Blindsave BatGrip: Why Did the IFF Ban the "Batman" Gloves?
- Alessio Casamassima
- Jul 8
- 7 min read
If you play in goal or simply follow floorball out of pure passion, you have surely heard about the new Blindsave BatGrip gloves and all the hype surrounding them over the last few months. Not just because of the color—a vibrant "shocking pink"—but above all due to that fabric membrane between the thumb and index finger that makes them look a lot like bat wings. In short, a true revolution that promised to turn the goalie role upside down. Yet, Blindsave's innovation clashed almost immediately with the limits imposed by international regulations: the International Floorball Federation (IFF) has ruled that the BatGrips cannot be used in official matches.
But what exactly happened, and why were they banned? Let’s clear things up by analyzing the literal text of the rules and the federation's official decisions.
Blindsave: A Brand Created by a Goalie for Goalies
Before diving into the reasons that led the IFF to make the BatGrip unusable, let’s get to know Blindsave a bit better. The story of this brand differs from that of major sportswear giants because it was born directly from on-court experience, specifically from a concrete need.
The brand was founded in 2012 in Latvia by Andis Blinds, a former goalie for the Latvian national floorball team. Having personally experienced the shortcomings of the market at the time—which featured protective gear often derived from other sports, rigid or not durable enough for a role requiring continuous movement on the knees—Blinds decided to develop specific equipment.
The exclusive focus on goalies stems precisely from this original technical specialization: the goal wasn’t to create a generic sports line, but to solve the mobility and wear-and-tear issues typical of the position. Right from the start, the brand focused on using flexible materials that adapt to body temperature and on developing knee pads and undershirts capable of absorbing impacts without restricting the fluid movements required on the playing surface. Today, Blindsave gear is used by many goalies playing for top national teams. However, this strong drive for innovation recently led the brand to redraw the boundaries of the rulebook.
What Are (and What Do They Promise) the Blindsave BatGrips?
Blindsave has always tried to experiment and innovate with materials and shapes to push the performance of the goalie role further. Following this vision, the BatGrips were created to give floorball goalies unprecedented ball control.
The strengths declared by Blindsave are clear:
Greater ball retention capacity
Increased control when catching
More energy absorption from the hardest shots
The real quirk? It catches your eye instantly: a sort of fabric membrane connecting the thumb and index finger. Visually, they somewhat resemble ice hockey gloves (or bat wings, hence the name "Bat"). Added to this is a palm featuring a patented ultra-adherent technology for maximum grip.
The IFF Verdict: Understanding the (Current and Future) Rules
The debate that led to the BatGrip's illegibility centers on very specific rules governing goalie equipment. To understand the International Federation's decision, we must look at the literal text of the regulations, both those in force until recently and the newly updated ones.
The IFF Rules of the Game valid until June 30, 2026, stated in rule 403.3:
The goalkeeper is allowed to use any kind of protective equipment, but parts intended only to cover the goal are not allowed. Helmet and thin gloves are allowed. All types of sticky substances or substances reducing friction are forbidden. No objects are allowed to be kept on or inside the goal. The goalkeeper is not allowed to use any kind of protective equipment which covers more than the goalkeeper’s body, for example shoulder pads.
Starting July 1, 2026, the updated regulations come into effect to further refine these guidelines. The new text of rule 403.3 reads:
The goalkeeper is allowed to use any kind of protective equipment according to the IFF Material Regulations, but parts intended only to cover the goal are not allowed. Helmet and thin gloves are allowed. Goalkeeper protective equipment must be shaped according to the body and not cover more than the goalkeeper’s body. This includes utilizing oversized clothing, shoulder pads increasing the shoulder line in any direction, utilizing double protective clothing etc. For trousers, zippers, pockets, straps, Velcro etc. must be closed and tight. All types of sticky substances or substances reducing friction, such as silicone lubricant, are forbidden. No objects are allowed to be kept on or inside the goal.
Why Were the BatGrips Declared "Illegal"?
The IFF Rules Committee examined the BatGrip glove in light of these texts, analyzing two key aspects:
Missing Protective Purpose: The rule allows the use of "protective equipment," which implies its main function must be to safeguard the goalie's safety. According to the committee, the stretched fabric between the index finger and thumb of the BatGrip glove serves no protective purpose.
Artificial Goal Coverage: Regulations expressly forbid using equipment "intended to cover the goal" or "covering more than the goalie's body." That extra piece of material was considered an artificial extension of the hand, designed to act like a "web" and intercept shots more easily, unnaturally increasing the contact surface.
