hockey

hockey,[1] is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking aball into an opposing team's goal using sticks. In some countries, it is known simply as "hockey"; however, the name field hockey is use in countries in which the wor hockey is generally reserve for another form of hockey, such as ice hockey, street hockey or roller hockey. !iel hockey is a sport playe internationally by both men an women inclu ing the "lympic #ames, the$ommonwealth #ames, the %ua rennial &ockey 'orl $ups, the annual $hampions (rophies an 'orl $ups for )uniors. *any countries have e+tensive club competitions for )unior an senior players. (he International &ockey !e eration ,!I&- is the global governing bo y. It organi.es events such as the &ockey 'orl $up an 'omen's &ockey 'orl $up. (he &ockey /ules 0oar un er !I& pro uces rules for the sport. 1 variant is in oor fiel hockey which iffers in a number of respects. !or e+ample, it is 23a3si e rather than 11, the fiel is re uce to appro+imately 45 m + 65 m; the shooting circles are 7m; players may not raise the ball outsi e the circle nor hit it. (he si elines are replace with barriers to reboun the ball.

History
(here is a epiction of a hockey3like game from 655 0$ in 1ncient #reece when the game may have been calle "89:;<=>9?@" ,"kerAtB.ein"- because it was playe with a horn ,"CD:EF" in #reek- an a ball3like ob)ect.[6] In Gast 1sia, a similar game was entertaine , using a carve woo en stick an ball prior to H55 0$. In Inner *ongolia, $hina, the Iaur people have been playing0eikou a game with some similarities to fiel hockey for about 1,555 years.[H] (he wor 'hockey' itself was recor e in 1H2H whenG war III of Gnglan issue the proclamationJ "[*]oreover we or ain that you prohibit un er penalty of imprisonment all an sun ry from such stone, woo an iron throwing; han ball, football, or hockey; coursing an cock3 fighting, or other such i le games."[4] (he mo ern game grew from Gnglish public schools in the early 17th century. (he first club was in 1K47 at 0lackheath in south3east Lon on, but the mo ern rules grew out of a version playe by *i lese+ cricket clubs for winter sport[citation needed].(e ington &ockey $lub forme the mo ern game by intro ucing the striking circle an changing the ball to a sphere from a rubber cube. [M] (he &ockey 1ssociation was foun e in 1KK2. (he first international took place in 1K7M ,Irelan H, 'ales 5- an the International /ules 0oar was foun e in 1755. !iel hockey was playe at the Nummer "lympics in 175K an 1765. It was roppe in 1764, lea ing to the foun ation of the!O Oration Internationale e &ockey sur #a.on ,!I&- as an international governing bo y by seven continental Guropean nations, an hockey was reinstate in 176K. *en's hockey unite un er the !I& in 17P5. (he two ol est trophies are the Irish Nenior $up, which 1st QI teams compete for, an the Irish Runior $up[citation needed]. In In ia, the 0eighton $up an the 1ga Shantournament commence within ten years. Gntering the "lympics in 176K, In ia won all five games without conce ing a goal an won from 17H6 until 17M2 an then in 1724 an 17K5. Takistan won in 1725, 172K an 17K4. In the early 17P5s artificial turf began to be use . Nynthetic pitches change most aspects of fiel hockey, gaining spee . Uew tactics an techni%ues such as the In ian ribble evelope , followe by new rules to

take account. (he switch to synthetic surfaces en e In ian an Takistani omination because artificial turf was too e+pensiveVin comparison to the wealthier Guropean countriesVan since the 17P5s 1ustralia, (he Uetherlan s an #ermany have ominate at the "lympics. 'omen's fiel hockey was first playe at 0ritish universities an schools, an the first club, *olesey La ies, was foun e in 1KKP[citation needed]. (he first national association was the Irish La ies &ockey Wnion in 1K74[citation needed], an though rebuffe by the &ockey 1ssociation, women's fiel hockey grew rapi ly aroun the worl . (his le to the International !e eration of 'omen's &ockey 1ssociations ,I!'&1- in 176P, though this i not inclu e many continental Guropean countries where women playe as sections of men's associations an were affiliate to the !I&. (he I!'&1 hel conferences every three years, an tournaments associate with these were the primary I!'&1 competitions. (hese tournaments were non3 competitive until 17PM. 0y the early 17P5s there were 66 associations with women's sections in the !I& an H2 associations in the I!'&1. Iiscussions starte about a common rule book. (he !I& intro uce competitive tournaments in 17P4, forcing the acceptance of the principle of competitive fiel hockey by the I!'&1 in 17PH. It took until 17K6 for the two bo ies to merge, but this allowe the intro uction of women's fiel hockey to the "lympic games from 17K5 where, as in the men's game, (he Uetherlan s, #ermany, an 1ustralia have been consistently strong. 1rgentina has emerge as a team to be reckone with since 6555, winning the worl championship in 6556 an 6515 an me als at the last three "lympics. "utsi e Uorth 1merica, participation is now fairly evenly balance between men an women. !or e+ample, in Gnglan , the Gnglan &ockey reports that as of the 655KX57 season there were 64KK registere men's teams, 1727 women's teams, 1546 boys' teams, 722 girls' teams an 6P4 mi+e teams. [2] In 6552 the Irish &ockey 1ssociationreporte that the gen er split among its players was appro+imately 2MY female an HMY male.[P] In its 655K census, &ockey 1ustralia reporte 45,MH4 male club players an 41,M46 female.[K] &owever, in the Wnite Ntates of 1merica, there are few fiel hockey clubs, most play taking place between high school or college si es, almost entirely of females. (he strength of college fiel hockey reflects the impact of (itle IQ which man ate that colleges shoul fun men's an women's sports programmes comparably. In Uineteen Gighty3!our, #eorge "rwell's novel set in a totalitarian Lon on, main character 'inston Nmith initially islikes Rulia, the woman he comes to love, because of "the atmosphere of hockey3fiel s an col baths an community hikes an general clean3min e ness which she manage to carry about with her."[7] [edit]Field

