Editing Bandy (section)

==Countries==
===Canada===
Bandy has been played in Canada since the 1980s, but is not nearly as popular as ice hockey in this country. Friendlies are played against the United States. The Canadian bandy federation is called [[Canada Bandy]].

===China===
The [[China Bandy Federation]] was set up in 2014. Since them, China has since participated in a number of world championship tournaments, with men's, women's and youth teams. [[China Bandy]] is mainly financed by private resources. The development of the sport in China is supported by the [[Harbin Sport University]].

===Czechia===
A team from Prague in present-day Czechia became Austrian national bandy champions in 1911.<ref>ÖNB-ANNO "Historische Zeitungen und Zeitschriften": Allgemeiner Sport-Zeitung Ausgabe 87 vom 22. Januar 1911 (the source is given on the discussion site of German Wikipedia's article about bandy)</ref>

Czechia has been playing in the [[Bandy World Championship|World Championship]] since [[2016 Bandy World Championship|2016]]. As a way of preparing as well as possible for international matches, the Czechs have invented modified rules for games on ice hockey rinks, a variety called [[short bandy]], which differs from rink bandy.<ref name="short bandy">[https://www.worldbandy.com/2022/07/01/short-bandy-a-new-successful-type-of-bandy/ Short Bandy – A new successful type of bandy?]</ref> The Czech (former rink bandy) national league is now called ''[[Liga českého národního bandy]]''.

===Estonia===
Bandy as an organized sport was played in Estonia in the 1910s to 1930s and the country had a [[List of Estonian bandy champions|national championship]] for some years. The [[Estonia national bandy team|national team]] played friendlies against Finland in the 1920s and 1930s. The sport was played sporadically during the Soviet occupation 1944–1991. It has since then become more organized again, partly through exchange with Finnish clubs and enthusiasts. As of 2018, Estonia takes part in both the [[Bandy World Championship]] for men, and the [[Women's Bandy World Championship]].

===Finland===
{{Update section|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Hänninhauta 2014.JPG|thumb|A match in Finland]]
Bandy as an organized sport was introduced to Finland from Russia in the 1890s. Finland has been playing bandy friendlies against Sweden and Estonia since its independence in 1917.

The first [[List of Finnish bandy champions|men's Finnish national championships]] were held in 1908 and was the first national Finnish championship held in any team sport. National champions have been named every year except for three years in the first half of the 20th century when Finland was at war. The top national league is called [[Bandyliiga]] and is semi-professional. The best players turn fully professional by being recruited by clubs in Sweden or Russia.<ref name="fib">{{cite web|url=http://www.finbandy.fi/fi/?page_id=2002|publisher=Finnish Bandy Association|title=The Finnish Bandy Federation, in English|access-date=12 February 2014}}</ref> As of the 2020–21 season, Bandyliiga consisted of the following teams: [[Borgå Akilles|Akilles]], [[Botnia-69]], [[HIFK Bandy|HIFK]], [[Jyväskylän Seudun Palloseura|JPS]], [[Mikkelin Kampparit|Kampparit]], [[Narukerä]], [[Oulun Luistinseura|OLS]], [[Veiterä]] and [[WP 35]].

Finland was an original member of the Federation of International Bandy and is the only country besides Russia/Soviet Union and Sweden to have won a Bandy World Championship, which it did in [[2004 Bandy World Championship|2004]].

The [[Federation of International Bandy]] (FIB) is planning for a major premiere for indoor bandy in Finland in 2023 with the venue taking place at an indoor arena in [[Lappeenranta]]. When the arena is ready, an international inauguration is to take place with a 4-nation bandy tournament. Participants will include teams from Russia, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The tournament is scheduled for 20–22 January 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbandy.com/2021/12/14/indoor-bandy-soon-in-finland/ |title=INDOOR BANDY SOON IN FINLAND!|website=worldbandy.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |publisher=[[Federation of International Bandy]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Germany===
[[File:Eishockey Leipzig 1909.jpg|thumb|Match in [[Leipzig]] between LSC and Berliner Schlittschuh-Klub 1909]]
Bandy was played in Germany in the early 20th century, including by [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince|Crown Prince Wilhelm]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hockeygods.com/system/gallery_images/9706/normal.jpeg |title=Image of Crown Prince Wilhelm leisurely playing |website= hockeygods.com |access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> but the interest died out in favour of ice hockey. The [[Leipziger Sportclub]], which arguably had the best team, was also the last club to give bandy up. The sport was reintroduced to Germany in the 2010s, with the [[German Bandy Federation]] being founded in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bandy-bund.de/index.php?page=information|title=Deutscher Bandy-Bund – DBB|website=bandy-bund.de|access-date=11 December 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052207/http://bandy-bund.de/index.php?page=information|url-status=dead}}</ref> Germany has been participating in the [[Bandy World Championship]], a competition for male competitors, since [[2014 Bandy World Championship|2014]].

