Field hockey

Field hockey also known as bandy or street hockey is a sport where two opposing teams play each other. Each team consists of eleven players who compete with the objective of getting a ball into the goal of the opposing team (known as a goal) with the help of a stick. It is through this stick that the teams try to control the ball. The purpose is to score more goals than the opposing team at the end of normal playing time.

Related topics

Ice Hockey

What is field hockey?

Field hockey is a sport in which there is competition between two teams made up of eleven players, who fight to put a ball in the opponent's goal with the aim of scoring a goal using a hockey stick that allows them to control the ball during the game.

History of field hockey

The exact origin date of hockey is not known at the present time. There are some graphic records of rudimentary ways of playing hockey (game of sticks and a ball) in different places around the world. There are also images dating from Ancient Greece (500 B.C.) depicting a series of men playing naked pushing a ball with horns. In ancient times there was also a game called κερητίζειν because it was played with horns (“keras” in Greek). At the same time, the story says that Romans had a similar game called paganica. In Inner Mongolia (China), the daur ethnic group played a game called beikou, which was very similar to hockey. During the 1980s, the game was being played in both, male and female categories. In 1886, the Hockey Association was founded, and several international matches were played. Later, hockey was introduced in the 1908 Olympic Games. At the end of the 19th century, the field hockey association was inaugurated. Pakistan and India were the countries that most dominated the sport for several decades.

Field hockey rules

• The game is divided into two periods. Each of these times consists of thirty-five minutes
• To score a goal, the attacking player must throw the ball into the area.
• The penalty-corner is a sanction in which the ball must be placed on the baseline, about 10 meters from the goal. The player throwing the penalty-corner must have at least one foot off the field of play and his teammates must remain outside the area.
• When a penalty kick is taken, a maximum of five defenders, including the goalkeeper, may be behind the back line with their clubs or sticks.
• The penalty-stroke is a higher sanction, in which an attacker throws the ball from a point inside the area, while the goalkeeper stands on the goal line.

Game field

The game field is rectangular in shape and is 91.4 meters long and 55 meters wide. It has lateral lines that mark the long field perimeters, and the bottom lines mark the short perimeters. The goal lines are located in the part of the bottom lines between the posts of the arches. At the same time it has a central line marked in the middle of the field. The penalty spot has a diameter of 150 millimeters and is located at the front of each goal. The play field has flags that must be placed on goal posts and located at the corners of the playing perimeter. The bows must be centered and placed on the bottom lines. Today, natural grass fields have been replaced by synthetic grass, as it reduces ball friction, makes the game faster and more accurate.

Equipment for practicing field hockey

The equipment needed to develop this sport consists of two main parts:

• The hockey stick: The stick that is used in this sport, both in measures and in weight are strictly codified in the Rules of the International Hockey Federation. Its approximate size is 1 meter high, the base about 15 centimeters and the width cannot be greater than about 5 centimeters. The weight does not exceed about three quarters of a kilo. The stick must pass through a five-centimeter
• The Ball: In ancient times the ball used in hockey was made of leather and cork. Now it is very different, hockey balls are hollow plastic inside, and their size is approximately that of a tennis ball or baseball and can also be made of any material.