of play

1n e+ample of a hockey fiel X Ny ney "lympic Tark &ockey $entre 6555

Iiagram of a hockey fiel

*ost hockey fiel imensions were originally fi+e using whole numbers of imperial measures. Uevertheless, metric measurements are now the official imensions as lai own by the International &ockey !e eration ,!I&- in the "/ules of &ockey". (he pitch is a 71.45 m Z MM m ,155 y Z 25 y rectangular fiel . 1t each en is a goal 6.14 m ,P feet- high an H.22 m ,16 ft- wi e measure from the inner si es of the posts an crossbar, an an appro+imately semi3circular area 14.2H m ,12 y - from the goal known as the shooting circle ,or D or arc-,[15] boun e by a soli line, with a otte line M m ,M y 2 in Vthis marking was not establishe until after metric conversion- from that, as well as lines across the fiel 66.75 m ,6M y - from each en 3line ,generally referre to as the 6H m lines- an in the center of the fiel . 1 spot 5.1Mm in iameter, calle the penalty spot or stroke mark, is place with its centre 2.45 m ,P y from the centre of each goal. (ra itional grass pitches are far less common in mo ern fiel hockey with most fiel hockey being playe on synthetic surfaces. Nince the 17P5s, san 3base pitches were favoure as they ramatically spee up the pace of the game. &owever, in recent years there has been a massive increase in the number of "water3base " artificial turfs. 'ater3base synthetic turfs enable the ball to be transferre more %uickly than on the original san 3base surfaces an it is this characteristic that has ma e them the surface of choice for international an national league competitions. 'ater3base surfaces are also less abrasive than the san 3base variety an hence re uce the level of in)ury to players when they come into contact with the surface. (he !I& are now proposing that new surfaces being lai shoul be of a hybri variety which re%uire less watering. (his is ue to the negative ecological effects of the high water re%uirements of water3base synthetic fiel s. [edit]Rules

and play

(he game is playe between two teams of up to si+teen players, out of whom eleven are permitte to be on the pitch at any one time. (he remaining five players, the substitutes, may be substitute in any combination, from one to five, an unlimite number of times in the course of a game. Nubstitutions are permitte at any point in the game, apart from between the awar an en of a penalty corner; the only e+ception to this rule is for in)ury or suspension of the efen ing goalkeeper, which is not allowe when playing with a fiel keep. Tlayers are permitte to play the ball with the flat of the 'face si e' an with the e ges of the hea an han le of the fiel hockey stick with the e+ception that, for reasons of safety, the ball may not be struck 'har ' with a forehan e ge stroke, because of the ifficulty of controlling the height an irection of the ball from that stroke. (he flat si e is always on the "natural" si e for a right3han e person swinging the stick at the ball from right to left. Left3han e sticks are rare, but available; however they are pointless as the rules forbi their use in a game. (o make a strike at the ball with a left to right swing the player must present the flat of the 'face' of the stick to the ball by 'reversing' the stick hea , i.e. by turning the han le through appro+imately 1K5[,while a reverse e ge hit woul turn the stick hea through appro+imately 75[ from the position of an upright forehan stoke with the 'face' of the stick hea . G ge hitting of the ball un erwent a two year "e+perimental perio ", twice the usual length of an "e+perimental trial" an is still a matter of some controversy within the sport. /ic $harlesworth, the current 1ustralian coach, has been a strong critic of the unrestricte use of the reverse e ge hit. (he 'har ' forehan e ge hit was banne after similar concerns were e+presse about the ability of players to irect