===India===
{{Main|Bandy in India}}
Bandy is being played in northern parts of India close to the Himalayas, where there is usually cold weather and snow in the winter time. A national championship is contested every year, but India has yet to send a national team to the World Championships or any other international competition.

===Kazakhstan===
{{Update section|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Issaliev Rauan.JPG|[[Rauan Isaliyev]], captain of the [[Kazakhstan national bandy team]]|thumb]]
Bandy has a long history in many parts of [[Kazakhstan]] and it used to be one of the most popular sports in Soviet times. However, after independence it suffered a rapid decline in popularity and only remained in [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]] (often called by the Russian name, "Uralsk"), where the country's only professional club [[Akzhaiyk]] is located. They presently compete in the Russian second tier division, the [[Russian Bandy Supreme League]].

Recently bandy has started to gain popularity again outside of Oral, most notably in [[Petropavl]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bandy.kz/ |title=Главная страница (Archived copy) |website= bandy.kz |access-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918022047/http://bandy.kz/ |archive-date=18 September 2017 |url-status = dead}}</ref> and [[Khromtau]]. Those were for example the three Kazakh cities which had players in the team at the [[Youth Bandy World Championship#Y17|Youth-17, Youth Bandy World Championship]] for boys in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/nationalteam/664/roster/1687/|title=Информация о команде Юношеская сборная Казахстана (игроки до 17 лет) – Сборные команды – Федерация хоккея с мячом России|website=rusbandy.ru}}</ref> The capital [[Astana]] has hosted national youth championships in [[rink bandy]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.inform.kz/ru/v-astane-startoval-chempionat-kazahstana-po-hokkeyu-s-myachom_a2766390|title= В Астане стартовал чемпионат Казахстана по хоккею с мячом |date= 16 April 2015 |website= inform.kz}} http://www.inform.kz/ru/v-astane-startoval-chempionat-kazahstana-po-hokkeyu-s-myachom_a2766390 Google Translate]</ref> as well as championships in traditional eleven-a-side bandy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inform.kz/ru/article/2874453|title=Хоккей с мячом: Сборная ЗКО стала чемпионом Казахстана (ФОТО)|website=www.inform.kz|date=24 February 2016}}</ref>

In recent years the former capital [[Almaty]] has hosted both the [[Asian Winter Games]] (with bandy on the program) as well as the [[Bandy World Championship]] for men in which Kazakhstan finished 3rd. Plans are being made to reinvigorate the bandy section of the club [[Dynamo Almaty]], who won the [[Russian Bandy League|Soviet Championships]] in 1977 and 1990 as well as the [[European Cup (bandy)|European Cup]] in 1978. Almaty is also the home of the headquarters of the [[Asian Bandy Federation]]. Since bandy began regaining popularity and acceptance, the state has begun supporting bandy. [[Medeu]] in Almaty is the only arena with artificial ice. A second arena in Almaty was built for the [[Bandy World Championship 2012|World Championship 2012]], but it was taken down afterwards. [[Stadion Yunost]] in [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/stadium/38/|title=Информация о стадионе "Юность", Уральск – Реестр – Федерация хоккея с мячом России}}</ref> was supposed to get artificial ice for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/news/10867|title=Каток в Уральске сдадут до конца 2017 года - Архив новостей - Федерация хоккея с мячом России|website=rusbandy.ru}}</ref> It got delayed but in 2018 it was officially ready for use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tdk42.kz/ru/news/ledovaya-arena-stadiona-yunost-oficialno-otkryta/ |title=TDK-42 |date=9 July 2018 |publisher=Tdk42.kz |access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref>

