Field Hockey

Field Hockey

Field hockey, a.k.a. hockey, is an outdoor game played by two opposing teams of 11 players each who use sticks curved at the striking end to hit a small, hard ball into their opponent’s goal. It is termed field hockey to distinguish it from ice hockey, a similar game played on ice.

 

Field Hockey Men

It has an estimated global following of 2 billion fans and sees its primary sphere of influence in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The modern field hockey sport was first played in England in the 1800s. The game is mostly similar to soccer except that the players use sticks to drive the ball instead of feet. Hockey is widely played in India, Australia, and Pakistan, whose teams are formidable on the in the sport.

History

The origins of the game can be traced back to the earliest civilizations of the world(the Arabs, Greeks, Persians, and Romans each had their own versions, and traces of a stick game played by the Aztec Indians of South America have been found), but the modern game of field hockey was developed in the British Isles. The field hockey of today was started in the mid 1800’s in England and the first formal field hockey club the ‘Blackheath Football and Hockey Club’ was formed in 1861.

There were many changes in rules and concepts during the early years as the game spread throughout the British Empire. These gave birth not only to the formidable field hockey nations of India, Pakistan and Australia but the development of the game in over 100 countries.

The game has been a men’s Olympic sport since the 1908 Olympic Games in London. While the women’s game is a recent addition, first recognized at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

Object of the Game

The object of hockey is to score a goal by knocking a ball into the other team's goal. A point is awarded to that team every time the ball goes into the goal. The team with the most goals at the end of the game is awarded the winner. If both teams scores the same amount of goals, then a draw is called.

The Game

A Hockey Game

Field Hockey is a game of 11 members each on two teams, played on a pitch 100 yards by 60 yards with a ball which has a 23cm circumference. The players each has a stick with a rounded head to play the ball with and the objective is to score goals by putting the ball in the opposing team’s goal. Sticks are anywhere between 28 inches and 39 inches long and weigh between 340g and 790g. Protective equipment is worn in the form of full body armour, pads, gloves, kickers and a helmet for the goal keepers and shin guards and mouth guards for outfield players.

Play is started (and restarted after a goal is scored and after half-time) by a pass-back in the centre of the field. A face-off, or bully, is used to restart the game after an injury or equipment time-out, following simultaneous penalties by both teams, or when the ball becomes trapped in a player’s clothing. In a face-off between two players, they face each other with the ball on the ground between them. After alternately tapping the ground and then his opponent’s stick three times, each player tries to strike the ball, thus putting it into play.

Field and Equipment

Hockey stick with a ball in the field

The field is a rectangular ground of 100 yards (91.4 metres) long and 60 yards (55 metres) wide, and it is marked with a centre line and two 25-yard lines. The goals are 4 yards (3.66 metres) wide and 7 feet (2.13 metres) high. For a goal (which counts for one point) to be scored, the ball must go into the goal and, while within the shooting circle (semicircle), must have been touched by the stick of an attacker. The ball was originally a cricket ball (cork centre, string-wound, and covered with leather), but plastic balls are also approved. It is about 9 inches (23 cm) in circumference. The hockey stick is usually 36 to 38 inches (about 1 m) long and weighs 12 to 28 ounces (340 to 790 g). The ball may only be strike on the flat left side of the stick.

The Team

Hockey Women Team

The game is played by two teams of 11 players on the rectangular ground. A team consists of five forwards, three halfbacks, two fullbacks, and a goalkeeper. A normal hockey game consists of two halves of 35 minutes each, with an intermission of 5–10 minutes. In case of injury, a time-out is can be called. The goalkeeper wears thick, yet lightweight pads and, while in the shooting circle, is allowed to kick the ball or stop it with the foot or the body. All the players, except the keeper, must stop the ball with the stick only.

The Rules

• Players can only hit the ball with the flat side of their stick and cannot raise the stick above shoulder height when playing the ball.
• They (other than the goalkeeper) are not allowed to use their hand, feet or any other part of their body to control the ball.
• They can scored a goal either from a field goal, a penalty corner, or from a penalty stroke.
• Depending on where the infringement took place and the severity of the foul, free hit or a ‘penalty corner’ is given for the non-offending team.
• There is one umpire for each half of the field.

Fouls

There are various fouls in field hockey: 

• The off-side rule, which is designed to prevent a player from getting an advantage by staying up the field ahead of the ball and ahead of fewer than two members of the opposing team, was dropped after the 1996 Olympics. 
• To raise one's stick above the shoulder while playing the ball is a foul. 
• The ball can't be stop with the hands, body or feet. Causing a dangerous play by raising the ball by undercutting it, as well as hooking an opponent’s stick, are also fouls. 
• The obstruction rule: a player is not permitted to obstruct an opponent by putting his stick or any part of his body between the opponent and the ball or by running between the opponent and the ball. 
• In case of fouls, the offenders penalized by giving the opposition a free hit from the point of infraction.