the ball accurately, but the reverse e ge hit oes appear to be more pre ictable an controllable than its counterpart. "ther rules inclu e; no foot to ball contact, obstructing other players, high back swing, an no thir party. If a player is ribbling the ball an either loses control an kicks the ball or another player interferes that player is not permitte to gain control an continue ribbling. (he rules o not allow the person who kicke the ball to gain a vantage from the kick, so the ball will automatically be passe on to the opposing team. $onversely, if no a vantage is gaine from kicking the ball, play shoul continue. Tlayers may not obstruct another's chance of hitting the ball in any way. Uo shoving\using your bo y\stick to prevent a vancement in the other team. Tenalty for this is the opposing team receives the ball an if the problem continues,the player can be car e . 'hile a player is taking a free hit or starting a corner the back swing of their hit cannot be too high for this is consi ere angerous. !inally there may not be three players touching the ball at one time. (wo players from opposing teams can battle for the ball, however if another player interferes it is consi ere thir party an the ball automatically goes to the team who only ha one player involve in the thir party. [edit]Positions (here are no fi+e positions ,even a goalkeeper is not re%uire un er the 655PX655K rules-, but most teams arrange themselves ,in a similar way to 1ssociation footballteamsinto fullbacks , efence-, mi fiel ers ,halfback- an forwar s ,front line-. *any teams inclu e a single sweeper. (he rules o not specify a minimum number of players for a match to take place, but most competitions have some local ruling on this, with seven players being a common minimum [citation needed] . "ne player from each team may be esignate the goalkeeper. #oalkeepers must wear at least a helmet an a ifferent coloure shirt in or er to have "goalkeeping privileges". (hey may also opt to wear a itional pa ing such as "kickers" over the shoes, leg3guar s, pa e shorts, bo y an arm protectors Vif they opt for this protection, they are terme "fully protecte goalkeepers". 1lthough such goalkeepers may block or eflect the ball from the goal with any part of their bo ies, an propel the ball with their feet, legs, the associate pa ing or their stick, they must always carry a stick. #oalkeepers are permitte to play the ball outsi e their efensive circle ,scoring area or "I"-, but may only use their fiel hockey3stick in this circumstance, not their kickers; leg3guar s; gloves\han protectors or any part of the bo y. !ully protecte goalkeepers are prohibite from passing their si e's efensive 6H m line uring play, unless they are taking a penalty stroke. 1 goalkeeper who is wearing only a helmet an ifferent coloure shirt may remove the helmet an play anywhere on the fiel an retains goalkeeping privileges even if they o not have chance to replace the helmet when play returns to their efensive circle. (hey must however wear a helmet to efen penalty corners an penalty strokes. &owever, if a goal keeper is in)ure uring a game an there are no substitute goalies then a player on the bench can volunteer to play as a "kicking back". (he "kicking back" is re%uire to wear the goalie helmet an kickers an plays as a substitute goalie. ]et, there is a catch; the "kicking back" oes not have to stay back in the goal but rather can play full fiel as long as they have on the re%uire e%uipment. [edit]Formations !ormations provi e structure to a fiel hockey team on the pitch. (hey help players un erstan an share the efensive an attacking responsibilities. 1lthough higher level teams may select from a wi e range of formations, teams containing ine+perience players or teams which see fre%uent changes to their players are likely to select from a more limite range of formations such as 4XHXH, MXHX6 an 4X4X6. ,(he

numbers refer to the number of players arraye across the pitch, starting in front of the goalkeeper with the efen ers, then mi fiel an then attack.- (he 6XHXM formation, use pre ominantly in 1ustralia from relatively lowly interschool to professional interstate competitions, provi es common language for many players an helps e+plain why "centre half" is often a name use for a player in the centre of a efence with four or five players. 0ecause fiel hockey teams have one goalkeeper plus ten outfiel players as oes association football ,soccer-, there are many common formations between the two sports. Nee formation ,football-. "ne important ifference in mo ern fiel hockey is the absence of an offsi e rule. (his allows attackers ,often a lone attacker- to play well up the pitch, stretching the opponents' efence an using the large spaces to be foun there. (o counter this, efences usually keep a matching number of efen ers near those attackers. (his can fre%uently lea to formations such as 1X4X4X1 which is an a aptation of 4X4X6. 'hen play begins, it is common for the mi fiel an efensive positions to take a iagonal approach. 'hen the ball is playe on the right si e of the fiel , the efensive players on the right si e move upfiel . $onse%uently, players on the left si e woul stay back until the ball shifts to their si e of the fiel . (his formation allows for %uicker recovery in the event of a misse play. [edit]General

play

!or the purposes of the rules, all players on the team in possession of the ball are attackers, an those on the team without the ball are efen ers, yet throughout the game being playe you are always "attacking" your goal an " efen ing" the opposite goal.[11]

Ni eline hit in a match Ntan ar 1thletic $lub vs. 0ritish Nchool of Taris ,1772-

(he match is officiate by two fiel umpires. (ra itionally each umpire generally controls half of the fiel , ivi e roughly iagonally. (hese umpires are often assiste by a technical bench inclu ing a timekeeper an recor keeper. Trior to the start of the game, a coin is tosse an the winning captain can choose a starting en or start with the ball. (he game time is ivi e into two e%ual halves of HM minutes each, with M315 minutes for half3time, although at local an regional level, games may be re uce to 6M to H5 minute halves to ease turf availability constraints. 1t the start of each half, as well as after goals are score , play is starte with a pass from the centre of the fiel . 1ll players must start in their efensive half ,apart from the player making the pass-, but the ball may be playe in any irection along the floor. Gach team starts with the ball in one half, an the team that conce e the goal has possession for the restart. !iel players may only play the ball with the face of the stick. (ackling is permitte as long as the tackler oes not make contact with the attacker or his stick before playing the ball ,contact after the tackle may also be penalise if the tackle was ma e from a position where contact was inevitable-. !urther, the player with the ball may not eliberately use his bo y to push a efen er out of the way. !iel players may not play the ball with their feet, but if the ball acci entally hits the feet, an the player gains no benefit from the contact, then the contact is not penalise . 1lthough there has been a change in