===Mongolia===
[[Mongolia national bandy team|The national team]] took a silver medal at the [[Bandy at the 2011 Asian Winter Games|2011 Asian Winter Games]], which led to being chosen as the best Mongolian sport team of 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ocasia.org/News/IndexNewsRM.aspx?WKegervtea1MGkNnT6j12w== |title=Mongolia NOC announces sports press awards |access-date=2 October 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140419105406/http://www.ocasia.org/News/IndexNewsRM.aspx?WKegervtea1MGkNnT6j12w== |archive-date=19 April 2014 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Mongolia was proud to win the bronze medal of the B division at the [[2017 Bandy World Championship]]<ref>[http://theubpost.mn/2017/02/07/ice-sports-facility-is-more-important-than-prizes-says-coach-a-mergen/ The UB Post: "Ice sports facility is more important than prizes, says coach A.mergen", by Tungalag Baatar – February 7, 2017], retrieved 30 September 2017</ref> after which the [[President of Mongolia]], [[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]], held a reception for the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theubpost.mn/2017/02/07/president-praises-national-bandy-team/|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010141413/http://theubpost.mn/2017/02/07/president-praises-national-bandy-team/|url-status = dead|archive-date=2017-10-10|title=President praises national bandy team|first=Tungalag|last=Baatar|website=archive-it.org}}</ref>

===Netherlands===
[[File:Pim Mulier dunkel.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pim Mulier]] introduced bandy to the Netherlands.]]

Bandy as an organized sport was introduced to the Netherlands in the 1890s by [[Pim Mulier]] and the sport became popular. However, in the 1920s, the interest turned to ice hockey, but in contrast to other countries in central and western Europe, the sport has been continuously played in the Netherlands and since the 1970s, the country has become a member of FIB and games have been more formalised again.<ref name="Janmaat">{{cite web|url=http://www.bandybond.nl/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/120-jaar-bandygeschiedenis-in-Nederland.pdf|title=120 jaar bandygeschiedenis in Nederland|author=Arnout Janmaat|date=7 March 2013|access-date=13 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035707/http://www.bandybond.nl/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/120-jaar-bandygeschiedenis-in-Nederland.pdf|archive-date=22 February 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Netherlands national bandy team|The national team]] started to compete at the WCS in [[1991 Bandy World Championship|1991]]. However, without a proper venue, only [[rink bandy]] is played within the country. The national governing body is the [[Bandy Bond Nederland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bandybond.nl/|title=Bandybond Nederland -|website=bandybond.nl}}</ref>

===Norway===
{{Main|Bandy in Norway}}
[[File:Norges damelandslag i bandy 2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[Norway women's national bandy team|The Norwegian team]] celebrating the bronze medal in [[2006 Women's Bandy World Championship|WCS 2006]]]]
Bandy as an organized sport was introduced to Norway in the 1910s. The [[Swedes]] contributed largely and clubs sprang up around the capital of Kristiania (present day [[Oslo]]). [[Oslo]], including neighbouring towns, is in the twenty-first century still the region where bandy enjoys most popularity in Norway.

In 1912 the [[Norwegians]] played their first [[List of Norwegian bandy champions|National Championship]], which was played annually up to 1940. During World War II, when Norway was occupied by Germany, illegal bandy was played in hidden places in forests, on ponds and lakes. In 1943, 1944 and 1945, illegal championships were held. In 1946 legal play resumed and still goes on in form of the [[Norwegian Bandy Premier League]] (''Eliteserien''). After World War II the number of teams rose, as well as attendance which regularly were in the thousands, but mild winters in the 1970s and 1980s shrunk the league, and in 2003 only five clubs (teams) fought out the 1st division with low attendance numbers and little media coverage. As of 2021 there are 10 teams in the [[Norwegian Bandy Premier League]].

Norway's best result in the [[Bandy World Championship|World Championship]] is a second place in [[1965 Bandy World Championship|1965]].

====Norwegian Championship====
The Norwegian bandy champion is decided each year by a play-off among the best teams in the Norwegian Bandy Premier League. The first [[List of Norwegian bandy champions|Norwegian bandy champions]] was decided in 1912 and the championship has been held almost every year since. Until 1928, the championship was played as 7-a-side bandy.
{{Clear}}

