the joints. The water is also a great equalizer in that it allows people of all shapes and sizes to compete at the same level.

We also travel to tournaments throughout the year, but participation is optional. You can decide to travel as much or as little as you would like. Underwater Hockey is a small community so by traveling to a few tournaments you will make friends with people from all across the country and/or world.