Rules
Essential skills for playing hockey are the ability to control, pass, push, stop and hit the ball. Stick work is impressive to watch, as players with good stick skills can maintain control of the ball while sprinting the length of the field, weaving through the sticks and legs of defending players to create space.
Athletes can only play the ball with the flat face or the edge of the stick. Athletes are not allowed to use their feet or any other part of the body: only the goalkeepers are allowed to use their stick, hands, feet, legs and body to stop the ball when defending their own circle.
If a player violates a rule they may receive a:
- Green card: warning
- Yellow card: temporary suspension (a minimum of five minutes)
- Red card: permanent suspension
Player Positions
Every team consists of ten field players, who are classified as attackers, midfielders, defenders and a goalkeeper who remains in his or her team’s shooting circle.
Field of Play
A hockey field, frequently referred to as the ‘pitch’, is a rectangular area measuring 91.4m in length by 55m wide. The long sides are the ‘side lines’ and the shorter sides are the ‘back lines’, or ‘goal lines’. Goal posts are placed at either end of the field in the middle of the back line. Almost semi-circular lines run from the back line and mark out the area of the shooting circle, the area in which goals are scored.
Scoring a Goal
A field goal is scored when a shot at goal by an attacking player, within the defending team’s circle, passes over the goal line.
Penalty Corner
This is one of the most exciting parts of the game. If a defending team breaks a rule within their own circle, like preventing a goal from being scored with one’s body, a penalty corner may be awarded. A penalty corner is executed as follows: an attacker stands with the ball on a designated spot along the back line and pushes it out to a player waiting outside the circle. At the same time, five defenders, waiting behind the back line, start running toward the attacker who is about to attempt a goal. The ball must be stopped by an attacking player outside the circle before players can shoot for a goal.
Tie-breaker Rules (for medal matches only)
In the event of a tie, extra time is given, during which the first team to score a goal wins. This goal is called the ‘golden goal’. If there is no winner after extra time, then a penalty stroke play-off occurs where the players from each team take a series of penalty strokes against the opposing goalkeeper. This is played out until there is a winner.
Umpires
Two umpires control hockey matches. In international matches, umpires appointed to games are from neutral countries. Their role is to ensure fair play and adjudicate on the rules issues. Each umpire covers roughly half the pitch, though they work together around mid-field. Signals are used to communicate decisions.