===Russia===
[[File:Stadium Trud Arkhangelsk.jpg|thumb|[[Trud Stadium (Arkhangelsk)|Trud Stadium]] in [[Arkhangelsk]]]]
In Russia bandy is known as hockey with a ball or simply Russian hockey. A similar game became popular among the Russian nobility in the early 1700s, with the imperial court of [[Peter the Great]] playing a predecessor of modern bandy on [[Saint Petersburg]]'s frozen [[Neva]] river.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Russians initially played this game using ordinary footwear with sticks made out of juniper wood, but it wasn't until later that ice skates were introduced. Bandy did not become popular among the masses throughout the [[Russian Empire]] until the second half of the 19th century. The predecessor of the current [[Russian Bandy Federation]] was founded in 1898. Bandy is considered a [[national sport]] in Russia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eng.tatar-inform.ru/news/2011/01/21/33986/ |title=Russian bandy players blessed for victory at world championship in Kazan |date=21 January 2011 |publisher=Tatar-Inform |access-date=31 August 2009 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424230703/http://eng.tatar-inform.ru/news/2011/01/21/33986/ |archive-date=24 April 2012 }}</ref> and is the only discipline to have official support of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/news/7591|title= Russian hockey as a Russian idea (through Google Translate from Russian) |website= rusbandy.ru |date= 20 August 2015 }}</ref>

Traditionally the Russians used a longer skate blade than other nations, giving them the advantage of skating faster. However, they would find it more difficult to turn quickly. A bandy skate has a longer blade than an ice hockey skate, and the "Russian skate" is even longer.

Though bandy was still played in the [[Soviet Union national bandy team|Soviet Union]] after the [[Russian Revolution]], they did not partake in any international games for many decades. While agreements had previously been made to play friendlies against [[Sweden national bandy team|Sweden]] in the late 1940s, these plans had not come to fruition.<ref>Eric Sköld (ed.): Boken om bandy, Uppsala: Bygd och Folk Förlag (1948), p. 183 (in Swedish)</ref> The bandy event at the [[Bandy at the 1952 Winter Olympics|1952 Winter Olympics]] in Oslo, Norway, where men's bandy featured as a [[demonstration sport]], was played without any Soviet team. However, the Soviets reconsidered their position following this competition.

[[File:Bandy match Finland versus Soviet Union 1959 (JOKAKAL4URH jpa01-6).tif|thumb|Finland - Soviet Union in 1959]]

When the [[Federation of International Bandy]] was formed in 1955, with the Soviet Union as one of its founding members, the Russians largely adopted the international rules of the game developed in England in the 19th century, with one notable exception. The other countries adopted the border which until then had only been used in Russia.

Since the 1950s, when the Soviet Union ended its isolation and started to take part in international sports events, the Soviet Union and then Russia (as its successor country in 1991) has consistently held a top position in the sport of bandy, both as a founding nation of the [[Federation of International Bandy|International Federation]] in 1955, and fielding the most successful team in the [[Bandy World Championship]], the premiere international competition for men, (when counting the previous Soviet Union team and Russia together).

The men's Russian professional bandy league is called the [[Russian Bandy Super League]]. The [[Russian Bandy Supreme League]] is the second tier of men's Russian bandy, below the Russian Bandy Super League. In [[Sweden]], the [[Elitserien (bandy)|Elitserien]] (literally, the "Elite League") is the highest bandy league in the country for men, while [[Bandyallsvenskan]] is the second division. In [[Finland]], the highest bandy league for men is the [[Bandyliiga]].
In a similar fashion, Russia, along with Sweden, has emerged as one of the two dominant women's bandy nations internationally, regularly placing first or second at the premier international bandy competition for women, the [[Women's Bandy World Championship]].

After the victory in the [[2016 Bandy World Championship|2016 World Championship]], the fourth in a row, [[President of Russia|President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] received four players of [[Russia national bandy team|the national team]], [[Head Coach]] and [[Vice-President]] of the [[Russian Bandy Federation]] [[Sergey Myaus]], the Russian Bandy Federation as well as [[Federation of International Bandy]] President [[Boris Skrynnik]] in [[The Kremlin]]. He talked, among other things, about the need to give more support to Russian bandy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/51359|title=Meeting with Russia's national bandy team|website=President of&nbsp;Russia|date=18 February 2016 }}</ref> It was the first time a [[head of state]] had accepted a meeting to talk about Russian bandy. Attending the meeting were also [[Ministry of Sport (Russia)|Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth policy]] [[Vitaly Mutko]] and presidential adviser [[Igor Levitin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redyarsk.ru/news/detail.php?id=33156|title= Сергей Ломанов: "Это исторический момент"|website= redyarsk.ru|date= 19 February 2016|language= Russian}} [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.redyarsk.ru/news/detail.php?id=33156 Google Translate]</ref> The month after, Igor Levitin held a follow-up meeting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kremlin.ru/events/administration/51520|title=Совещание по вопросам развития в России хоккея с мячом|website= kremlin.ru|date=16 March 2016 |language= Russian}} [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://kremlin.ru/events/administration/51520 Google Translate]</ref>

====Russian Championship====
The men's Russian professional bandy league is called the [[Russian Bandy Super League]]. The [[Russian Bandy Supreme League]] is the second tier of men's Russian bandy, below the Russian Bandy Super League.