the wor ing of this rule from 1 Ranuary 655P, the current !I& umpires' briefing instructs umpires not to change the way they interpret this rule.[16] "bstruction typically occurs in three circumstances X when a efen er comes between the player with possession an the ball in or er to prevent them tackling; when a efen er's stick comes between the attacker's stick an the ball or makes contact with the attacker's stick or bo y; an also when blocking the opposition's attempt to tackle a teammate with the ball ,calle third party obstruction-. 'hen the ball passes completely over the si elines ,on the si eline is still in-, it is returne to play with a si eline hit, taken by a member of the team whose players were not the last to touch the ball before crossing the si eline. (he ball must be place on the si eline, with the hit taken from as near the place the ball went out of play as possible. If it crosses the back line after last touche by an attacker, a 1M m ,12 y - hit. 1 1M m hit is also awar e for offenses committe by the attacking si e within 1M m of the en of the pitch they are attacking. [edit]Set

plays

[edit]Free hits !ree hits are awar e when offences are committe outsi e the scoring circles ,the term 'free hit' is stan ar usage but the ball nee not be hit-. (he ball may be hit or pushe in any irection by the team offen e against. (he ball must not be intentionally raise with any hit inclu ing a free hit. ,In previous rules versions hits in the area outsi e the circle in open play have been permitte but lifting one irection from a free hit prohibite -. "pponents must move M m ,M.M y - from the ball when a free hit is awar e . 1 free hit must be taken from within playing istance of the place of the offence for which it was awar e an the ball must be stationary when the free3hit is taken. 1s mentione above, a 1M m hit is awar e if an attacking player commits a foul forwar of that line, or if the ball passes over the back line off an attacker. (hese free hits are taken in line with where the foul was committe ,taking a line parallel with the si eline between where the offence was committe , or the ball went out of play-. 'hen an attacking free hit is awar e within M m of the circle all attackers other than the one taking the hit must also be M m away.

[edit]6557 e+perimental changes

In !ebruary 6557 the !I& intro uce , as a "*an atory G+periment" for international competition, an up ate version of free hit rule. (he changes allows a player taking a free hit to pass the ball to themselves. Importantly, this is not a "play on" situation, but to the untraine eye it may appear to be. (he player must play the ball any istance in two separate motions, before continuing as if it were a play3on situation. (hey may raise an aerial or overhea imme iately as the secon action, or any other stroke permitte by the rules of fiel hockey. 1lso, all players ,from both teams- must be at least M m from any free hit awar e to the attack within the 6H m area. 1 itionally, no free hits to the attack are permitte within Mm of the circle, so if a free hit is awar e insi e this area it must be ragge back outsi e this .one. (he ball may not travel irectly into the circle from a free hit to the attack within the 6H m area without first being touche by another player or being ribble at least M m by a player making a "self3pass". (hese e+perimental rules apply to all free hit situations, inclu ing si eline an corner hits. Uational 1ssociations may also choose to intro uce these rules for their omestic competitions.

[edit]Corner 1 corner is awar e if the ball goes over the back line after last being touche by a efen er, provi e they o not play it over the back line eliberately, in which case a penalty corner is awar e . $orners are playe by the attacking team an involve a free hit on the si eline M m from the corner of the fiel closest to where the ball went out of play. (hese restarts are also known as long corners ,as oppose to short corner which is an alternative name for the penalty corner-. [edit]Penalty corner (he short or penalty corner is awar e J

1 group of five efen ers, inclu ing the goalkeeper, prepare on the back line for a short corner.

1. for an offence by a efen er in the circle which oes not prevent the probable scoring of a goal 6. for an intentional offence in the circle by a efen er against an opponent who oes not have possession of the ball or an opportunity to play the ball H. for an intentional offence by a efen er outsi e the circle but within the 6H3metre area they are efen ing 4. for intentionally playing the ball over the back3line by a efen er M. when the ball becomes lo ge in a player's clothing or e%uipment while in the circle they are efen ing Nhort corners begin with five efen ers ,inclu ing the keeper- positione behin the back line an at least M m from the 'insert' position of the ball. 1ll other players in the efen ing team must be beyon the centre line, that is not in their 'own' half of the pitch, until the ball is in play. 1ttacking players begin the play stan ing outsi e the scoring circle, e+cept for one attacker who starts the corner by playing the ball from a mark 15 m either si e of the goal ,the circle has a 14.2H m ra ius-. (his player puts the ball into play by pushing or hitting the ball to the other attackers outsi e the circle; the ball must pass outsi e the circle an then put back into the circle before the attackers may make a shot at the goal from which a goal can be score . !I& rules o not forbi a shot at goal before the ball leaves the circle after being 'inserte ', nor is a shot at the goal from outsi e the circle prohibite , but a goal cannot be score at all if the ball has not gone out of the circle an cannot be score from a shot from outsi e the circle if it is not again playe by an attacking player before it enters the goal. !or safety reasons, the first shot of a penalty corner must not e+cee 425 mm high ,the height of the "backboar " of the goal- at the point it crosses the goal line if it is hit. &owever, if the ball is eeme to be below backboar height, the ball can be subse%uently eflecte above this height by another player , efen er or attacker-, provi ing that this eflection oes not lea to anger. Uote that the "Nlap" stroke ,a sweeping motion towar s the ball, where the stick is kept on or close to the groun when striking the ballis classe as a hit, an so the first shot at goal must be below backboar height for this type of shot also.

