Bandy

Bandy (aka Banty) is a sportsport played on a rink the size of a football pitch. It is popular in Scandinavia, other countries on the Baltic and in Mongolia. Team size varies from eight to eleven. The players wear skates and use a curved stick, as in hockey, to hit a small ball (i.e., not a puck, as in ice hockey). The goalkeeper does not have a stick and, as in football, can use his hands to stop or control the ball. In another similarity to football, the match is played in two halves of 45 minutes each. Bandy originated in England, first recorded in the late 18th century, but is rarely played there now. Although bandy is similar to ice hockey, it is much faster owing to the use of a ball instead of a puck.