The [[Russian Bandy Super League]] is the top tier of the Russian bandy league system. It is professional and played every year. The winner in the final becomes [[List of Russian bandy champions|Russian champion]]. It is considered a continuation of the Soviet Union championship, which was played annually until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

====Russian Cup====
The [[Russian Cup (bandy)|Russian Cup]] has been played annually most years since 1937, originally called the Soviet Cup.

===Sweden===
[[File:Clarence von rosen.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Clarence von Rosen]] introduced bandy to Sweden.]]

Bandy as an organized sport was introduced to Sweden in 1895. The [[Swedish royal family]], noblemen and diplomats were among the first players. While the original inspiration mainly came from England, there also were early exchanges with Germany and Russia. Bandy was taken up as one of the sports at the international [[Nordic Games]] held in Sweden semi-annually from 1901. [[List of Swedish bandy champions|Swedish championships]] for men have been played annually since 1907 and Sweden was the first country to have an annual bandy league.

In the 1920s students played the game, then it spread across the country and became a largely middle-class sport. The games could attract huge crowds of spectators in those days. After [[Slottsbrons IF]] won the Swedish championship in 1934 it became popular amongst workers in many smaller industrial towns and villages. Where there was a bandy club the local factory corporation also usually sponsored the club to mutual benefit as a successful team led to good PR for the company. Bandy remains the main sport in many of these places.

In the mid-20th Century, bandy was the most popular spectator sport in Sweden, drawing huge crowds for most events and having bigger audiencess than football or ice hockey. While not having the same numbers now, bandy is inceasing the number of spectators in the 2020s, in contrast to many other sports.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://svenskbandy.se/nyheter/2025/bandy-gar-mot-strommen-publiken-okar-i-elitserien |title= Bandy går mot strömmen – publiken ökar i Elitserien |publisher= Svenska bandyförbundet |date= 7 May 2025 |access-date= 7 May 2025 |language= Swedish}}</ref>

Bandy in Sweden is famous for its "culture" where both playing bandy and being a spectator requires great fortitude and dedication. A "{{ill|bandy briefcase|sv|bandyportfölj|vertical-align=sup}}" is the classic accessory for spectating and is typically made of brown leather, well worn, and contains a warm drink in a thermos and/or a bottle of liquor.<ref name="briefcase">{{cite news | first = Ingrid | last = Sundberg | title = Bandyportföljens tid är här | url = http://www.folket.se/folket/standard_article.php?id=139481&avdelning_1=101&avdelning_2=105&t=1373991006 | work = Folket | date = 10 November 2006 | access-date = 7 January 2007 | language = sv|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928181039/http://www.folket.se/folket/standard_article.php?id=139481&avdelning_1=101&avdelning_2=105&t=1373991006 |archive-date = 28 September 2007}}</ref> Bandy is most often played at outdoor arenas during winter time, so the need for spectators to carry flasks or thermoses of 'warming' liquid like [[glögg]] is a natural effect. With the sport moving indoors in recent decades and the arenas urging for non-alcoholic policies for the audiences, this tradition has partly changed, though not without opposition.

[[File:Bandyfinal2010 hammarby celebration.jpg|thumb|After the 2010 final at [[Studenternas IP|Studenternas Idrottsplats]] in [[Uppsala]], Sweden]]
[[File:VSK Bandy höjer SM bucklan efter finalen 2020.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Västerås SK Bandy (women)|Västerås SK]] raises the Swedish Championship trophy for women after their victory against [[Skutskärs IF|Skutskär]] in 2020.]]

