# 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships qualifying

The 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships Qualifying rounds were the first such qualifiers for world championships in men's floorball. Four separate qualifying tournaments were played, with European qualifications between February 3 and February 6, 2010, in the cities of Babimost and Zbąszyń in Poland, as well as in the city of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain.
The 2010 Men's Asia Pacific Floorball Championships served as the qualifying tournament for countries in the Asian/Oceanian region. The tournament was overseen by the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC), and was played in Woodlands, Singapore. It was played between February 3 to February 7, 2010.
North American qualification matches between Canada and the United States were played in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from February 5 to February 6, 2010.
These were the first world championships under the IFF's new FIFA-like continental qualification system. A total of 32 countries registered for this event, which is the most nations to ever register for an IFF-sanctioned world championship event. The previous record was 29 for the 2008 Men's World Floorball Championships.

## Qualification process

Under the IFF's new qualification system, the 32 countries registered for the world championships needed to qualify for only 16 spots. 8 of these spots were already pre-determined, with the top 7 teams from the 2008 Men's World Floorball Championships A-Division and the top team from the B-Division automatically qualifying. This left just 8 spots for the other 24 registered countries.
Depending on the number of countries registered per continental region, that many slots were given at the world championships.
The countries already qualified are as follows:
| Czech Republic | Finland | Germany | Latvia |
| Norway | Russia | Sweden | Switzerland |

### Asian & Oceanian process

Qualifying in the Asia/Oceanian region for the world championships was overseen by the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC).
Only 3 out of 5 registered AOFC countries will qualify. The 5 countries are as follows:
| Australia | Singapore |
| Japan | Korea |
| Malaysia |

### European process

Only 4 out of 16 countries registered in Europe qualified. The 16 countries are as follows:
| Austria | Belgium | Denmark | Estonia |
| France | Georgia | Great Britain | Hungary |
| Italy | Liechtenstein | Netherlands | Poland |
| Serbia | Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain |

### North American process

Only 1 out of 2 countries registered in North America qualified. The 2 countries are as follows:
| Canada | United States |

## Groups

Ballots for the groups in this event were drawn on May 9, 2009, during one of the semi-final matches of the 2009 Men's under-19 World Floorball Championships in Turku, Finland.
In the way the ballots were drawn, no team qualifying from the AOFC will play against each other in group stage matches, and no team qualifying from Europe will either.
The groups will be assembled based on qualifying as follows:
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| Finland | Latvia | Germany | Czech Republic |
| Russia | Switzerland | Sweden | Norway |
| North America | AOFC 1 | AOFC 3 | AOFC 2 |
| West Europe 1 | West Europe 2 | East Europe 2 | East Europe 1 |

### Final groups

| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| Finland | Latvia | Germany | Czech Republic |
| Russia | Switzerland | Sweden | Norway |
| Canada | AOFC 1 | AOFC 3 | AOFC 2 |
| Denmark | Poland | Estonia | Italy |

## Withdrawals
### India

India withdrew from world championships due to financial difficulties on January 21, almost 2 weeks before the tournament began. In turn, the AOFC and IFF were forced to make changes to the schedule to accompany the other teams.

### Georgia

Although Georgia never withdrew from the world championships, they were not able to show up to their first match against Slovakia, resulting in an automatic walkover win of 5:0. This was due to flight problems caused by inclement weather.

## Tiebreaking criteria

For the three game group stage of this tournament, where two or more teams in a group tied on an equal number of points, the finishing positions are determined by the record of the tied teams in the games they played against each other in the first instance, then the goals scored and goal difference in all group matches. There is a facility for positions to be determined by a drawing of lots should 2 (or more) team records be identical and their match was a draw against each other.
A win is worth 2 points, a draw is worth 1 point, and a loss is worth 0 points. No sudden victory overtime or penalty shootout will be played in the preliminary round, as matches ending in draws at the end of regulation will award both teams with a single point. Matches which are draws at the end of the playoff round will, however, continue with a sudden victory overtime period and a possible penalty shootout.

