1. Not Just a Man's Sport
Based on drawings, historians believe that ancient Greeks and Egyptians played a form of field hockey well before it became a westernized sport. When it did reach the West, it was a guy's game often played by British soldiers in the 1880s and 1890s. It was considered much too dangerous for a woman to play. However, English physical education Constance Applebee didn't believe this idea, and in 1901 she introduced the sport to some of America's most prestigious women's schools. In 1920, the American women's touring field hockey team played in its first international competition.
2. The Goal of the Game
Field hockey is a very active game that involves 2 teams hitting and dribbling a ball down a grassy field. They use long sticks, which have a flat part and curved part on the end. The purpose, just like in ice hockey, is to shoot the ball past the opposing team's goalkeeper into the goal cage to get a point. The team with the most points is the winner.
3. Size Matters in Field Hockey
In professional field hockey, the plastic, solid ball must be a specific weight, about 5.5 ounces. The ball's circumference must be about 8 to 9 inches. The players are only permitted to hit the ball with the flat part of the field hockey stick. There's also specific guidelines for the stick. It must be between 36 to 38 inches long and weight at least 12 ounces but no more than 28 ounces. The sticks also need to be made out of hardwood.
4. More Details
Field hockey has 11 players per side plus the goalkeeper. When played professionally, 2 umpires officiate the match with the possibility of an additional umpire at the scorers table. There are 2 35-minute halves in international and collegiate play, and 30-minute halves in high school play. Every team member gets an equivalent shot at playing, and no player may shield the ball with their stick or body. Goals are scored when the ball gets hit in the goal from the striking circle, which is several yards away from each goal post. Field hockey games usually take place on grass fields, but sometimes they are played indoors.
5. When a Foul is Called
Interfering with a player's stick is considered a foul, as is dangerous play, stick raising, attacking an opponent, blocking the ball with body or stick and advancing towards the ball with anything other than a stick. Hitting the ball with the round part of the stick is also a foul.
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