A notable tradition is "[[Saint Stephen's Day bandy|annandagsbandy]]", bandy games played on [[Saint Stephen's Day]] (''annandagen'' = ’the second day [of Christmas]’), which for many [[Swedes]] is an important [[Christmas]] season tradition and always draws bigger crowds than usual. Games traditionally begin at 1:15&nbsp;pm.<ref name="annandagsbandy">{{cite news |first=Berndt |last=Rosqvist |title=Festligt och fullsatt på stora bandydagen |url=https://www.dn.se/sport/festligt-och-fullsatt-pa-stora-bandydagen/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130418064244/http://www.dn.se/sport/festligt-och-fullsatt-pa-stora-bandydagen-1.231109 |url-status = live |archive-date=18 April 2013 |work=Dagens Nyheter |date=22 December 2003 |access-date=4 February 2010 |language=sv}}</ref>

====Swedish Championship====
In Sweden, the [[Elitserien (bandy)|Elitserien]] (literally, the "Elite League") is the highest bandy league in the country for men, while [[Bandyallsvenskan]] is the second division. The Elite League is the top tier of Swedish bandy and is fully professional. At the end of the season, a play-off is made to make out the two teams playing the [[List of Swedish bandy champions|final match for the Swedish Championship]]. The Final is played every year on the third Saturday of March. From 1991 to 2012, it was played at [[Studenternas IP|Studenternas Idrottsplats]] in [[Uppsala]], often drawing crowds in excess of 20,000. One reason the play-off match was set in Uppsala is because of [[IFK Uppsala Bandy|IFK Uppsala]]'s success at the beginning of the 20th century. IFK Uppsala won 11 titles in the Swedish Championships between 1907 and 1920, which made them the most successful bandy club in the entire country (now, however, the record is held by [[Västerås SK Bandy|Västerås SK]]). A contributing factor was also the poor quality of the ice at [[Söderstadion]], where the finals were held from 1967 to 1989.

In 2013 and 2014 the final was played indoors in [[Friends Arena#Tournaments|Friends Arena]], the national stadium for football in [[Solna]], [[Stockholm]], with a retractable roof and a capacity of 50,000. The first final at Friends Arena in 2013 drew a record crowd of 38,474 when [[Hammarby IF Bandy]], after ending up in second place in six finals during the 2000s, won their second title. Due to declining attendance from 2015 through 2017 [[Tele2 Arena]] in southern [[Stockholm]] was chosen as a new venue. However, the new indoor venue failed to attract much more than half of the total capacity. In May 2017 it was announced that the finals will again be held at Studenternas IP in Uppsala from 2018 through at least 2021.

====Svenska Cupen (The Swedish Cup)====
{{Main|Svenska Cupen (bandy)}}
The ''Svenska Cupen'' ({{langx|en|The Swedish Cup}}), ''Svenska Cupen i bandy'', takes place exclusively in [[Sweden]]. It is a [[single-elimination tournament]] competition in Swedish bandy and the second-most prominent bandy competition which is open only to domestic Swedish teams, after the national championship. Its inaugural year was [[2005 Svenska cupen|2005]]. The first women's competition was played in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bandyworld.se/arkiv/41562|title=Västerås SK historiska mästare|publisher=Bandy World|language=Swedish|date=20 October 2019|access-date=14 November 2019|archive-date=14 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114210051/http://www.bandyworld.se/arkiv/41562|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Switzerland===
In the late nineteenth and early 20th century, Switzerland had become a popular place for winter vacations and people went there from all over Europe. Winter sports like skiing, sledding and bandy was played in Geneva and other towns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hockeygods.com/images/9923-Antique_Bandy___Shinty_Game___Caux_Jeu_de_Hockey___1906___Geneve|title=Antique Bandy / Shinty Game – Caux-Jeu de Hockey – 1906 – Geneve}}</ref> Students from Oxford and Cambridge went to Switzerland to play each other – the predecessor of the recurring [[Ice Hockey Varsity Match]] was a bandy match played in [[St. Moritz]] in 1885. This popularity for Swiss venues of winter sport may have been a reason, the European Championship was held there in 1913.

Bandy has mainly been played as a recreational sport in Switzerland in the 2000s and 2010s. A [[Switzerland national bandy team|Swiss men's national team]] was finally started up in 2017 and a [[Switzerland women's national bandy team|Swiss women's national team]] made its international début in the [[2018 Women's Bandy World Championship]].

===Ukraine===
Bandy was played in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union. After independence in 1991, it took some years before organized bandy formed again, but [[List of Ukrainian bandy champions|Ukrainian champions]] have been named annually since 2012.

