What is field hockey?

Field hockey or mostly referred as hockey in countries where ice hockey isnt that famous
It is a team sport played among two teams. Each team comprises 11 players which consist of 10
field players and 1 goal keeper. The teams must move a hockey ball using hockey sticks
towards the rival team’s shooting circle and then into the goal.

Origin of the sport

Hockey is believed to date from the earliest civilizations. Each civilization had their own version
of this sport such as Arabs,Greeks,Persians and Romans. Traces of a stick game played by
Aztec Indians of South America have been found. It can also be identified with other early
games, such as hurling and shinty. During the middle ages a french stick game called hoquet
was played, and the english word may have derived from it.

History of the sport

The modern game was developed in public schools in 19th-century England, and the first men’s hockey club was established at Blackheath in southeastern London. The first minute book was compiled in 1861. Teddington, another London club, introduced several major variations, including the ban on using hands or lifting sticks above the shoulder, and the replacement of the rubber cube with a spherical ball. Most notably, they introduced the striking circle, which was incorporated into the rules of the newly founded Hockey Association in London in 1886.

Rise to Fame

Particularly in India and the Far East, the British Army was instrumental in the growth of field
hockey. In 1895, the sport started to gain international recognition. Hockey was officially
recognized as India’s national sport by 1928. The Indian team made a historic Olympic debut
that year, winning gold in five games without giving up a goal. India’s supremacy in field hockey
began with this triumph, and it lasted until the late 1940s, when Pakistan became a serious rival.
The Hockey World Cup was eventually introduced in 1971 as a result of growing interest in
international matches. The Pan-American Games, European Championships, Asian Games,
and Asian Cup are additional important competitions. The inclusion of men’s hockey in the
Olympic program began in 1908 and 1920, and starting in 1928, it was incorporated
permanently. Furthermore, indoor hockey, which has six players per team and rolling
substitutions, has become more and more popular, especially in Europe.

Women’s Participation

Field hockey gradually increased in popularity among women in the Victorian era, despite social
restrictions on women participating in sports. Although women’s teams had been playing friendly
games on a regular basis since 1895, official international competition did not start until the
1970s. Women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in 1980, and the first Women’s World Cup took
place in 1974. The international governing body for women’s hockey was the International
Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations, which was founded in 1927. Constance M.K.
Applebee introduced the game to the United States in 1901, and it quickly gained popularity
among women as an outdoor team sport, especially in clubs, schools, and colleges.

How Field Hockey Works: Format & Basics

Two teams of eleven players compete in field hockey on a rectangular field that is 60 yards (55
meters) wide and 100 yards (91.4 meters) long. The field has two 25-yard lines, a center line,
and goals at either end that are 7 feet (2.13 meters) high and 4 yards (3.66 meters) wide. An
attacking player must touch the ball with their stick inside the shooting circle, which is the
semicircular space in front of the goal, before striking it into the net to score a goal, which is
worth one point.

Composition

A typical field hockey team consists of five forwards, three halfbacks, two fullbacks, and a goalie. Four 15-minute quarters make up modern games, with brief intermissions and a longer halftime break. In order to improve pacing and enable more consistent gameplay, this format superseded the previous two-half, 35-minute format. Time-outs are generally prohibited, with the exception of injuries. The goalie, who wears thick, lightweight protective pads, is the only player allowed to block the ball with their feet or body, and they can only do so inside the shooting circle. To control or stop the ball, each other player must only use their stick.

How the Game Starts & Tie-breaking

A pass-back from the center of the field starts play, which continues after a goal or at the
beginning of the second half. A face-off, also called a bully, is used to restart the game in
specific circumstances, such as following an injury timeout, simultaneous penalties, or when the
ball gets stuck in a player’s clothing. One player from each team stands across from the other
during a face-off, and the ball is set down between them. They try to hit the ball to get it back
into play after three rounds of alternating tapping the ground and each other’s sticks.
Furthermore, when the ball goes out of bounds, certain regulations control how it is brought
back into play.

Fouls & What Is Not Allowed

A variety of fouls are used in field hockey to ensure safety and fair play. After the 1996
Olympics, one significant regulation was eliminated: the off-side rule, which once forbade
players from unfairly gaining an advantage by remaining ahead of the ball and fewer than two
defenders. When playing the ball, players are not permitted to raise their sticks above shoulder
height, and it is a foul to stop the ball with the hand, body, or foot. It is also forbidden to engage
in dangerous play, such as purposefully lifting the ball by undercutting it or hooking an
opponent’s stick. Obstruction is another important rule: players are not allowed to run between
an opponent and the ball or use their body or stick to block their path to the ball.The opposing
team is usually given a free hit at the location of the infraction for most fouls. An umpire is
assigned to each half of the field.