Hockey
Everything you need to know about field hockey
A one-stop guide for getting up to speed with the rules of hockey, while taking your own game up a notch.
Field hockey — or rather more simply ‘hockey’ on these shores — is one of the best sports to keep both fit and entertained.
And with hundreds of hockey schools and clubs dotted across Ireland, there's no excuse not to get stuck in. To get up to speed (and a few tips on how to train smarter), here's everything you need to know:
01
Who invented field hockey?
The origins of hockey can be traced back throughout history, with examples of the sport appearing as far back as ancient Egypt. Many other societies would put their own spin on this sticks-based game for centuries to come, although it wasn’t until the mid to late 19th century that a more refined version of hockey closely matching today’s version of the sport exploded in popularity in British public schools.
Hockey is a test physically and mentally
© Wilhelm Westergren/Red Bull Content Pool
In 1908, the first (all-male) Olympic Hockey competition was held in the UK, with six teams turning out: England, France, Germany, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. By 1924, the International Hockey Federation was founded, and today, almost 100 years on, there are 140 national members across the globe.
02
Field hockey gear and pitch
- What are hockey sticks made of?
Whereas back in the day hockey sticks were mostly wooden, today’s sticks tend to be made from a mix of composite materials, including carbon, which helps players to generate a lot of power. Beginners can still buy hockey stick made largely from wood — although while offering a lovely natural touch with the ball, they lack the force of shot you’d get from a carbon-made modern stick.
- What size hockey stick do I need?
The average size of an outfield hockey stick is 35 to 37.5 inches. At the bottom of the stick, all models have a curved protrusion at one side, and a flat side on the opposite end. It may not surprise you to learn that the word hockey is derived from ‘hoquet’, an old French word for shepherd’s crook.
- How do I hold a hockey stick?
The way you hold a hockey stick will vary depending on the action at the time. The most basic grip, used for dribbling, sees players put their right hand at the base of the grip and their left hand at the top of it. Ideally there should be a ‘V’ where the thumb and index meet, facing the curved part of the stick. It is against the rules to use any side but the flat side to control the ball.
- How heavy is a field hockey ball?
Field hockey balls (typically dimpled at the top level of the game) are between 224 mm and 235 mm in size and can weigh anywhere from 156 grams to 163 grams — around the same weight as an ice hockey, puck as it happens.
India's Manpreet Singh during hockey drills
© Ali Bharmal
- Which pitch is it played on?
Under FIH (International Hockey Federation) guidelines, the average hockey pitch measures 91.4m long (100 yards) and 54.86m in diameter (60 yards), and additionally there must be allowance for at least 2m of run-off on either side of the field, and at least 3m of run-off at the backlines (if played on artificial turf, these backlines must be a different colour than the rest of the pitch).
03
Field Hockey positions: 3-5-2 formation
Plucking a formation at random — in this case three defenders, five midfielders and two attackers — here's what each type of player is tasked with doing in a lineup.
Goalkeeper: Whoever is between the sticks has their work cut out. Goalkeepers can use their feet, leg guards, stick — and practically every inch of their being — to keep the ball from hitting the net. Although if it’s a penalty stroke, they cannot play outside of their area.
Defenders: Tasked with making their goalkeeper’s life as easy as possible, defenders must deal with one-on-ones, clear opposition chances, pressure rivals into giving the ball away and make interceptions whenever possible, all the while feeding the ball to those players in front of them.
Midfielders: Able to do the grunt work in the engine room while also looking to start attacks in transition, midfielders provide the connection between defence and the forwards. Communication is key in the middle of the pitch; as is vision, with midfielders looking to set the tempo and control a game. Packing a midfield with five players may leave a side short at the back, as with this formation, but they'd exert more domination in the centre of the pitch.
Attackers: Spending large amounts of the match prowling around the opposition’s side of the pitch, attackers are tasked with creating chances in front of goal and (most importantly) putting the ball in the back of the net. If there are just two attackers up front, they might come from wide (a position known as wings), play slightly higher as inside forwards, or even just stay up top as as classic strikers, who are of course always judged on their goals.
04
What is the hardest position in field hockey?