If the first shot at goal in a short corner situation is a push, flick or scoop, in particular the drag flick ,which has become popular at international an national league stan ar s-, the shot is permitte to rise above the height of the backboar , as long as the shot is not eeme angerous to any opponent. (his form of shooting was evelope because it is not height restricte in the same way as the first hit shot at the goal an players with goo techni%ue are able to rag3flick with as much power as many others can hit a ball. [edit]Penalty stroke 1 penalty stroke ,often referre to as a PS, a flick, or )ust as a stroke- is awar e when efen ers commit a eliberate foul in the circle ,also known as the 'I'- which eprives an attacker of possession or the opportunity to play the ball, when any breach prevents a probable goal, or if efen ers repeate ly "break" or start to run from the back line before a penalty corner has starte . (he penalty stroke is taken by a single attacker in the circle ,all other being beyon the 6Hm line-, against the goalkeeper, an is taken from a spot 2.4 m out, central an irectly in front of the goal. (he goalkeeper must stan with feet on the goal line, an cannot move them until the ball is playe , whilst the striker must start behin the ball an within playing distance of it ,in other wor s he must be able to touch the ball with his stick-. "n the umpire's whistle, the striker may push or flick the ball at the goal an goalkeeper attempts to make a 'save'. (he attacker is not permitte to play the ball more than once, to fake or ummy the shot, or to move towar s or interfere with the goalkeeper once the shot is taken. &itting or ragging the ball is also forbi en. If the shot is save , play is restarte with a 1M m hit to the efen ers. 'hen a goal is score , play is restarte in the normal way. If the goalkeeper commits a foul which prevents a goal being score , for e+ample, preventing a goal with the back or roun e part of his stick, a penalty goal may be awar e ; for other fouls by efen ers, the result is normally that the stroke is retaken. If the taker commits a foul, it is treate as if the stroke has been save , an play recommences with a 1M m hit. If another attacker commits a foul, then if a goal is score it is voi e , an the stroke retaken. [edit]Dangerous

play and raised balls

1ccor ing to the current /ules of &ockey 655P issue by the !I& there are only two criteria for a angerously playe ball. (he first is legitimate evasive action by an opponent ,what constitutes legitimate evasive action is an umpiring )u gment-. (he secon is specific to the rule concerning a shot at goal at a penalty corner but is generally, if somewhat inconsistently, applie throughout the game an in all parts of the pitchJ it is that a ball lifte above knee height an at an opponent who is within Mm of the ball is certainly angerous. (he velocity of the ball is not mentione in the rules concerning a angerously playe ball. 1 ball that hits a player above the knee may on some occasions not be penali.e , this is in the umpire's iscretion. 1 )ab tackle for e+ample, might acci entally lift the ball above knee height into an opponent from close range but at such low velocity as not to be, in the opinion of the umpire, angerous play. In the same way a high velocity hit at very close range into an opponent, but below knee height, coul be consi ere to be angerous or reckless play in the view of the umpire, especially when safer alternatives are open to the striker of the ball. 1 ball that has been lifte high so that it will fall among close opponents may be eeme to be potentially angerous an play may be stoppe for that reason. 1 lifte ball that is falling to a player in clear space may be ma e potentially angerous by the actions of an opponent closing to within Mm of the receiver

before the ball has been controlle to groun X a rule which is often only loosely applie ; the istance allowe is often only what might be escribe as playing istance, 6XH m, an opponents ten to be permitte to close on the ball as soon as the receiver plays itJ these unofficial variations are often base on the umpire's perception of the skill of the players i.e. on the level of the game, in or er to maintain game flow, which umpires are in general in both /ules an 0riefing instructe to o, by not penalising when it is unnecessary to o so, this is also a matter in the umpire's iscretion. (he term "falling ball" is important in what may be terme encroaching offences. It is generally only consi ere an offence to encroach on an opponent receiving a lifte ball that has been lifte to above hea height ,although the height is not specifie in rule- an is falling. No, for e+ample, a lifte shot at the goal which is still rising as it crosses the goal line ,or woul have been rising as it crosse the goal linecan be legitimately followe up by any of the attacking team looking for a reboun . In general even potentially angerous play is not penalise if an opponent is not isa vantage by it or, obviously, not in)ure by it so that he cannot continue. 1 personal penalty, that is a caution or a suspension, rather than a team penalty, such as a free ball or a penalty corner, may be ,many woul say shoul be or even must be, but again this is in the umpire's iscretion- issue to the guilty party after an a vantage allowe by the umpire has been playe out in any situation where an offence has occurre , inclu ing angerous play ,but once a vantage has been allowe the umpire cannot then call play back an awar a team penalty-. It is not an offence to lift the ball over an opponent's stick ,or bo y on the groun -, provi e that it is one with consi eration for the safety of the opponent an not angerously. !or e+ample, a skillful attacker may lift the ball over a efen ers stick or prone bo y an run past them, however if the attacker lifts the ball into or at the efen er's bo y, this woul almost certainly be regar e as angerous. It is not against the rules to bounce the ball on the stick an even to run with it while oing so, as long as that oes not lea to a potentially angerous conflict with an opponent who is attempting to make a tackle. !or e+ample,two players trying to play at the ball in the air at the same time, woul probably be consi ere a angerous situation an it is likely that the player who first put the ball up or who was so 'carrying' it woul be penalise . Iangerous play rules also apply to the usage of the stick when approaching the ball, making a stroke at it ,replacing what was at one time referre to as the "sticks" rule, which once forba e the raising of any part of the stick above the shoul er uring any play. (his last restriction has been remove but the stick shoul still not be use in a way that en angers an opponent- or attempting to tackle, ,fouls relating to tripping, impe ing an obstruction-. (he use of the stick to strike an opponent will usually be much more severely ealt with by the umpires than offences such as barging, impe ing an obstruction with the bo y, although these are also ealt with firmly, especially when these fouls are intentionalJ fiel hockey is a non3contact sport. Tlayers may not play or attempt to play at the ball above their shoul ers unless trying to save a shot that coul go into the goal, in which case they are permitte to stop the ball or eflect it safely away. 1 swing, as in a hit, at a high shot at the goal ,or even wi e of the goal- will probably be consi ere angerous play if at opponents within M m an such a stroke woul be contrary to rule in these circumstances anyway. [edit]Warnings