## European Qualifying (Poland)

The European Qualifying tournament in Poland determined which 2 teams received a spot in the 2010 World Championships. For this qualifying tournament, the winning teams received a spot in Group A (West Europe 1) or Group B (West Europe 2), depending on their position in preliminary stage play.
Teams in this qualification tournament represented Western Europe, as the IFF used the same criteria they use for EuroFloorball Cup qualifications in order to determine groups.

### Preliminary round
#### Group A

All matches in Group A in the preliminary round were played in Zbąszyń, Poland.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 8 | +34 | 5 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Poland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 | +20 | 5 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Belgium | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 29 | −19 | 2 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |
| Great Britain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 39 | −35 | 0 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |

##### February 3, 2010

| Jamie Black – 06.40 Andrew Lovell – 43.38 | Goals | 09.04 – Jonathan Chiau 15.23 – Michael Jonsson 25.31 – Olivier Nicolas 41.11 – Joachim Magnusson 59.56 – Joachim Magnusson |
| Kim Jensen – 09.23 Mathias Christoffersen – 28.12 Henrik Engelsen – 43.41 | Goals | 02.39 – Piotr Kostela 48.04 – Piotr Kostela 54.04 – Tomasz Gaicki |

##### February 4, 2010

| Jacob Andersen – 02.22 Stefan Hedorf – 04.10 Brian Nielsen – 06.49 Henrik Engelsen – 07.07 Steffen Jensen – 12.18 Anders Kristensen – 12.36 Jesper Petersen – 13.31 Jacob Andersen – 15.27 Steffen Jensen – 16.05 Stefan Hedorf – 24.06 Steffen Jensen – 25.21 Jesper Petersen – 28.19 Mathias Christoffersen – 30.20 Jesper Petersen – 34.05 Anders Kristensen – 36.22 Stefan Hedorf – 41.43 Brian Nielsen – 47.31 Jesper Petersen – 48.34 Stefan Hedorf – 48.57 Stefan Hedorf – 49.33 Stefan Hedorf – 57.17 Mathias Christoffersen – 57.44 | Goals | 01.42 – Jason Brim 14.39 – Peter Powell |
| Jan Hajdus – 16.16 Lukasz Adamczak – 26.32 Tomasz Gaicki – 26.44 Tomasz Gaicki – 32.41 Mattias Mikulski – 38.15 Jan Hajdus – 39.57 Jan Hajdus – 47.10 Tomasz Gaicki – 54.02 Lukasz Adamczak – 57.34 Piotr Kostela – 59.55 | Goals | 07.52 – Jonathan Chiau 17.37 – Joachim Magnusson |

##### February 5, 2010

| Jonathan Chiau – 00.22 Thomas Ghilain – 32.26 Michael Jonsson – 41.58 | Goals | 06.08 – Mathias Christoffersen 10.28 – Brian Nielsen 12.34 – Mathias Christoffersen 13.39 – Henrik Engelsen 16.10 – Niklas Hojholt 22.29 – Claus Jensen 24.39 – Mathias Christoffersen 27.45 – Brian Nielsen 32.45 – Brian Nielsen 32.58 – Steffen Jensen 36.08 – Steffen Jensen 44.38 – Jesper Petersen 46.20 – Jesper Petersen 48.07 – Jesper Petersen 53.32 – Brian Nielsen 54.42 – Jesper Petersen 59.59 – Dannie Pedersen |
| Krzysztof Malasiewicz – 07.54 Piotr Kostela – 09.12 Piotr Kostela – 09.29 Tomasz Gaicki – 12.15 Jarosław Lech – 19.01 Lukasz Adamczak – 25.28 Tomasz Gaicki – 28.40 Lukasz Adamczak – 29.25 Krystian Malasiewicz – 45.45 Patryk Hantsch – 47.20 Daniel Girys – 54.43 Tomasz Gaicki – 59.36 | Goals |

#### Group B

All matches in Group B in the preliminary round were played in Babimost, Poland.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 5 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Hungary | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 4 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Austria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 3 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |
| Serbia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 19 | −12 | 0 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |

##### February 3, 2010

| Norbert Duró – 00.29 Philip Kapetz – 04.54 | Goals | 38.29 – Beat Glauser 39.17 – Simon Riihelä 44.06 – Jérome Andermatt |
| Timo Schmid – 10.42 Stefan Simonsen – 31.47 Mathias Rohm – 38.47 Mathias Rohm – 43.09 Felix Moosburger – 51.04 | Goals | 39.08 – Ivan Marceta |

