Player Positions

Field hockey teams have 11 players on the field: 10 field players and a goalie. The field position that plays primarily on offense is the forward, sometimes known as attacker. Forwards are the players that drive with the ball into the opponent’s end of the field and try to score goals. Halfbacks, fullbacks, and sweeps are defensive players that try to prevent penetration of their end of the field, disrupt the opponents’ forwards and block shots. Links are players that play both offense and defense.

How the Game is Played

Players move the ball with their sticks only. They are not allowed to hit the ball with hands, legs, feet, or any other part of the body. One major difference between field hockey and ice hockey is the rules on scoring. Only shots taken from within the striking circle (also known as the scoring circle) that go into the goal count as a score. Also, the ball must have been struck by an attacker’s stick to count as a goal. If the ball hits any part of a defender’s body and then rolls into the cage, it does not count as a goal.

The goalkeeper, or goalie, wears heavy pads on the legs, a catching glove on one hand and a blocking glove on the other, in addition to chest protectors, neck guard and arm or elbow pads. Goalies also are the only players on the field to wear a facemask or helmet. Goalies can use standard sticks or goalie sticks, which have a more pronounced curvature at the toe. Like soccer, field hockey is considered a defensive game, and scores tend to be low, often two goals or less per team.

Games consist of two 35-minute halves. The game begins with a pass-back, in which a forward passes the ball back to a teammate to begin the attack. (Again, rules at different levels of play may vary.) A coin-flip determines which team will get the ball first.

Penalties

Many of the goals are scored on a penalty move known as a penalty corner. In a penalty corner, an attacking player hits the ball from the penalty corner mark, a mark along the back line 10 yards from the nearest goalpost. The player directs the ball toward her teammates who are positioned outside the striking circle. Up to 5 defenders (including the goalie) can stand along the back line, either inside or outside the goal (which can result in a very crowded goal).

A less common penalty maneuver is a penalty stroke. In a penalty stroke, an attacker gets the ball 7 yards in front of the goal and can strike the ball once only (no stick-handling the ball is allowed). The goalie, who is alone in the cage, cannot move her feet until the ball is struck.

A third type of penalty maneuver is called a free hit. In this move, the team that had the foul committed against it is allowed to strike the ball at the location where the foul was committed, with defenders at least 5 yards away.

Whether the foul results in a free hit, a penalty corner or a penalty stroke depends on where the foul was committed and whether the umpire deems the foul to have been intentional:

• A penalty stroke is awarded if the foul was intentional and occurs within the scoring circle, or if an unintentional foul prevented a certain goal.

• A penalty corner is awarded for an unintentional foul within the scoring circle that did not prevent a certain goal; for an intentional foul outside the scoring circle but inside the 25-yard line; or if the defender deliberately hit the ball over the goal line.

• A free hit is awarded for all intentional fouls between the 25-yard lines and unintentional fouls outside of the scoring circles.

Actions that result in fouls include advancing the ball with the hand or any other part of the body, dangerous use of the stick, hooking or obstruction.

An obstruction foul is called when a player blocks an opponent from the ball in any way. Players are not permitted to shield the ball with their body (turning their back to the defender while dribbling), run between an opponent and the ball, or using the stick to prevent a player from reaching the ball.

Players also are not permitted to strike the ball in a way that poses a danger to another player.