===United Kingdom===
[[File:Team England Bandy 1913.jpg|thumb|right|Members of the [[Bury Fen Bandy Club]], an English bandy team in 1913]]
[[File:Bury Fen.JPG|thumb|right|Bury Fen]]
The first recorded games of what may be considered bandy on ice took place in [[The Fens]] during the great frost of 1813–1814, although it is probable that the game had already been played there in the previous century. [[Bury Fen Bandy Club]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/c0.9.200.200/p200x200/15781800_361712414206271_5538446458443892035_n.jpg?oh=a8bca8924c8e5f2519aacf1301e0fb89&oe=59436595 |title=Club badge |access-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613053352/https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/c0.9.200.200/p200x200/15781800_361712414206271_5538446458443892035_n.jpg?oh=a8bca8924c8e5f2519aacf1301e0fb89&oe=59436595 |archive-date=13 June 2017 |url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/2049/English/Buryfen.gif |title=Photo of Bury Fen Bandy Club |access-date=3 March 2012 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028160235/http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/2049/English/Buryfen.gif |archive-date=28 October 2009 }}</ref> from [[Bluntisham|Bluntisham-cum-Earith]], near [[St Ives, Cambridgeshire|St Ives]], was the most successful team, said to have remained unbeaten for a hundred years until the winter of 1890–1891. [[Charles Goodman Tebbutt]] of the Bury Fen Bandy Club was responsible for the first published rules of bandy in 1882, and also for introducing the game into the Netherlands and Sweden, as well as elsewhere in England where it became popular with cricket, rowing, and hockey clubs. Tebbutt's homemade bandy stick can be seen in the [[St Ives, Cambridgeshire#Culture|Norris Museum in St Ives]].

The first [[Ice Hockey Varsity Match]]es between [[Oxford University Ice Hockey Club|Oxford University]] and [[Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club|Cambridge University]] were played to bandy rules, even if it was called hockey on the ice at the time.<ref name="results">{{Cite web |url=http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ouihc/varsity_past.html |title=Oxford University Ice Hockey Club: Past Results |access-date=2007-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031173134/http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ouihc/varsity_past.html |archive-date=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

It is sometimes claimed that a national team for England won the [[European Bandy Championships]] in 1913,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/2049/English/England.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028160236/http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/2049/English/England.html |archive-date=28 October 2009 |title=England in European Bandy Championships |date=28 October 2009 |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> but that tournament likely never took place. While bandy is often thought to have been a popular sport in England in the decades around 1900, few records seem to have been kept.

A statue of a bandy player, designed by Peter Baker, was erected at the village pond of [[Earith]] to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first documented game in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/village-focus-on-earith-8139754 | title= "Read about the history of the village of Earith"| author= Debbie Davies | publisher= The Hunts Post | date= 17 July 2021 | access-date= 7 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3549517,0.0311485,3a,75y,227.83h,91.16t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sobxZpygsnPwuAOaTlUfs5Q!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DobxZpygsnPwuAOaTlUfs5Q%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D155.85754%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656| publisher = Google Maps | title = Image at Google Maps}}</ref>

In March 2004, Norwegian ex-player [[Edgar Malman]] invited two big clubs to play a [[rink bandy]] exhibition game in [[Streatham]], London. Russian Champions and World Cup Winner [[Vodnik]] met Swedish Champions [[Edsbyns IF]] in a match that ended 10–10. In 2010 England became a [[Federation of International Bandy]] member. The national federation is based in Cambridgeshire, the historical heartland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldbandy.com/about-fib/members/ |title=Members |date=16 November 2015 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217153710/http://worldbandy.com/about-fib/members/ |archive-date=17 February 2016 }}</ref>

The England Bandy Federation, was set up on 2 January 2017 at a meeting held in the historic old skaters public house, the [[Lamb and Flag, Welney|Lamb and Flag]] in [[Welney]] in [[Norfolk]], England, replacing the Bandy Federation of England which had been founded in 2010 but had had dwindling activity. In September 2017, the federation decided to widen its territory to all of the United Kingdom and changed its name to [[Great Britain Bandy Association]].<ref>[https://worldbandy.com/great-britain/ Great Britain]</ref> Great Britain entered a national team in the 2019 World Championships Group B in January and undefeated up to the final, won the silver medal in their final match against Estonia. They were set to return to the 2020 World Championships, but were refused visas to Russia. Since then they have not participated. However, the comeback will come in 2025.<ref>[https://worldbandy.com/2024/11/24/the-teams-ready-for-world-championships-in-march/ THE TEAMS READY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MARCH!]</ref>