and suspensions

&ockey uses a three3tier penalty car system of warnings an suspensionsJ

1 green card is fairly similar to a football yellow car J the player oes not have to leave the pitch ,although in some cases, the player may have to leave the fiel for two minutes-, but any further infractions will result in a yellow or re car . 1 yellow card is an official suspension similar to the penalty bo+ in ice hockey. (he uration is eci e by the umpire issuing the car an the player must go to a pre3 efine area of the pitch as chosen by the umpires at the beginning of the match. *ost umpires will opt for a minimum of five minutes' uration without substitution; the ma+imum time is at the iscretion of the umpire, epen ing on the seriousness of the offence, for e+ample the secon yellow to the same player or the first for anger might be given ten minutes. It is possible to yellow3car a player for the entirety of a game. ,In some mo es, inclu ing in oor, shorter perio s of suspension are applie , epen ent on local rules-. 1 red card, )ust like in association football, is a permanent e+clusion from the rest of the game, without substitution, an it usually results in the player being banne for a certain perio of time or number of matches ,this is governe by local playing con itions, rather than the rules of fiel hockey-. (he player must also leave the pitch an surroun ing area.

In a ition to their colours, fiel hockey penalty car s are often shape ifferently to enable them to be recogni.e easily. #reen car s are normally triangular, yellow car s rectangular an re car s circular. Wnlike football, a player may receive more than one green or yellow car . &owever, they cannot receive the same car for the same offence ,for e+ample two yellows for angerous play-, an the secon must always be a more serious car . In the case of a secon yellow car for a ifferent breach of the rules ,for e+ample a yellow for eliberate foot, an a secon later in the game for angerous play- the temporary suspension woul be e+pecte to be of consi erably longer uration than the first. &owever, local playing con itions may man ate that car s are awar e only progressively, an not allow any secon awar s. Wmpires may also a vance a free3hit by up to 15 m for issent or other miscon uct after a penalty has been awar e ; or, if the free3hit woul have been in the attacking 6H m area, upgra e the penalty to a penalty corner. [edit]Scoring (he teams' ob)ect is to play the ball into their attacking circle an , from there, hit, push or flick the ball into the goal, scoring a goal. (he team with more goals after two HM3minute halves wins the game. (he playing time may be shortene , particularly when younger players are involve , or for some tournament play. [edit]

ie breaking

$on itions for breaking ties are not lai own in the rules of fiel hockey. In many competitions ,such as regular club competition, or in pool games in tournaments such as the "lympics-, a tie result stan s an the overall competition stan ings a )uste accor ingly. 'here tie3breaking is re%uire , many associations will follow the proce ure lai own in !I& tournament regulations which man ate P.M minutes each way of "gol en goal" or "su en eath" e+tra time ,i.e. the game en s as soon as one team scores-. If scores are still level, then the game will be eci e with penalty shootouts from the 6Hm line similar to Ice &ockey shootouts. 0efore 6511 matches were eci e by penalty strokes, in much the same way that association football penalty shoot outs are con ucte .

"ther competitions may use alternative means of breaking a tie, for e+ample, an e+ten e perio of gol en goal e+tra time with a progressive re uction in the number of players each team can have on the fiel . (he number of players is usually re uce to seven a si e, an they play for ten minutes. 1t the en of this ten minutes, if there is still a tie, then they play another roun of the ten3minute seven versus seven. 1fter that, if the tie remains, the teams compete in penalty strokes. In the event that after two roun s of penalty strokes the tie still remains, the game goes to su en3 eath penalty strokes to etermine a winner. &owever, most games will en after one roun of the seven versus seven, unless it is a game in which there nee s to be a winner. [edit]Rule

change procedure

(he !I& implemente a two3year rules cycle with the 655PX5K e ition of the rules, with the intention that the rules be reviewe on a biennial basis. (he 6557 rulebook was officially release in early *arch 6557 ,effective 1 *ay 6557-, however the !I& publishe the ma)or changes in !ebruary. (he current rule book is effective from 1 Ranuary 6511. (he !I& has a opte a policy of inclu ing ma)or changes to the rules as "*an atory G+periments", showing that they must be playe at international level, but are treate as e+perimental an will be reviewe before the ne+t rulebook is publishe an either change , approve as permanent rules, or elete . /ecent e+amples of such e+periments inclu e a fi+e 63minute suspension for a green car an a ,limite - ability to re%uest vi eo umpiring ecisions. [edit]!ocal

