What does broomball mean?
Broomball is a recreational team sport played on an ice rink in which two teams compete to score goals by hitting a ball into the opponent's net using specialized broom-shaped sticks. Unlike ice hockey, players generally do not wear skates; instead they wear athletic shoes designed for grip on ice, which makes the sport unusually accessible to people who cannot skate. Broomball shares structural similarities with hockey and floorball — including goals, goaltenders, and team play — but its slower pace and lower barrier to entry have made it popular as a casual, social, and corporate team-building activity, particularly in Canada and the northern United States. Organized leagues exist at both amateur and competitive levels. The name derives from the fact that the original equipment was simply ordinary household brooms used to strike a ball across the ice.
nounA team sport played on ice in which players use brooms (special broomball sticks) to hit a ball into the opposing team's goal, rather than skating pucks or sticks. Players typically wear shoes instead of skates, making it accessible to non-skaters.
- A team sport played on an ice rink where players, usually not wearing skates, use broom-like sticks to propel a ball into the opponent's goal.
"The office league met every Friday night for a raucous game of broomball at the local rink."
"After work, the whole department headed to the rink for their weekly broomball match."
"She joined the university's intramural broomball league despite never having set foot on ice before."
Rarely pluralized; 'broomball' is normally treated as uncountable when referring to the sport. A plural form would refer to multiple individual balls used in play, which is uncommon in typical usage.
"The equipment shed held several spare broomballs for the weekend matches."
You don't need to know how to skate to play broomball — just wear sneakers and swing like you mean it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of broomball
The word 'broomball' is a compound of 'broom' (from Old English 'brōm', meaning a brush made of twigs) and 'ball' (from Old Norse 'böllr'), reflecting the sport's origins in informal games played on frozen ponds using ordinary sweeping brooms. It emerged as an organized pastime in Canada during the early 20th century before spreading to other cold-climate regions. Cognate compounds include other ball-sport names such as basketball and baseball, formed by the same English pattern of combining 'ball' with an implement or action.
How broomball is actually used
Informal register. Commonly used in North American contexts, especially Canada and the northern United States, where it is often played as a recreational or corporate team-building activity.
Easily confused with broomball
Curling uses heavy granite stones slid across ice toward a target, while broomball is a fast-paced goal-scoring team sport played with a ball and brooms.