Mom's Guide to Field Hockey
The Basics!
Field hockey teams use
wooden sticks to dribble, pass, and shoot a ball along a field in an effort to
score goals. A goal counts as one point and is scored when the ball, having been
hit by a player inside the “striking circle,” completely crosses the
opposing goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. The team scoring
the greater number of goals in the allotted time wins the game.
What's Needed?
A field hockey stick, a
ball, team shirt, team socks, team kilt(or shorts), cleats, shin guards, and
mouthpiece.
How Long Is A Game?
A game is divided into two
halves. Depending on league rules, each half ranges from twenty-five to
thirty-five minutes, with a break at halftime. Each half begins with a
“passback” at center circle. Teams switch playing sides at halftime and each
team is given two 60-second time-out per game. If a game ends in a tie, teams
may play an extra ten-minute period of sudden death; the team to score first
wins.
Drive The Ball!
Drive - The most frequently
used stroke in the game. Players drive on passes, “free hits,” and shots on
goal. On a drive, a player takes a hard stroke at the ball using a good
backswing motion with both hands together at the top of the hockey stick.
Flick - A player snaps her wrists to lift the ball in the air for quick passes
or shots. The ball must not lift more than eighteen inches above the ground.
Scoop - The “blade”of the stick is used to scoop the ball up and over the
front of an opponent’s stick. Players scoop the ball when “dodging” a
“tackle,” and when taking a free hit out of the striking circle.
Push Pass - Using a quick wrist stroke with no backswing, the ball is pushed and
directed along the ground. It is considered the most accurate pass in the game.
Slap Shot - The most powerful stroke in the game. It is a hard, quick pass or
shot on goal done with a half backswing with hands slightly apart on the stick.
Foul Play!
A player may only strike the ball with the flat (blade) side of the stick, and
may not raise the stick above the shoulders when playing the ball. “Stick
interference,” “backsticks,” “undercutting,” and touching the ball
with the feet are all rule violations. Furthermore, players may not trip, push,
charge, interfere with, or physically handle an opponent in any way. All fouls
result in a free hit or a “penalty corner” for the non-offending team.
Obstruction - Called against a player who cuts between an opponent and the ball
or uses her stick, shoulder, or body as an obstruction to the ball.
Third-party Obstruction - Occurs when a player positions herself between the
ball and an opponent allowing a teammate an unobstructed play on the ball.
Advancing - Called against a player who shoves, pushes, or advances the ball in
any way, using her feet, hands or body.
Backsticks - Striking the ball with the rounded back side of the hockey stick.
Stick Interference - Called against a player who intentionally or
unintentionally uses her stick to hit an opponent’s stick.
Undercutting - Chopping at the ball, to lift it in an unsafe manner.
Sticks -A foul called against a player who raises her stick unsafely to a nearby
player, or plays the ball while carrying her stick above shoulder level.
Take A Free Hit!
Free Hit - A free play
awarded on an any infraction that occurs outside the scoring circle. It usually
takes place at the location of the violation. All opposing players must stand at
least five yards from where the hit is taken. A free hit is most often taken as
a drive, a push pass, a scoop, or a flick.
Penalty Corner - A hit on the ball awarded to the team on offense when the
defense either commits a foul inside the striking circle or intentionally hits
the ball out-of-bounds over the end line. A penalty corner is taken by an attack
player along the end line at a spot ten yards away from the nearest goal post.
All other attack players must stand with both their sticks and feet outside of
the striking circle. Five defenders, including the goalie, stand behind the end
line until contact is made with the ball. All remaining offensive and defensive
players then rush into the circle to either help defend or shoot the ball at the
goal.
Penalty Stroke - Awarded to the team on offense when an official believes that a
defensive infraction within the striking circle has prevented what would have
been a goal. The ball is spotted seven yards from the goal with a striking
player going one-on-one with the goalie. The shooting player may take one step
and has five seconds to shoot. The goalie may not move off the goal line until
the player has touched the ball with her stick.
16-yard Hit - A free hit awarded to the defensive team when the attacking team
either sends the ball over the end line or commits an infraction in the striking
circle. The ball is placed 16 yards from the spot of the infraction or from
where the ball went out-of-bounds.
Did You Know That?
Field Hockey was invented in
1895 with the establishment of the first All England Women’s Field Hockey
Association. In 1901, an English woman named Constance Appleby introduced the
game to women in the United States while a summer student at Harvard. Appleby
went on to teach the game at women’s colleges throughout the Northeast. It was
not until 1928 that men began playing the game in the United States.
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FIELD HOCKEY 101
(Some of the basic rules of the game)
Here is a brief summary of some of the reasons the officials will blow the whistle in the game of field hockey:
ADVANCING - The ball cannot touch any part of your body. You cannot kick, touch, or be hit by the ball. If you step on the ball and continue to play it, the whistle will blow and the other team will be given the ball. If an opposing player should hit the ball at you and it is not a dangerous hit but the ball hits your body then again you will be at fault and the whistle will blow. You must be in control of your body at all times and be able to move away from a hit ball.
DANGEROUS HIT - Any hit which leaves the ground and lifts between the knee and the ankle (or above) and is not caused by the field conditions, it is considered a dangerous hit. The official will blow the whistle and give the ball to the other team.
HACKING - In an effort to get the ball away from your opponent if you tend to hit your stick onto the opponent's stick and you make no contact with the ball you will be called for stick hacking. The whistle will blow and the ball will go to the other team.
OBSTRUCTION - If you do not have the ball on your stick then your body must be facing the goal that you are attacking. You should not turn your body around in front of an opponent to go for a ball. You should move your feet backwards and continue to play the ball in a forward position. If you are playing the ball on your stick then you are allowed to move your body in any direction you want but if you lose the ball and your back is interfering with your opponent then you will be called for obstruction. Also, if the ball should go between your feet and is behind you, you cannot put your stick between your legs to get the ball. If you do, then you are obstructing because now a player from the other team cannot go for the ball because your body is in her way.
THIRD PARTY OBSTRUCTION - This occurs when your teammate and a player on the other team are fighting for the ball and when you go into the action to try to help out if either you or your teammate does not get out of the action fast enough then a third party obstruction has occurred. If one of you is blocking the other girl from going forward then this is third party obstruction.
Does this sound confusing? If it does, then watch out because things can get even more confusing. Why? Well, in the game of field hockey the officials can "HOLD THE WHISTLE." What this means is that if the official sees you doing something wrong, such as obstructing, then she will put her hand up to indicate that a penalty has occurred but she will not blow her whistle unless a member of your team, or you, touch the ball. If the other team should get the ball right after you obstructed then the whistle will not blow. This is why if you know that you have committed a penalty, like touching the ball with your feet, you must still continue to play. Don't let the other team automatically take the ball. ALWAYS PLAY TILL YOU HEAR THE WHISTLE.
What should you do when the whistle is blown?
When the whistle is blown, the first thing you should do is look at the official. If the official's arm is pointing in the direction you are going then the ball belongs to you. Get the ball and roll it or bring it to exactly the spot where the official is pointing or where the penalty occurred. TAKE A FREE HIT. (Drive the ball as hard and level as you can, preferably to the outside of the field). Unless the penalty occurs in the circle in front of the goalie cage, then a penalty corner is called.
If the ball goes out of bounds along the sidelines than a free hit is taken at the spot where the ball went out. If the ball goes out of bounds at the endline by the team shooting then a sixteen yard free hit is taken by the defensive team. If the defense hits the ball out of bounds over the endline than the offense takes a long hit which is a free hit from five yards in on the end line.