There is no right or wrong answer to this. A good midfielder can pull the strings for a team, controlling a game in the centre of the pitch. A solid defender can make some world class interceptions to shut out a win. Naturally, attackers are under a lot of pressure to score (the hardest single action in the sport), but arguably no one player carries as much responsibility as a goalkeeper.
Players such as Irish star Ayeisha Mcferran consistently win games through skill alone, performing miracles for their teammates on the biggest of stages.
Ayeisha McFerran - Irish Hockey Player
© Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Case in point: 2018’s Women’s Hockey World Cup, where she not only conceded three goals in five games in the run up to the final, but also saved three penalties vs India and four against Spain. Ayeisha was later named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
05
Field hockey rules
Here are a few of the basic rules of the game....
- As mentioned earlier, players may only use the flat side of their hockey stick to control the ball, and any deployment of the backstick will lead to a foul and turnover of possession to the opposite team.
- Sticks may not be raised above shoulder height unless a defender is making a block in front of goal.
- Whenever the ball goes out of play on either side line, the other team will take a ‘side in’ at the spot the ball left the field, where they can either pass to a teammate or continue to dribble as a self-pass.
- Should the ball cross the backline, play is restarted with a long corner five yards from the corner flag. And if the attacking team sends the ball out of bounds over the backline, the game is re-started with a self pass or hit at the 16-yard line by the defence.
- Players looking to score a goal can only take shots from inside the striking circle, which is simply known as the D.
- Fouls, leading to a turnover of possession, can include dangerous or intimidating play with the stick, not using the flat side of the stick (to ‘backstick’), unfairly blocking, tripping or tackling an opponent, raising the ball in a dangerous manner, and more.
- Depending on which league or competition it is, the umpire can issue a green card as a warning, a temporary yellow card or even a straight red card leading to instant suspension.
- When a player is deemed to have committed foul play in their striking area, a penalty corner is awarded to the opposition. One of the most common reasons for a penalty corner is the ball touching a player’s feet in the D.
- A penalty corner sees an attacking player on the edge of the D passing the ball to their teammates gathered on the edge of the striking circle. The attackers must stay out of the D until the ball is received, at which point the defending team, who have had to remain on their own baseline, are then able to close down their opponents. These plays can typically lead to some of the most exciting moments in the match.
06
Point system explained
If a team scores a goal they will receive one point. Players will then return to their starting positions, with the ball turned over to the team that conceded.
However, if the ball hits an offensive player’s foot, or there’s a foul in the buildup, the goal will be chalked off. If it touches the foot of a defender, the attacking team will receive a corner.
Ayeisha McFerran - Irish Hockey Player - In goal
© Morgan Treacy / INPHO
In league play, a tied game often remains as such, but in tournament play, it can go to extra-time and, if the deadlock still isn’t broken, a penalty shootout beckons.
Since 2011, penalty shootouts have taken the format of attackers running with the ball in a one-on-one situation: players start on the 23m line and GKs start on the goal line. The attacker only has eight seconds to score once the whistle is blown to find the net. Some players will go towards the keeper, shielding the ball before poking, or even flicking it upwards to create a space to shoot.
Others will try to dribble the ball around the keeper, while some may go for an early well-struck shot. Very often, fortune favours the brave.
07
How long is a hockey match?
A typical hockey game lasts 60 minutes. How this is broken down depends on the country, league or competition.
Prior to 21019, matches lasted 70 minutes and were traditionally broken up into two halves of 35-minutes, with a five minute break between. The clock would run without any stoppages.
More recently, however, the FIH has introduced four quarters lasting 15 minutes for a total matchplay of 60 minutes. Note: the clock is now stopped whenever the ball is ‘dead’ due to stoppages for medical treatment or time wasting. Effectively, this means a 60-minute match usually takes longer to finish than the older 70 minute games.
Not all leagues have been as quick to implement these time changes, with certain European leagues opting to play four 17.5 minute quarters.
Extra time can vary. There have been Olympic wins in extra time. However, at the last Olympics, Tokyo 2020, the final match went straight to penalties as Belgium beat Australia in the ensuing shootout.
When penalties are taking place in tournaments it is a best out of five, and, if the scores are still level after the last taker, the shootout moves into a 'sudden death' format, where teams take an additional penalty until one team scores and the other misses.