##### February 4, 2010

| Benjamin Gruber – 57.14 | Goals | 17.48 – Christian Kapetz 27.17 – Csaba Pazsák 29.17 – Máté Darai |
| Alexander Milovanovic – 12.31 Marko Petrovic – 42.39 | Goals | 03.54 – Alexandre Simonian 24.23 – Simon Riihelä 27.34 – Michel Neumuller 31.41 – Simon Riihelä 34.44 – Claudio Henry 47.33 – Laurent Herzog 48.38 – Simon Riihelä 54.33 – Samuel Antoine |

##### February 5, 2010

| Toni Valle – 11.06 Alexander Milovanovic – 11.58 Marko Stozinic – 24.13 Alexander Milovanovic – 42.55 | Goals | 04.41 – Norbert Duró 08.58 – Altamash Mujahid 18.46 – Dennis Schmidt 33.29 – Oliver Schmidt 48.48 – Oliver Schmidt 53.17 – Bence Farsang |
| Samuel Antoine – 22.44 Michel Neumuller – 33.11 Simon Riihelä – 39.14 Beat Glauser – 44.36 Jérome Andermatt – 50.27 Raphaël Schubenel – 56.13 | Goals | 03.58 – Helmut Koloini 31.20 – Siegfried Sendlhofer 36.40 – Helmut Koloini 47.41 – Benjamin Gruber 53.30 – Benjamin Gruber 54.44 – Joël Bale |

### Playoff round

At this stage in the tournament, there was no playoff bracket. Instead, the first placed team from group A faced the second placed team from group B, and vice versa. The winners of these two matches qualified for the 2010 World Championships. These matches were played in Babimost, Poland.

#### West Europe 1 final

| Jesper Petersen – 06.38 Mathias Christoffersen – 09.06 Stefan Hedorf – 09.37 Steffen Jensen – 16.55 Mathias Christoffersen – 28.47 Bo Jensen – 29.30 Claus Jensen – 48.20 Claus Jensen – 54.18 Jacob Andersen – 56.17 | Goals | 12.41 – Dennis Schmidt 21.51 – Philip Kapetz |

#### West Europe 2 final

| Samuel Antoine – 01.48 Simon Riihelä – 34.53 | Goals | 33.01 – Piotr Kostela 39.03 – Jan Hajdus 40.28 – Tomasz Gaicki 51.27 – Piotr Kostela |

### Placement matches

At this stage in the competition, third-placed teams from both groups played against each other, as well as the fourth placed teams, to determine world rankings as they did not qualify for the world championships. These matches were played in Zbąszyń, Poland.

#### Seventh-place match

| Alexander Milovanovic – 01.22 Alexander Milovanovic – 13.58 Alexander Milovanovic – 48.40 Alexander Milovanovic – 59.37 Toni Valle – 59.59 | Goals | 23.31 – Simon Baker 26.19 – Jamie Black 42.36 – James Bridger 45.13 – Thomas Cook |

#### Fifth-place match

| Joachim Magnusson – 08.54 Thomas Ghilain – 17.43 Thomas Ghilain – 29.54 Jonathan Chiau – 32.55 | Goals | 07.02 – Thomas Simonsen 18.52 – Helmut Koloini 29.21 – Joël Bale 30.01 – Joël Bale 40.21 – Joe Leurer 58.39 – Joe Leurer |

## European Qualifying (Spain)

The European Qualifying tournament in Spain determined which 2 teams received a spot in the 2010 World Championships. For this qualifying tournament, the winning teams received a spot in Group C (East Europe 1) or Group D (East Europe 2), depending on their position in preliminary stage play.
Teams in this qualification tournament represented Eastern Europe, as the IFF used the same criteria they use for EuroFloorball Cup qualifications in order to determine groups.
All matches in the preliminary round, playoffs, and placement rounds were played in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.

### Preliminary round
#### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Italy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 5 | +25 | 5 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 | +21 | 5 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 24 | −13 | 2 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34 | −33 | 0 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |

##### February 3, 2010

*Note: Slovakia was awarded a 5:0 walkover win over Georgia.

