Octopush (also known as Underwater Hockey) is a non-contact underwater sport which was invented in the UK in the 1950s by a group of swimmers who were bored of just doing lengths and wanted to do something a bit more fun! Octopush is now a fully international sport with competitions all over the world taking place several times a year.

How do you play?

Two teams attempt to score in the opponent’s goal (gulley) by moving a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool with the use of a stick/pusher while wearing a snorkel, fins and mask. The main challenges faced by the players are those of breath control, whereby one is constantly required to return to the surface for air, and also the art of playing as a team.

Who can play Octopush?

No matter your level of experience (or lack of it!) everyone is welcome to come along to our training sessions and we currently have people with a wide range of abilities who play in Leeds, from complete beginners to experienced players. Also octopush is a unisex sport so no matter if you are male or female you can still come and play. So why not give underwater hockey a go today?

What you need to play?

  • Mask and snorkel
  • Pool fins
  • Trunks/swimming costume

At the moment we're provided with the other essential bits:

  • Stick/pusher
  • Glove (wear this on your stick hand to stop it getting bashed)
  • Puck
  • Two goals/gulleys.

Some Basic Rules

  • There are six players on each team in play at once, with up to 4 substitutes on poolside
  • Teams are distinguished by either black or white sticks and hats
  • A game can last anywhere between 20-30 minutes (depending on the teams’ abilities), with a 2-3 minute break halfway through to change ends and catch your breath. Believe me - you need it!
  • The puck begins in middle of pool, and on the referee’s signal both teams go for it
  • The aim is to get the puck into the opponent’s goal. These are long metal trays on the bottom of the pool at each end.

For complete rules please see here: British Octopush Association rules

When do we meet and what do we actually do?

  • We train on Wednesday evenings at the John Charles Aquatics Centre from 8-9pm
  • For the first 10-15 minutes we do some general fitness, practicing duck dives and doing some widths (all with mask, fins, snorkels etc)
  • We then split into two teams and let the madness begin...

Training costs and additional information

Training costs £3.50 each week, plus a small yearly fee (usually in the region of £10-15 for students) which is a contribution to Leeds BSAC who use the pool at the same time for their weekly training.

We have played a number of friendlies against local teams, as well as having competed in national competitions such as Nautilus and the Student Nationals.

International octopush player Richard Bewell comes along most weeks to teach or advise us on play and tactics and is keen to get more people involved! (Some people suspect he has gills as he can stay on the bottom of the pool for longer than seems humanly possible) Even if Richard can’t make it to a session there are many other players who are more than willing to offer their help and experience.

We have an email list (which can be found below) so we can find out who's going each week and can then organise lifts from around the university. At the moment there is a group of us who regularly share lifts on Wednesday evenings so getting to the pool shouldn’t be a problem!

For a more detailed understanding of the game please check out the videos in the links section below or contact us at the email address provided.

Links

British Octopush Association
British Octopush Association Shop
Introductory Video
Video from our own training session

I'm Interested

Please contact octopush@luusac.co.uk.