rules

(here are sometimes minor variations in rules from competition to competition; for instance, the uration of matches is often varie for )unior competitions or for carnivals. Iifferent national associations also have slightly iffering rules on player e%uipment. (he new Guro &ockey League has ma e ma)or alterations to the rules to ai television viewers, such as splitting the game into four %uarters, an to try to improve player behaviour, such as a two3minute suspension for green car sVthe latter was also use in the 6515 'orl $up. In the Wnite Ntates, the U$11 has its own rules for inter3collegiate competitions; high school associations similarly play to ifferent rules, usually using the rules publishe by the Uational !e eration of Ntate &igh Nchool 1ssociations ,U!&N-. (his article assumes !I& rules unless otherwise state . WN1 !iel &ockey pro uces an annual summary of the ifferences.[1H] In the Wnite Ntates, the games at the )unior high level consist of two 6M3minute halves, while the high school level consists of two H5 minute halves. *any private 1merican schools play 6M3minute halves, an some have a opte !I& rules rather than U!&N rules. Tlayers are re%uire to wear mouth guar s an shin guar s in or er to play the game. 1lso, there is a newer rule re%uiring certain types of sticks be use . In recent years, the U!&N rules have move closer to !I&, but in 6511 a new rule re%uiring protective eyewear was intro uce for the 6511 !all season. (he 'cage style' goggles favore by WN high school lacrosse an permitte in high school fiel hockey is not permitte un er !I& rules. [14] [edit]"#uip$ent [edit]Field

Hockey stick

Main article: Field hockey stick

Gach player carries a "stick" that normally measures between K537Mcm ,H1XHK"- long; shorter or longer sticks are available. Nticks were tra itionally ma e of woo , but are now often ma e also with fibreglass, kevlar an \or carbon fibre composites. *etal is forbi en from use in fiel hockey sticks, ue to the risk of in)ury from sharp e ges if the stick were to break. (he stick has a roun e han le, has a R3shape hook at the bottom, an is flattene on the left si e ,when looking own the han le with the hook facing upwar s-. 1 stick that is esigne to be use left3han e is not permissible in play. (here was tra itionally a slight curve ,calle the bow, or rake- from the top to bottom of the face si e of the stick an another on the 'heel' e ge to the top of the han le ,usually ma e accor ing to the angle at which the han le part was inserte into the splice of the hea part of the stick-, which assiste in the positioning of the stick hea in relation to the ball an ma e striking the ball easier an more accurate. (he hook at the bottom of the stick was only recently the tight curve ,In ian style- that we have nowa ays. (he ol er 'Gnglish' sticks ha a longer ben , making it very har to use the stick on the reverse. !or this reason players now use the tight curve sticks. (he han le makes up the about the top thir of the stick. It is wrappe in a grip similar to that use on tennis racket. (he grip may be ma e of a variety of materials, inclu ing chamois leather, which many players think improves grip in the wet. It was recently iscovere that increasing the epth of the face bow ma e it easier to get high spee s from the ragflick an ma e the stroke easier to e+ecute. 1t first, after this feature was intro uce , the &ockey /ules 0oar place a limit of M5 mm on the ma+imum epth of bow over the length of the stick but e+perience %uickly emonstrate this to be e+cessive. Uew rules now limit this curve to un er 6M mm so as to limit the power with which the ball can be flicke . [edit]Field

hockey ball

Ntan ar fiel hockey balls are har spherical balls, ma e of plastic ,sometimes over a cork core-, an are usually white, although they can be any colour as long as they contrast with the playing surface. (he balls have a circumference of 664X6HM mm ,K.KX7.H in- an weigh 1M2X12H g ,M.MXM.P o.-. (he ball is often covere with in entationsto re uce hy roplaning that can cause an inconsistent ball spee on wet surfaces. [edit]General

player e#uip$ent

*any players wear mouth guar s to protect teeth an gums from impacts from the ball or stick. Nome local rules re%uire their use. *any players also wear shin guar s, an again these may be re%uire e%uipment in some areas. *any players wear astro glovesJ a pa e glove which is esigne to protect han s from abrasion from contact with the groun ,especially that of san 3base astro pitches-, an some even protect against impact from a ball or a stick. 1 few competitions re%uire goggles to protect the eyes. Iefen ers may sometimes use short corner masks; these are esigne to re uce the impact of a rag flick from short corners, though they o not provi e guarantee protection. [edit]Goalkeeping

e#uip$ent

1 goalkeeper makes a glove save. G%uipment worn here is typical gear for a fiel hockey goalkeeper.

(he 655P rulebook has seen ma)or changes regar ing goalkeepers. 1 fully e%uippe goalkeeper must wear a helmet, leg guar s an kickers. Wsually the fiel hockey goalkeepers must wear e+tensive a itional protective e%uipment inclu ing chest guar s, pa e shorts, heavily pa e han protectors, groin protectors, neck guar s, arm guar s, an like all players,they must carry a stick ,but this type of stick must be a speciali.e for goalkeepers-. &owever, such a player may not cross the 6H m line, the sole e+ception to this being if the goalkeeper is to take a penalty stroke at the other en of the fiel , when the clock is stoppe . (he goalkeeper can also remove their helmet for this action. &owever, if the goalkeeper elects to wear only a helmet ,an a ifferent colore shirt-, they may cross the 6H m line if they have remove their helmet ,an place it safely off the fiel of play-. If play returns to the circle without them having opportunity to replace the helmet, this player still has "goalkeeping privileges", that is, they are not limite to using their stick to play the ball whilst it is in the circle, an the helmet must be worn whilst efen ing penalty corners an penalty strokes but the best thing to o woul be to wear it at all times. It is now also even possible for teams to have a full eleven outfiel players an no goalkeeper at all. Uo player may wear a helmet or other goalkeeping e%uipment, neither will any player be able to play the ball with any other part of the bo y than with their stick. (his may be use to offer a tactical a vantage, or to allow for play to commence if no goalkeeper or kit is available. [edit]

