Wat is bandy, de ijssport die op hockey lijkt

What is “bandy”, the ice sport?

Bandy is a winter team sport played on a soccer-sized ice rink: eleven skaters per side, curved sticks, a small ball (not a puck), and field-hockey rules adapted to ice. Sweden, Russia, and Finland dominate the international scene; the Netherlands has a small but enthusiastic KNSB-affiliated bandy community concentrated in Nijmegen and Heerenveen. The sport rarely makes Dutch sports news outside the Bandy World Championships, where it’s covered as a regional curiosity. To Dutch eyes, bandy looks like ice hockey crossed with handball, which is roughly accurate.

In this clip, NOS Jeugdjournaal explains: “Je denkt misschien dit is ijshockey, maar nee hoor. Het is best een spectaculair gezicht hier in Nijmegen.”