How to Play Outdoor Hockey

Introduction
Hockey, or Field Hockey as it is known in some parts of the world, is a stick
and ball game with origins dating back thousands of years. It is
traditionally played on grass, but more often these days - especially at the
top levels and in certain countries - hockey is played on synthetic surfaces.
In hockey, two teams of 11 players compete against each other using their
'hooked' sticks to hit, push, pass and dribble a small, hard, usually white,
ball, with one aim in mind - to score by getting the ball into the opponents'
goal.
o do that, they have to get the ball past the other team's goalkeeper, who
protects the goal, and logically, tries to keep the ball out!
Player positions
"s already mentioned, every team must have a goalkeeper. he other 1#
players are referred to as 'field players', and are dispersed over the field of
play. he field players can be put into three general categories - attackers,
defenders and midfielders. $hile no player %other than the goalkeeper& has
an e'clusively defined role, the attackers are generally on attack, the
defenders are generally on defence, and the midfielders do a bit of both!
Stick handling
"n essential skill necessary for playing hockey is the ability to control, pass,
push, stop and shoot the ball with your hockey stick. his is known as stick
work, or stick handling. It is both beautiful and impressive to watch a
player with good stick handling skills control the ball while sprinting the
length of the field, or weave through the sticks and legs of defenders to
create an open shot.
It is important to know that the head of a hockey stick has a rounded side
%the right-hand side& and a flat side %the left-hand side&. It is only with the
flat, left-hand side of the stick and the edges of that side that you are
permitted to play the ball.
No Feet!
It may seem like common sense, but it is worth mentioning that in hockey,
field players are not allowed to use their feet %or any other parts of their
bodies for that matter& to control the ball. (nly the goalkeeper is allowed to
use hands, feet, etc. to stop or propel the ball when defending in his or her
own circle.
Ball in the Air
In general play the ball must not be raised into the air when hit. It can
though be raised by using a scooping or long pushing action of the stick.
However, a player will be panelised if they lift the ball in a way which is
dangerous to another player.
$hen the ball is in the air a player must not play it if it is above shoulder
height. " defender %including the goalkeeper& can though use their stick at
any height to save a shot at goal ) because attackers are allowed the raise
the ball in the shooting circle. *any shots are raised in one way or another
because this is an effective way of scoring goals ) so more about goal
scoring below.
Scoring
+coring a goal in hockey is very interesting. here are only certain ways it
can be done, from a Field Goal, from a Penalty Corner, and from a Penalty
Stroke.
Field Goals
" field goal is a goal scored from open, continuous play. Field goals may
only be taken from the 'shooting circle', a roughly semi-circular area in
front of the opponents' goal. If an attacker hits the ball from outside the
'shooting circle' and it goes directly into the goal or is only touched by a
defender on the way, it does not count as a score.
Penalty Corners
If a defending team breaks certain rules, the other team may be awarded a
'penalty corner.' It is awarded when a team breaks a rule while defending
in their 'shooting circle'. It can also be awarded when a defender is guilty of
a particularly bad foul inside the defending -uarter of the field ) the area
enclosed by a line ./ metres from the end of the field.
o take a penalty corner, play is stopped to allow the teams to take their
positions in attack and defence. (ne attacker stands with the ball on a
designated spot on the back-line. %It's the line that marks the shorter
boundary of the field of play and on which the goal is placed.& his player
will 'push out' the ball to other attackers, waiting to take a shot at goal. he
other attackers usually wait at the top of the shooting circle to receive the
ball. 0ut in any case, all attackers have to be outside the shooting circle
until the penalty corner begins.
1p to five defenders %including the goalkeeper& position themselves behind
the back-line %either inside or outside of the goal& to defend against the
penalty corner. he rest of the defenders must stay behind the centre line
until the 'push out' has been taken.
he ball is 'pushed out' to the attacker waiting to receive it. 0efore a shot on
goal can be taken, the ball must first travel outside the circle. he receiver
then usually pushes it back into the circle for the a shot either by
her2himself or another attacker.
If the first shot is a hit %as opposed to other types of shots, like a 'flick' or a
'scoop'&, the ball must enter the goal at a height of no more than 34#mm
%or about 15 inches&. It is usually pretty easy to tell if the ball is at the right
height since the board at the back of the goal is the same height. $hen a
goal is successfully scored, there is a familiar sound of the ball hitting the
board, usually followed by players celebrating!
If the first shot is a 'scoop' or a 'flick' - shots that are lifted into the air with
a long scooping or pushing action of the stick - then the ball can cross the
goal-line at any height, as long as it is not dangerous play.
(nce the attacker on the back-line begins to push the ball out, the
defenders on the back line may move into the circle, and do their best to
stop the other team from scoring.
It's a long e'planation, but in practice, it all happens very -uickly, and is
e'citing to watch!
Penalty Strokes
" penalty stroke is a shot taken on goal by a chosen player and defended
only by the goalkeeper. %"ll other players must stand outside the circle,
about ./ metres2.6 yards away.& " penalty stroke may be awarded for a
few reasons, the most common being an offence by a defender in the circle
to prevent the probable scoring of a goal. he shot is taken from a spot 4.3
meters %7 yards& directly in front of the goal. *atch time is stopped when a
penalty stroke is being taken.
uration o! a "atch
" regulation length hockey match lasts 7# minutes - which is broken into
two halves of /6 minutes each. he team with the most goals at the end of
the 7# minutes is the winner. It is also possible for a match to end in a
draw %or tie&. 0ut in some matches - like in a tournament such as the $orld
8up or (lympics, or in a championship game - there must be a winner. In
those cases, a match which is tied at the end of regulation time, then goes
into e'tra time %the first team to score in e'tra time wins&, and if necessary,
to a penalty stroke competition.