In 2022, Great Britain premiered its national women's bandy team at the [[2022 Women's Bandy World Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19795374.first-ever-team-gb-bandy-team-founded-look-forward-first-championships/ |title=First ever Team GB bandy team founded as they look forward to first Championships |website= heraldscotland.com |date=20 December 2022 |access-date=2 January 2022 |author=Graeme Macpherson |publisher=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |language=en}}</ref>

===United States===
{{Main|Bandy in the United States}}
Bandy in its original, informal manner disappeared from the North American continent entirely once it and elements from the early game had become absorbed into a new sport of [[ice hockey]]. While ice hockey was growing and organizing in the United States, bandy was doing the same, but only in Europe and Scandinavia. It would not arrive in its organized format in the United States until the 1970s,<ref name="Sam Wigness"/> almost a century after its initial development.

Bandy has been played in the United States since around the 1970s,<ref name="Sam Wigness">{{cite news |url=https://www.sportsengine.com/article/bandy/bandys-growth-put-ice |title=Bandy's growth is put on ice |author=Sam Wigness |date=27 June 2017 |website=Sports Engine |language=en}}</ref> after its promotion by Russians, Swedes and Finns in an exchange with [[softball]], a sport which was promoted by Americans during the same time in the Soviet Union, Sweden and Finland. A key-person in the establishment of the sport in America was Bob Kojetin of [[Minnesota Softball]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usabandy.com/news_article/show/1135996 |access-date= 2021-09-01 |title=The Bandy / Softball Sport Exchange and the Origins of Bandy in the USA |last= Middlebrook |first= Chris |date= 2020-05-12 |website= USA Bandy}}</ref> The sport is centered in Minnesota, with very few teams based elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.usabandy.com |website= USA Bandy |title= Home Of The American Bandy Association}}</ref> The United States national bandy team has participated in the Bandy World Championships since 1985 and is also regularly playing friendly matches against Canada. The leading organization for bandy in the US is [[Bandy in the United States#Governing body|USA Bandy]]. The US has a [[United States national bandy team|men's national bandy team]] and a [[United States women's national bandy team|women's national bandy team]].

The first bandy game in the US was played in December 1979 at the [[Lewis Park Bandy Rink]] in [[Edina, Minnesota|Edina]], Minnesota. It was a friendly game between the [[Sweden men's national junior bandy team|Swedish junior national team]] and Swedish club team [[Broberg/Söderhamn Bandy|Brobergs IF]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usabandy.com/page/show/6273994-american-bandy-association|title=USA Bandy MIlestones|publisher=American Bandy Association|language=English|access-date=13 August 2021}}</ref>

[[List of United States bandy champions|United States bandy championships]] have been played annually since the early 1980s, but the sport is not widely covered by American sports media. The championship trophy is called the [[Gunnar Cup]], named after Gunnar Fast, a Swedish army captain who helped introduce bandy to the United States around 1980.<ref>[http://www.bandypuls.se/sport/bandy/gunnar-fast-tog-bandyn-till-usa-nu-har-missionaren-gatt-bort-han-tvingade-oss-att-spela Bandypuls: "Gunnar Fast tog bandyn till USA – nu har missionären gått bort" 21 August 2017 (in Swedish)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824052315/http://www.bandypuls.se/sport/bandy/gunnar-fast-tog-bandyn-till-usa-nu-har-missionaren-gatt-bort-han-tvingade-oss-att-spela |date=24 August 2017 }}, retrieved 23 August 2017</ref>

====Playing surfaces====
While North American ice hockey rinks can be used for playing the bandy variant of [[rink bandy]], places where the traditional game of bandy can be played require a larger sized playing surface, a [[bandy field]], and are almost non-existent in North America. [[Minnesota, USA|Minnesota]] is home to the only regulation sized bandy "rink" in North America, the [[Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval]], commonly referred to as, "The Oval", and is also the largest outdoor refrigerated skating rink in North America. The rink is 10,219 square meters with more than 800 tons of refrigeration and 135&nbsp;km of pipes underneath the ice. The ice can be maintained in temperatures up to +10 degrees Celsius. The Oval can hold up to 300 spectators and has hosted [[ISU Speed Skating World Cup|World Cup Speedskating]], the [[2016 Women's Bandy World Championship]], and Aggressive Skating/Biking competitions. The Oval is used mostly for [[inline hockey]] during the summer.