About hockey

• Hockey

  

  The game of Hockey is played widely across the world.  In England it is a popular family orientated sport, played mainly in clubs by both men and women. The game is well-liked in many schools, particularly in the independent sector and offers a lifetime of both sporting and social opportunities for players, officials and administrators alike.  

  Hockey or "field hockey" as it is also known (to differentiate it from ice hockey) is an 11-a-side game played on a pitch 100 yards by 60 yards (91.4 metres x 55 metres) with a ball which has a 23cm circumference.  Each player has a stick with a rounded head to play the ball with the ultimate aim of scoring goals by putting the ball in the other team’s goal.  Sticks are about a metre long and weigh between 340g and 790g.

  The rules of hockey are very similar to the rules of football except that players must use sticks instead of their feet to play the ball.  There are 11 players on a team made up of a Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers.  The only player on the field who is allowed to use their feet and hands as well as their stick is the goalkeeper.

  The season in England lasts from September until May. 

  See also:

  • England Hockey training tips for passing
  • England Hockey training tips for creating space
  • England Hockey training tip for dribbling
  • The perfect drag flick!

   

   

  [Source: England Hockey website]