Field hockey
Team sport using curved sticks to hit a ball into the goal.
Field hockey, often called simply hockey outside North America, is a team sport played between two sides of eleven players each, including ten field players and one goalkeeper. The objective is to use curved sticks to propel a small, hard ball into the opposing team’s shooting circle and then into the goal; the team scoring the most goals wins. Matches are contested on grass, watered turf, or artificial turf, though natural grass has become increasingly rare. Variants include indoor hockey, played on synthetic hard courts or hardwood flooring, and beach field hockey on sand. The stick has evolved from traditional wood to modern composites of carbon fibre, fibreglass, and aramid; at elite levels, high-carbon sticks are nearly universal. Only the flat face of the stick may be used to play the ball; using the rounded side results in a penalty, though accidental touches are allowed if they do not materially affect play. Goalkeepers may use a stick with a larger legal surface area and can touch the ball with any part of their body while inside their own shooting circle. No other player may touch the ball except with their stick, though a hand holding the stick is considered part of it. The modern game was developed in 19th-century English public schools and is now played worldwide under the International Hockey Federation (FIH), which governs the sport, organizes the Hockey Rules Board, and oversees international competitions such as the Olympic Games, World Cup, FIH Pro League, and Junior World Cup. The sport’s roots are ancient, with early forms recorded in Egypt, Persia, Ethiopia, ancient Greece, Rome, and among the Aztecs. Similar games were played in East Asia before 300 BC, including the Daur people’s beikou in Inner Mongolia and Ming dynasty China’s suigan. In India, a 17th-century Punjabi game called khido khundi used a woolen ball and stick. In South America, 16th-century Chilean natives played chueca. Northern European games like Irish hurling and Icelandic knattleikr date to the Early Middle Ages, while medieval French and British games such as soule or choule involved sticks and balls between villages. The word “hockey” has no clear origin, though a reference from 1363 exists.
- governing_body
- International Hockey Federation (FIH)
- team_size
- 11 players (10 field players and 1 goalkeeper)
- playing_surfaces
- Grass, watered turf, artificial turf; indoor on synthetic hard court or hardwood; beach on sand
Lore & Background
The roots of hockey are buried deep in antiquity, with historical records suggesting early forms were played in Egypt and Persia c. 2000 BC, and in Ethiopia c. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Aztecs all played hockey-like games. In Ancient Egypt, a depiction of two figures playing with sticks and ball appears in the Beni Hasan tomb of Khety. In East Asia, a similar game using a carved wooden stick and ball was entertained before 300 BC. The Daur people of Inner Mongolia have played beikou for about 1,000 years, and a variant called suigan was played in China during the Ming dynasty. In 17th-century Punjab, a game called khido khundi was played. In South America, the Chilean natives played chueca in the 16th century. Northern European games such as hurling and knattleikr date to the Early Middle Ages, and by the 12th century la soule was played in France and southern Britain.
Reader's Guide
Field hockey's significance lies in its ancient roots and modern global reach. Teddington Hockey Club introduced the striking circle and changed the ball to a sphere from a rubber cube. The introduction of artificial turf in the early 1970s changed the sport, increasing speed and leading to new tactics such as the Indian dribble, and ended Indian and Pakistani domination. The stick has evolved from wood to synthetic materials like carbon fibre, fibreglass, and aramid. Only the flat face of the stick may progress the ball; goalkeepers may touch the ball with any body part inside their shooting circle.
Did You Know?
- In Sweden and Finland, the sport is called landhockey and maahockey respectively, translating to 'ground hockey' to distinguish it from ice hockey.
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