Field hockey is a fast-paced, ball-and-stick sport resembling ice hockey, but played on grass or turf. Both forms of hockey originated in Europe and have long, storied histories. The object of field hockey is to move a small white ball around the field, past the goalkeeper and into the opponent’s net. Skillful play requires agility, endurance and clever manipulation of the ball. When controlling the ball, you need a collection of moves and tricks to maintain possession. Dodges and pulls are both fundamental techniques to keep defenders...
To the uninitiated onlooker, field hockey and ice hockey may appear to be roughly the same sport, played on different surfaces. Naturally, the footwear changes and two teams clamor for a puck on the ice, but a ball on the field...
Lacrosse helmets and field hockey helmets look superficially similar. They both enclose the head completely and protect the face with a cage of bars. However, lacrosse helmets are designed specifically for lacrosse, according t...
Bow or "rake" differential is just one of the variables field hockey players must consider when selecting a stick. Sticks also come in a variety of lengths, weights, materials and head shapes. Players should select a stick suit...
Strong conditioning is paramount in field hockey. Players should expect to do plenty of running. Although every tryout is different, players should be prepared to scrimmage and run skills drills at full speed. School teams have...
Field hockey resembles soccer in that there is a large outdoor field and the object is put get the ball past a goaltender to score. What makes field hockey a little more difficult to play is that players use short wooden sticks...
In field hockey, a penalty corner can provide instant offense, presenting the attacking team with a glorious scoring chance. Yet a set of strict rules govern all penalty corner plays, making goals far from automatic. Understand...
Field hockey shots have to deal with more friction slowing them down than the shots taken in ice hockey, but the shots still have a considerable amount of force behind them. In fact, some drives can top 100 miles per hour as th...
In field hockey, players need to work together to move the ball up field and into scoring position. More often than not, the basic push pass, which involves the stick remaining in constant contact with the ground and merely pus...
All sports can become games but games cannot become sports, although games can incorporate sports. The sport of javelin throwing becomes a game when athletes compete against one another at a track and field meet. The sport of r...
Field hockey drills are designed to improve your scoring and defensive abilities. In addition to basic offensive and defensive fundamentals, fun field hockey drills can help improve your formations and positioning during the co...
Field hockey involves two teams of 11 players attempting to shoot a ball into the other team's goal. Players use short sticks with hooked heads to dribble, pass and shoot. The stick measures 9 inches in circumference and featur...
Field hockey is a sport in which players use a curved hockey stick to propel a hard, baseball-sized ball down the field and into a goal. Field hockey sticks components include the shaft, the stick that is held with both hands a...
A fishing rod, for example, combines the lever, wheel and axle, and pulley to create a complex piece of sporting equipment. The field hockey stick, like sticks and rackets from other sports, consists entirely of one simple mach...
Many sports are similar, branching off from a common source. Although soccer and field hockey do not appear to have developed from the same root, there are more than a few commonalities between the two. Both have the same objec...
Field hockey is a demanding physical sport that requires a lot of running, sudden changes in direction and coordination. The rules of field hockey are similar to those of ice hockey with much less physical contact. Field hockey...
Field hockey is one of the smaller college sports in the United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Association reports that 260 colleges sponsored teams during the 2008-09 school year, with more than 5,600 women participa...
Field hockey sticks may look the same to casual observers, but they come in not only a variety of shapes but different sizes as well. Like baseball bats, field hockey sticks come in different lengths and weights, so it is impor...
The gift items available for fans and players range from the practical, such as season tickets, to the typical, such as hockey sticks or team shirts. A field hockey fan might be ready for an unusual gift if he has received the ...
Field hockey is a team sport. The modern version of the game has been played since the early 1800s, but similar games have been played for thousands of years. In countries where ice hockey is not played, field hockey is simpl...
Field hockey is one of the oldest sports on the planet. Tomb drawings in Egypt's Nile Valley show men playing the sport as far back as 2,000 B.C., according to USA Field Hockey. The evolution of the field hockey stick has been ...
Field hockey resembles soccer to an extent and has rules that make it unique. The game is primarily played outdoors. In the United States, field hockey is predominately a women's sport, and worldwide, field hockey is a popular ...
The most critical piece of gear for a field hockey player is the stick. The most important factors when looking for a stick are the weight, length, toe design, material and how it feels when you use it. Fiberglass and composite...
As a field hockey defender, you're one of the last barriers between the opposing attack and your goal. That means you'll often make crunching challenges or heavy hits -- and need a stick that can stand up to such treatment. You...
Field hockey is a fast sport that can be played indoors or outdoors. Key pieces of equipment include the stick, the ball, gloves, eye protection and shin guards. Players can also wear mouthguards. Facial protection is optional ...
The most important piece of gear you when playing field hockey -- aside from protective gear -- is the stick you use to handle the ball. Sticks have straight handles and shafts with a curved head. They are traditionally made of...
To the untrained eye, all field hockey sticks probably look the same: long and thin, with a small curve at the end and one side flat for striking. A closer look reveals that different positions use different types of sticks, an...
Field hockey is one of the oldest sports in the world dating back to before the ancient Olympic games, according to USAFieldHockey.com. Field hockey has been embraced by a variety of cultures throughout history including the an...
Field hockey is a sport that requires athletes to use endurance, strength and speed. Muscle speed can be enhanced through sprint training, which develops speed, and plyometric training, which increases combines strength and spe...
Along with skill and conditioning, the field hockey stick you choose may be the most important element of your game. Your stick is the tool you use to handle the ball, and if you play with one that is not right for your style o...
Field hockey sticks are typically between 36 and 38 inches in length and are traditionally made out of wood. According to the rules of the International Hockey Federation, left-handed field hockey sticks are illegal for use in ...