actics

(he basic tactic in fiel hockey, as in association football an many other team games, is to outnumber the opponent in a particular area of the fiel at a moment in time. 'hen in possession of the ball this temporary numerical superiority can be use to pass the ball aroun opponents so that they cannot effect a tackle because they cannot get within playing reach of the ball an to further use this numerical a vantage to gain time an create clear space for making scoring shots on the opponent's goal. 'hen not in possession of the ball numerical superiority is use to isolate an channel an opponent in possession an 'mark out' any passing options so that an interception or a tackle may be ma e to gain possession. &ighly skillful players can sometimes get the better of more than one opponent an retain the ball an successfully pass or shoot but this ten s to use more energy than %uick early passing. Gvery player has a role epen ing on their relationship to the ball if the team communicates throughout the play of the game. (here will be players on the ball ,offensively3ball carriers; efinsively3pressure, support players, an movement players. (he main metho s by which the ball is move aroun the fiel by players are a- passing b- pushing the ball an running with it controlle to the front or right of the bo y an H-" ribbling"; where the player controls the ball with the stick an moves in various irections with it to elu e opponents. (o make a pass the ball may be propelle with a pushing stroke, where the player uses their wrists to push the stick hea through the ball while the stick hea is in contact with it; the "flick" or "scoop", similar to the push but with an a itional arm an leg an rotational actions to lift the ball off the groun ; an the "hit", where a swing at ball is taken an contact with it is often ma e very forcefully, causing the ball to be propelle at velocities in e+cess of P5 mph ,115 km\h-. In or er to pro uce a powerful hit, usually for travel over long istances or shooting at the goal, the stick is raise higher an swung with ma+imum power at the ball, a stroke sometimes known as a " rive". (ackles are ma e by placing the stick into the path of the ball or playing the stick hea or shaft irectly at the ball. (o increase the effectiveness of the tackle, players will often place the entire stick close to the groun hori.ontally, thus representing a wi er barrier. (o avoi the tackle, the ball carrier will either pass

the ball to a teammate using any of the push, flick, or hit strokes, or attempt to maneuver or " rag" the ball aroun the tackle, trying to eceive the tackler. In recent years, the penalty corner has gaine importance as a goal scoring opportunity. Tarticularly with the technical evelopment of the rag flick. (actics at penalty corners to set up time for a shot with a rag flick or a hit shot at the goal involve various comple+ plays, inclu ing multiple passes before a eflections towar s the goal is ma e but the most common metho of shooting is the irect flick or hit at the goal. 1t the highest level, fiel hockey is a fast3moving, highly skille sport, with players using fast moves with the stick, %uick accurate passing, an har hits, in attempts to keep possession an move the ball towar s the goal. (ackling with physical contact an otherwise physically obstructing players is not permitte , Nome of the tactics use resemble football ,soccer-, but with greater ball spee . 'ith the 6557 changes to the rules regar ing free hits in the attacking 6Hm area, the common tactic of hitting the ball har into the circle was forbi en. 1lthough at higher levels this was consi ere tactically risky an low3percentage at creating scoring opportunities, it was use with some effect to 'win' penalty corners by forcing the ball onto a efen er's foot or to eflect high ,an angerously- off a efen er's stick. (he !I& felt it was a angerous practice that coul easily lea to raise eflections an in)uries in the circle, which is often crow e at a free3hit situation, an outlawe it. [edit]%nternational

co$petition

Main article: International field hockey tournaments (he biggest two fiel hockey tournaments are the "lympic #ames tournament, an the &ockey 'orl $up, which is also hel every 4 years. 1part from this, there is the$hampions (rophy hel each year for the si+ top3ranke teams. !iel hockey has also been playe at the $ommonwealth #ames since 177K. 1mongst the men, In ia has won K "lympic gol s an Takistan lea in the worl cup having lifte it 4 times. 1mongst the women, 1ustralia has H "lympic gol s while Uetherlan s has clinche the 'orl $up 2 times. (he Nultan 1.lan Nhah &ockey (ournament an Nultan Ibrahim Ismail &ockey (ournament is for the )unior team but both tournament hel annually in *alaysia, is becoming a prominent fiel hockey tournament where teams from aroun the worl participate to win the cup. In ia an Takistan ominate men's hockey until the early 17K5s, winning four of the first five worl cups, but have become less prominent with the Uetherlan s, #ermany,Uew ^ealan , 1ustralia an Npain gaining importance since the late 17K5s, ue to intro uction of artificial turf instea of the grass fiel s aroun the K5s eca e. "ther notable men's nations inclu e 1rgentina, Gnglan ,who combine with other 0ritish "&ome Uations" to form the #reat 0ritain si e at "lympic events- an Sorea. (he Uetherlan s was the pre ominant women's team before fiel hockey was a e to "lympic events. In the early 1775s, 1ustralia emerge as the strongest women's country although retirement of a number of players weakene the team. "ther important women's teams are 1rgentina, $hina, Sorea, #ermany an Nouth 1frica.