The American Bandy Association is the governing body of the sport of bandy in the United States, and its representative in the International Bandy Federation. The board's objective is to sustain and improve the quality and scope of bandy in the United States.

The A.B.A. is a 15-member board that meets up to six times per year. The executive board is:

• Chris Middlebrook, President
• Magnus Sköld, Vice President
• Chris Halden, League Commissioner
• Kevin Bowen, Head of Referees
• Todd Blackstone, Player Development
• Neal Logan, Player Development

Bandy is played on an ice surface the size of a soccer field. It is best described as field hockey on skates. Each team is made up of 11 players including a goalkeeper.

The aim of bandy is to score goals by hitting an orange ball the size of a tennis ball into the opposing team's net with a curved stick four feet in length. The blades of most bandy sticks are wrapped in leather strapping which allows the player to put spin on the ball when he or she strikes it. The ball has a cork center and a hard rubber cover.

The goal measures seven feet by eleven and a half feet. While the goalkeeper wears more padding than other players he or she does not use a stick. Goalies are the only player allowed to use their hands to control the ball. Games consist of two 45 minute halves. A ten minute interval takes place at half-time when the teams change ends. Ties are broken with 15 minute overtime periods. The rules of bandy are very similar to the rules of soccer.

A variation on bandy is rink bandy. Rink bandy is played on a hockey rink with four skaters and a goalie. The rules are generally the same as those for regular bandy.


Bandy was being played in northeast England in the mid 1800's. Bury Fen, England, is considered the home of modern bandy. Cave paintings in Egypt suggest that a game similar to bandy was being played there 4000 years ago. The word bandy is Welsh in origin and means "a curved stick". The National Bandy Association was established in England in 1891. The NBA was the first governing body of Bandy and the first to develop official rules for the game. Prior to the founding of the NBA teams established the rules before matches started.

The first international Bandy match took place in 1891 between England's Bury Fen club and Haarlem of the Netherlands. Bandy was introduced to Sweden by a Bury Fen player in 1894. Bandy soon caught on throughout Europe. Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, and Norway all became active in bandy. Between the 1890's and 1955 no formal governing body for international Bandy existed.

This changed with the creation of the International Bandy Federation in 1955. Since 1957 the World Championships have been held every two years.

US Champions (Gunnar Cup)

1981 Minneapolis Bandolier
1982 Minneapolis Bandolier
1983 Minneapolis Bandolier
1984 Bagheera Blades
1985 Bagheera Blades
1986 Jesco
1987 Slice On Ice
1988 Slice on Ice
1989 TC Rats
1990 Minnesota Reindeer
1991 Minnesota Reindeer
1992 Parkwood
1993 Minnesota Reindeer
1994 Minnetonka Dynamo
1995 Minnesota Reindeer
1996 Sirius Minnesota
1997 Sirius Minnesota
1998 Minnetonka Dynamo
1999 Amur Tigers
2000 Minnetonka Dynamo
2001 Minneapolis Bandolier
2002 Minneapolis Bandolier
2003 Amur Tigers
2004 Minnesota Blades
2005 Minnesota Blades
2006 Minneapolis Bandolier
2007 Sirius Minnesota
2008 Minnesota Blades
2009 Minneapolis Bandolier

US Rink Bandy Championship(Cannon Cup)

1985 Twin City Rats
1986 Twin City Rats
1987 Twin City Rats
1988 Minneapolis Bandolier
1989 Minneapolis Bandolier
1990 Parkwood
1991 Reindeer
1992 Minneapolis Bandolier
1993 Reindeer
1994 Reindeer
1995 Duluth
1996 Duluth
1997 Rowbikers
1998 Minnetonka Dynamo
1999 Amur Tigers
2000 Amur Tigers
2001 Amur Tigers
2002 Amur Tigers
2003 Minnesota Blades
2004 Roseville Raiders
2005 Gustie Bandits
2006 Gustie Bandits
2007 Gustie Bandits
2008 Gustie Bandits
2009 Brite Air Aviators

North American Cup

1985 OLS(Finland)
1986 Bagheera Blades
1987 Minneapolis Bandolier
1988 Vesta(Finland)
1989 Reindeer(Glasnost Version)
1990 Reindeer
1991 Reindeer
1992 Stabek
1993 Stabek
1994 Stabek
1995 Minnetonka Dynamo
1996 Sirius Minnesota
1997 Sirius Minnesota
1998 Minneapolis Bandolier
1999 Sirius Minnesota
2000 Minnetonka Dynamo
2001 Minneapolis Bandolier
2002 Minneapolis Bandolier
2003 Minneapolis Bandolier
2004 None (No Ice)
2005 Minneapolis Bandolier
2006 Amur Tigers
2007 Minnesota Blades
2008 Minneapolis Bandolier
2009 Minneapolis Bandolier

North American Rink Bandy Cup

1987 Palokan Pyry(Finland)
1988 Vaasa(Finland)
1989 Minneapolis Bandolier
1990 Minneapolis Bandolier
1991 Parkwood
1992 Switch Its
1993 Parkwood
1994 Stabek
1995 Minnesota Reindeer
1996 Rowbike International
1997 Gunflint Lakers
1998 Amur Tigers
1999 Amur Tigers
2000 Amur Tigers
2001 Duluth
2002 Duluth