##### February 5, 2010
#### Group D

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Estonia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | +33 | 6 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Spain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 4 | Advanced to the playoff round |
| Slovenia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 2 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |
| Liechtenstein | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | −22 | 0 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships and contested the placement matches |

##### February 5, 2010
### Playoff round

At this stage in the tournament, there was no playoff bracket. Instead, the first placed team from group C faced the second placed team from group D, and vice versa. The winners of these two matches qualified for the 2010 World Championships.

#### East Europe 2 Final
### Placement matches

At this stage in the competition, third-placed teams from both groups played against each other, as well as the fourth placed teams, to determine world rankings as they did not qualify for the world championships.

#### Fifth-place match
## Asian/Oceanian qualifying

The Asian/Oceanian Qualifying tournament in Singapore determined which 3 teams received a spot in the 2010 World Championships. For this qualifying tournament, a winning team received a spot in Group B (AOFC 1), Group C (AOFC 3), or Group D (AOFC 2), depending on their position in preliminary stage play.
Teams in this qualification tournament represented the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC). This tournament was also known as the 2010 Men's Asia Pacific Floorball Championships.
There was only a preliminary round in this tournament, and the top 3 teams at the end of the round qualified for the 2010 World Championships. No placement matches were played.
Originally scheduled to play in the tournament, India withdrew due to financial difficulties.
All matches were played in Woodlands, Singapore.

### Group E

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Singapore | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 | +36 | 7 | Qualified for the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships |
| Japan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 9 | +16 | 7 | Qualified for the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships |
| Australia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 17 | +2 | 3 | Qualified for the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships |
| Korea | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 3 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships |
| Malaysia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 56 | −52 | 0 | Missed out on the 2010 Men's World Floorball Championships |

#### February 7, 2010
## North American qualifying

The North American Qualifying rounds of the 2010 World Championships took place in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, from February 5 to February 6, 2010. 2 matches were played, and the winner advanced to the 2010 World Championships based on aggregate scoring.
Although the tournament is for North American qualifying, it was previously set up by the IFF for qualifying for the Americas, which would have included both North and South America.

### Criticism

Only two teams out of four eligible teams registered for this event, those being Canada and the United States. The other two eligible teams were Argentina and Brazil. Brazil is the only team in the Americas which has yet to take part in an IFF-sanctioned world championship event, as Argentina was given a wild card to take part in the C-Division of the 2008 Men's World Floorball Championships.
Out of these two teams, only one would qualify and receive the North America slot in Group A at the 2010 World Championships. This format has drawn a lot of criticism from floorball media, as both Canada and the United States have consistently finished at the top of their respective divisions at previous world championships, but were unable to advance due to the IFF's poorly structured division advancement/relegation format.
However, even if all four eligible teams registered, only one slot at the world championships would have been given, which drew criticism as Asian/Oceanian qualifications give three slots at the world championships to six out of ten eligible teams.
It is believed that the IFF may change their continental qualification format for the 2012 Men's World Floorball Championships.

### Group F

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Canada | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 4 |
| United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 0 |
*Note: Standings table is provided only for statistical comparison, as qualifying in this group was based on aggregate scoring rather than ranking.

#### February 5, 2010

| Michael Binder – 04.44 Karl Förare – 07.04 Stefan Zimmermann – 10.15 Stefan Zimmermann – 18.06 Michael Binder – 20.25 Ryan Winkler – 32.15 | Goals | 07.34 – Patrick Ducharme 07.57 – Risto Parikka 14.59 – Dominic Morency 20.52 – Jean Sebastien Plante 27.21 – Paavo Parikka 33.01 – Risto Parikka 37.13 – Paavo Parikka 44.56 – Simon Leblanc 46.25 – Dominic Morency 49.16 – Philip Schuler 54.10 – Philip Schuler |

#### February 6, 2010

| Risto Parikka – 07.12 Patrice Pare – 19.28 Patrick Ducharme – 30.14 Lauri Hannelius – 31.16 Risto Parikka – 49.30 Jean Sebastien Plante – 52.02 | Goals | 26.20 – Michael Binder 28.05 – Karl Förare 34.36 – Karl Förare 50.50 – Karl Förare |