In certain league formats, matches that must been decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
Click here to read Ireland's McFerran talking about one of her most heroic moments to date: an international shootout under the lights and pouring rain in front of a home crowd in Dublin.
08
Where is field hockey most popular
As with ice hockey in North America and parts of eastern Europe, in certain parts of the world field hockey is known as ‘hockey’. There are some major nations in which it enjoys huge popularity, from Argentina to India to Germany.
India's Manpreet Singh practices some hockey drills
© Ali Bharmal | Red Bull Content Pool
You'll find two of the world's most competitive leagues right now in Belgium and the Netherlands, attracting some of the best talent from across the globe.
At international level, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands — all of which have won the Hockey World Cup three times — are just a smattering of the usual tournament mainstays. However, no team has surpassed Pakistan's tally of four WC wins.
Pakistan may dominate the World Cup, but in the Olympic Games, it's India which has won the most gold medal finals, with 11 wins in all.
Indian hockey giant and 2020 Olympic Bronze medallist Manpreet Singh told Red Bull about how it's tougher at the top than ever. "The competition has increased a lot. You can’t underestimate any team. Nowadays, even a low ranking team can beat you. You have to be focussed all the time... You can never underestimate a low ranking team. You have to give your 100% focus right from the first whistle to the last."
09
Field hockey terms you should know
Here are four helpful skill-based terms you should know about, along with links to see how the pros do it.
3D skills: Juggling or controlling the ball in the air with your stick as you run. Not only aesthetically pleasing, a spin turn in mid-air can also help you wrongfoot your rivals. Learn more here.
DragFlick: When a player scoops and flicks a ball towards goal, effectively generating the power via one big sling shot, as opposed to a one-off hit such as a slap shot. Learn more here.
Jab/poke tackle: When a player changes grip so the face of the stick is turned up, and then jabs out at an opponent to clear the ball. Learn more here.
Trapping: This is your first touch and ability to take the ball under instant control, trapping the ball with your stick. Learn more here.
10
How do the pros train and fuel?
I get up and have porridge and a bit of toast or a bagel. Then I’d have half a banana before I go into the gym, and drink some Red Bull.
Once in the gym, it's hard work: "For me the session is platform based. Olympic lifting. I’m focusing on cleans either from the floor or blocks. Trap bar deadlifts, and hip-thrusts, too. And then I also have Bulgarian squats in the rack, and around that I have some upper-body work with dumbbells.
“Sometimes it can be a clean followed by a plyometric jump, that’s adding the explosive element to it. If you don’t have some of that you can become quite heavy and stuck to the floor, so we have to mix it up. We might also do a five-yard sprint or an explosive lateral lunge, something like that to replicate goalkeeping.”
She says what sets her apart from outfield players is the sheer amount of explosive exercises she needs to do to get those clean sheets: "My regime differs to the other players in that I have to do more sprint training and more super-explosive exercises."
India star Manpreet Singh
© Ali Bharmal/Red Bull Content Pool
For Manpreet Singh, the Indian star says becoming a high calibre player has been about recognising his weaknesses as much as his strengths:
“We worked hard in our training camps and tried our best to recreate the intensity of a high-stakes international match. One of the areas we really focused on during our national camp was to make more circle entries and finish chances. Converting penalty corner opportunities is another aspect we wanted to get better at,” says Manpreet.
He also suggests any keen hockey players should do their homework on the opposition where they can, even if that's seeing how they move in the warmup: “We study the opponents we are going to play. We analyse what strategy will work best against them after studying their strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I keep myself focused on the opponent. If we’re playing Australia, I'll study their midfielders and try to understand their game."
“[Before playing Belgium in February 2020 in the FIH Pro League], I tried to understand their strengths. I made strategies on how I can stop them, how can we attack and how I should lead the team.”
11
Where to play?
Ayeisha McFerran - Irish Hockey Player - Warming up
© Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Champing at the bit to get involved? Great, but you don’t go from newbie to Ayeisha McFerran overnight. Ireland’s international hockey star had to show promise on the field in her native Larne, performing miracles in goal on the national scene and countless titles with her hometown team of Larne before she was able to don the Irish jersey and compete in huge World Cup games. So find a local team and give your all.
You'll find a lot more information at Hockey Ireland. Click here to find your nearest club in Ireland.