Can two people play hockey indoors?

Yes. Play 1v1 to five goals with two small nets, or take turns as shooter and goalie in a shootout. Stickhandling and passing drills only need two people, a ball and a wall.

What ball should we use for indoor hockey?

Use a soft foam ball for knee hockey in the house, and a no-bounce street hockey ball (the orange kind) for a garage or gym. Avoid tennis balls on hard floors. They bounce off everything, including the person playing goalie.

Is indoor hockey safe for beginners?

With two rules it is. Keep sticks below the waist, and no body contact. A pair of sports glasses is worth it for ball hockey in a tight space. Knee hockey needs a rug or knee pads on hard floors.

How long is a game of indoor hockey for two?

A first-to-five game takes 10 to 20 minutes. With a 10-minute drill warm-up and a shootout at the end, the whole date fits into 45 minutes.

🏒 Dates for Couples

indoor hockey for couples

Indoor hockey for two comes in three sizes: knee hockey with mini sticks in the living room, ball hockey with real sticks in a garage or driveway, and floor hockey at a rec centre drop-in. Pick the one that fits your space, add a pair of targets, and a 1v1 game to five goals takes about 20 minutes. No ice, no skates, no checking.

by An Nayal, founder of Flamme · Updated October 2026

time: 30 to 45 minutes, including drills
cost: $15 to $25 for a knee hockey set, $20 to $40 per street hockey stick, $5 to $15 for a rec centre drop-in
space: A cleared hallway for knee hockey, a single garage for ball hockey
skill needed: None. The drills work from your first touch.

which kind of indoor hockey should we play?

It comes down to how much room you have and how loud you are allowed to be. All three use the same basic skills, so you can start in the living room and move up.

format	where	gear	best for
Knee hockey	Living room or hallway	Two mini sticks, a soft ball, two mini nets	Apartments, rainy evenings, zero fitness required
Ball hockey	Garage, driveway, basement	Street hockey sticks, a no-bounce orange ball, two nets or shoes as posts	Real shooting and a proper sweat
Floor hockey	Rec centre or school gym	Usually supplied: plastic-blade sticks and a plastic puck or ball	Space to skate-run and other players to join

how to run a hockey night for two

step 1

Set the rink

Clear a strip at least 4 metres long. Put a net or two shoes 1 metre apart at each end. In a garage, move the car out and anything fragile off the low shelves. A ball at shin height is fine; a ball at window height is a conversation.

step 2

Stickhandle for 5 minutes

Two cups or water bottles 60 cm apart. Move the ball in a figure eight around them for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, repeat five times. Count the loops. The person with fewer loops picks the music.

step 3

Pass for 5 minutes

Stand 3 metres apart. Ten forehand passes, ten backhand passes, then ten one-timers where you hit the pass back without stopping it. Keep the stick blade on the floor and the pass flat.

step 4

Play it out

First to five goals, sudden death at 4-4. In knee hockey you play from your knees the whole game. Finish with a shootout: five shots each, alternating who plays goalie, and the shootout winner gets the last slice of whatever you ordered.

six drills that work in a small space

1. Figure eight around two cups: the basic stickhandling drill. Thirty seconds on, thirty off, count loops.
2. Toe drag: pull the ball toward you with the toe of the blade, then push it past an imaginary defender. Ten each side.
3. Wall passes: one of you passes into a wall or an upturned bench, collects the rebound, passes again. Forty in a minute is good going.
4. Corner targets: tape a square in each top corner of the net, or stand two cereal boxes in the goal. Five shots each, one point per target.
5. Keep-away box: mark a 2 by 2 metre square with shoes. One person protects the ball for 20 seconds, the other tries to poke it out. Swap.
6. Backhand-only round: a full game to three where every shot has to be a backhand. Levels the field when one of you has played before.

variations & upgrades

join a drop-in or rec league

Many rec centres list floor hockey or ball hockey drop-in nights for adults, usually on a weeknight and often with sticks supplied. Some cities also run co-ed ball hockey leagues on concrete or sport court. Turn up together once before you commit to a season.

watch-and-play night

Put an NHL or PWHL game on, and every time the real team scores, you both play a 60-second shift of knee hockey in the hallway. Score the shift goals separately. Close games make for a sore pair of knees.

long-distance version

Each of you sets two cups 60 cm apart and stickhandles on a video call with the phone on the floor. Three rounds of 30 seconds, read your loop counts out loud. No stick? A broom handle and a tennis ball are close enough to get the idea.

good questions, answered

Floor hockey is the gym version: plastic-blade sticks and a light puck or ball on a wooden or rubber floor. Ball hockey is played with regular-style sticks and a low-bounce orange ball, often on concrete or a sport court. Street hockey is the same idea played outside on pavement. Knee hockey is a mini version played on your knees indoors.

An Nayal

Founder of Flamme, the couples app used by more than 200,000 partners. He writes the relationship guides here and builds the free tools that go with them. annayal.com

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scan to get the app 📱

Point your camera at the code - it opens the App Store or Google Play on your phone.