Looking closely, this rigidity from the federation touches a raw nerve in floorball. Indeed, the rules have always stated that clothing must not be excessively baggy. For example, using ice hockey jerseys—famous for their massive sleeves that visually increase the goalie's volume—has always been banned. However, we all know how it goes on the court: over the years, goalies have constantly tried to bypass this limitation simply by wearing gear one or two sizes too big, exploiting the loose fabric to cover a few extra centimeters of the goal in total "legality." It is no coincidence that the new 2026 regulations explicitly ban "utilizing oversized clothing".
In the end, Blindsave's idea with the BatGrips seemed to follow the same logic: attempting to stretch the rulebook by pushing the federation's tolerance to its absolute limit, applying the "baggy jersey trick" directly to the fingers. In light of the immediate ban and the subsequent launch of the BadGrips, one might think that the webbed gloves were more of a marketing provocation than a genuine attempt to break the rules. A provocation to which the IFF responded by definitively locking down the regulations.
Consequently, based on current and future rules and the opinion of the Rules Committee, the IFF ExCo officially decreed that the Blindsave BatGrip glove does not comply with the Rules of the Game and cannot be used in official matches.
An Important Detail: What About Training?
There is a technical nuance to consider: gloves are classified as generic personal protective equipment (much like braces or sleeves), so they do not require a specific floorball certification stamp on them. However, the IFF always encourages manufacturers to verify compliance before launching a product on the market.
What happens if you want to use them anyway? Official IFF regulations apply to all official matches across all member federations. Practices, however, are not subject to these restrictions. If you want to try them out for pure fun during training or in casual scrimmages with friends, you are entirely free to do so.
My Personal "Quest for Grip": From NFL Receivers to Ireland!
This whole story about bat-wing gloves and federation vetoes made me smile because I am a total geek when it comes to finding the perfect grip, and I’ve experimented a lot in this field. Mostly because "goalkeeping barehanded" like the Swedish goalies do is completely out of the question for me. On top of that, floorball-specific gloves are expensive and often have too much grip (at least for my taste).
Currently, I play with long mountain bike (MTB) gloves. Even though they have practically zero grip, they ensure good tactile sensitivity. In the past, though, I tried playing with American Football (NFL) receiver gloves. Anyone who has ever held a pair knows what I'm talking about: they are thin, made of synthetic leather, and incredibly sticky. The polymer on the palm is designed to literally glue the football to your fingers. In floorball, they offer insane ball control from a standstill, but they have a small flaw: being designed to grab a large, heavy ball thrown at 100 km/h, they sacrifice some of that millimeter-precise sensitivity and quick release speed that we goalies need for fast counter-attacks.
Just recently, I stumbled upon another potential candidate: a pair of Gaelic Football gloves bought during a trip to Ireland. For those unfamiliar with this sport (a mix between soccer and rugby), it is played extensively with hands, often under pouring rain and in the mud. Consequently, their gloves have unique features that make them a super original alternative for floorball:
Grip Built for the Wet: The palm is coated with German latex or molded rubber inserts. They aren't "sticky" like NFL gloves, but they offer a firm, consistent grip that isn't affected at all by sweat inside the arena.
Padding and Comfort: Compared to soccer goalie gloves which are "huge," Gaelic football gloves are thin, but they share the same padded concept as their larger cousins. Therefore, they are perfect for facing even the hardest shots without fear.
Rule Compliance: Having no weird membranes or webbed fingers, they perfectly follow the natural shape of the hand. You are protected, you have great control, and the referee can't say a word!
They do have some downsides, though. Even though they are thin, they are still latex-palm gloves that need to be slightly dampened before playing (just like soccer players do) to keep them from drying out, and they tend to wear out quickly when in contact with the gym floor. Plus, despite being padded and soft, you do lose a lot of sensitivity.
A Legal Alternative? Enter the BadGrips (Also by Blindsave)
If you prefer to stay loyal to specific floorball products without risking a suspension in the league, Blindsave responded to the federation's decision with a stroke of pure marketing genius: the BadGrips (available at this link).
Don't be fooled by the name, which sounds intentionally "bad" and provocative. These gloves are 100% within the rules! They are a direct response to the IFF ban: Blindsave took the exact same high-grip palm and ultra-sticky technology from their "outlaw" brothers, but put them into a traditionally shaped glove without the membrane between the fingers.
By doing this, the BadGrips respect the natural anatomy of the hand, pass referee checks with flying colors, and prove that you can have incredible grip without violating the spirit of the game.
The future of goalie gloves will likely go through here: stellar performance, a pinch of healthy commercial cheekiness, but in full compliance with the regulations. What about you? Are you a classic, approved-glove type of player, or do you want to step onto the court to defend the Spartak goal by trying the "Irish way"?
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