Field hockey is an outdoor version of hockey that is played on a 100-yard field with 11 players per team. Just like in hockey, field hockey players use a stick to advance, move or hit the ball around the field. Field hockey sti...
Field hockey is one of the oldest sports in history but was introduced to the United States in 1901 by an English woman, Constance Applebee. Requiring a blend of skills, speed and endurance, field hockey is a team sport where p...
Choose an over-long stick, and dribbling and accurate shooting becomes more difficult. Hockey sticks also vary in shape for different positions. Generally, sticks range from 28 inches to 3 feet in length. At the lighter end, f...
Each player on a field hockey team has their own role within the greater team strategy. Players typically stick with the position with which they have the most experience. As field hockey is played on a large open field, and al...
Field hockey predates ice hockey by thousands of years. Steve Craig, author of "Sports and Games of the Ancients," pegs the origination of the sport to more than 4,000 years ago, as Nile River Valley cave drawings from that era...
Hockey is considered the oldest ball-and-stick game in existence. Field hockey was borne prior to the advent of ice hockey. The equipment used in the first evolutions of the sport was primitive in many respects. Field hockey eq...
The fast-paced sport of field hockey requires quick thinking and athleticism on the part of the goalkeeper. Field hockey goalkeepers must also have excellent communication skills, and be able to react and move quickly. There ar...
Field hockey is known in America as a high school and collegiate girls game. Internationally, it is a highly competitive coed sport with a history that dates back to Ancient Egypt. According to "Sports and Games of the Ancients...
A predominately female sport, field hockey features two competing teams with sticks attempting to shoot a ball into the opposing goal. Field hockey sticks are shorter in length than traditional hockey sticks and have curved end...
Speed training in field hockey can often prove to be the difference between winning and losing. If two teams are competing and are relatively equal in passing, dribbling, defending and shooting, the team that has the faster pla...
The history of field hockey may date back to 4,000 years ago, when ancient Egyptians played a similar game with a small ball and a long stick. The modern game of field hockey took shape in England in the late 18th century. It w...
Field hockey resembles ice hockey played on an open field, as teams try to shoot a ball into a goal cage. A goalie works to keep balls from going into the goal net. Field players tend to wear less equipment than the goalkeeper ...
Field hockey pits two teams of 11 players against each other in a contest to see who can score the most goals within a set amount of time divided into two halves. Players score goals by hitting a ball past the goaltender into t...
Both men and women play field hockey, which is a popular international sport. Although basic equipment is the same for both men’s and women’s field hockey, women need items that fit their height and body type. For e...
Field hockey can provide a highly beneficial aerobic workout for both children and adults. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, recommended fi...
The International Hockey Federation (FIH), the world governing body for field hockey, was founded in Paris in 1924, but the origins of the sport date to ancient cultures across the world. Today, the FIH has 127 member countries...
Field hockey equipment can be a serious investment depending on the position played and whether you buy new or used. Fielders need, at a minimum, athletic shoes, shin guards, a mouth guard and a stick, which can total more than...
Field hockey is a popular women's sport. The rules of field hockey are created by the International Hockey Federation. However, modifications are made to high school level games. These rules are made by the National Federation ...
While the exact origins of the sport a field hockey are not known, cultures throughout history have played ball and stick games similar to field hockey for thousands of years. The modern game of field hockey was begun in Englan...
The equipment used in field hockey has evolved over time, with players in the 1800s using leather-covered cricket balls and today's enthusiasts utilizing balls made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, that don't absorb moisture as...
For centuries, people have enjoyed the sports of field hockey and lacrosse. Current evidence suggests that field hockey likely originated in Egypt more than 4,000 years ago. On the other hand, lacrosse is thought to be one of t...
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) oversees the Field Hockey World Cup, also called the Hockey World Cup and the Hockey World Championships. The event began in 1971 and originally reoccurred every 2 years. Beginning in ...
In field hockey, the only time any part of the body should touch the ball occurs if you are the goalkeeper. If any other player makes contact with her feet, hands or other body parts and the ball advances, the umpire may call ...
When it comes to field hockey, the defensive team works to keep the other team from scoring. One of the ways defensive players do this is by tackling the ball. If you have a mental picture of a football team dog-piling the off...
Raised balls in field hockey are a part of the game, but players must use them correctly. According to field hockey rules, a player may not raise the ball in a dangerous way. So what does the term "dangerous way" mean? This is...
Every sport uses penalties to promote fair play and minimize unfair advantages. When it comes to free hits in field hockey, the umpires use their discretion and interpretation to determine the penalty. Typically, an umpire awa...
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) oversees the Field Hockey World Cup, also called the Hockey World Cup and the Hockey World Championships. The event began in 1971 and originally reoccurred every 2 years. Beginning in 1...
Prior to the introduction of the Indian dribble, players predominately guided their field hockey sticks with their right hand. In 1956, the Indian and Pakistani teams introduced a technique where a player rapidly moved the bal...
Field hockey sticks are as individual as the players who use them. Forwards likely want a stick that feels very different from a stick used by defenders. Field hockey players should look at several different sticks before deci...
When it comes to penalty corners in field hockey, the location of the foul is more important than the type of foul. An umpire awards a penalty corner to the offensive--or attacking--team when the defending team causes a foul l...
The only permanent position in field hockey is the goalie. The other players divide into three basic categories: attackers, midfielders and defenders. While all three play defense, the defenders in field hockey work to keep th...
The field hockey formations you use may depend on your view of the field. Using a zone system often helps players stay in their areas, and it covers more of the field regardless of field positions. One way to use the zone divi...
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 ...
