🏑 Beginner’s Guide to Professional Women’s Field Hockey: Rules & Terminology

Image courtesy of H1

If you've never watched field hockey before, we are here to make you super fans! 🙌🏼 This sport boasts professional men's and women's leagues all around the globe. One thing that stands out to new admirers of the sport is how quickly the games move! Rapid scoring and lighting fast dribbling is commonplace. If you're looking to get into a quick-paced sport with world-class athletes, but need to know the basics, read on...

🏑 Beginner’s Guide to Professional Women’s Field Hockey: Rules and Terminology

The Basics of Women’s Field Hockey 🏑

1. The Field of Play:

   • A standard hockey field is 100 yards (91.4 meters) long and 60 yards (55 meters) wide.

   • The field is divided into halves, with markings for 23-meter lines (near each defensive circle) and a halfway line.

   • At each end, there is a shooting circle or "D" extending 16 yards from the goal, which is critical for scoring.

2. Teams and Equipment:

   • Each team consists of 11 players: 10 field players and a goalkeeper.

   • Players use a hockey stick, typically made of composite materials, with a flat side for hitting the ball and a rounded back side.

   • The ball is a small, hard, white or colored sphere, weighing approximately 5.5–5.75 ounces.

     
     

     It's all about the team!

   
   

3. Duration of the Game:

   • A standard match consists of four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes.

   • There are breaks of 2 minutes between quarters and a 10-minute halftime.

4. Scoring:

   • Goals can only be scored from within the shooting circle. Shots taken from outside this area are invalid unless touched by an attacking player inside the circle.

Key Rules of Field Hockey 🏑

1. No Feet or Hands Allowed:

   • Players must only use their stick to play the ball. Intentionally touching the ball with hands or feet results in a penalty for the opposing team.

2. Obstruction Rule:

   • Players cannot shield the ball from an opponent using their body or stick, which differs from many other team sports.

3. Free Hits and Penalty Corners:

   • Free Hit: Awarded for minor fouls, taken from the spot of the infraction. Opponents must be 5 meters away.

   • Penalty Corner: Awarded for defensive fouls within the shooting circle. Attackers line up at the top of the circle to execute a planned play, while defenders and the goalkeeper attempt to block.

4. Penalty Stroke:

   • Awarded for severe fouls preventing a probable goal. The attacker takes a shot from the penalty spot, facing the goalkeeper one-on-one.

5. The Danger Rule:

   • Players are penalized for actions deemed dangerous, such as high balls or wild swings, to ensure safety on the field.

6. Offside Rule (Historic Note):

   • Unlike soccer, modern field hockey no longer enforces an offside rule, promoting fluid and attacking play.

Common Terminology 🏑

1. Dribble:

   • Moving the ball down the field using a series of controlled stick touches.

2. Hit:

   • A powerful strike of the ball, usually aimed for distance or precision.

3. Push Pass:

   • A controlled pass where the stick stays in contact with the ball, ensuring accuracy over short distances.

4. Flick:

   • A raised ball using the stick’s angle, often utilized during penalty strokes or to lift the ball over defenders.

5. Drag Flick:

   • A specialized technique used during penalty corners to deliver a fast, lifted shot.

6. Tackle:

   • Defensive action to regain possession by intercepting or removing the ball from an opponent.

7. Green, Yellow, and Red Cards:

   • Green Card: A warning, resulting in a 2-minute suspension.

   • Yellow Card: A temporary suspension, typically 5–10 minutes, for more serious offenses.

   • Red Card: Permanent exclusion from the game for severe misconduct.

8. Advantage Rule:

   • Allows play to continue despite a minor infraction if it benefits the non-offending team, maintaining the game's flow.

   
   
   
   

   

   Courtesy of Hockey One

   
   

Key Skills and Strategies 🏑

1. Passing and Positioning:

   • Success hinges on quick, accurate passing and intelligent positioning to create scoring opportunities.

2. Set Plays:

   • Penalty corners and free hits are opportunities to execute rehearsed plays, often leading to goals.

3. Pressing:

   • A defensive strategy where players collectively apply pressure on the opponent, aiming to win back possession.

4. Counterattacking:

   • Utilizing turnovers to launch swift, coordinated attacks before the opposing defense can regroup.

Those are the basics, you're more than ready to follow along and find your own home team! Field Hockey is a growing sport internationally and AWSN proudly broadcasts leagues like Hockey One out Australia 🇦🇺