Field Hockey as a Hobby

 

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The game of hockey, or field hockey as It is sometimes called, originated thousands of years ago and now many people play Field Hockey as a Hobby. It's traditionally played on grass, but may be played on a variety of surfaces including gravel and sand-based or water-based artificial turf. Commonly hockey is currently played on artificial surfaces - especially at the higher levels such as the Olympics. In fundamental terms, hockey is a two-team sport which sees each team using curved sticks to maneuver a small hard ball about the pitch - the ultimate goal being to get the ball to the goal.

Hockey Teams

11 players make up a hockey team, and each team is allowed up to five substitutes. The rules associated with substitutions are not as rigid as some sports, as hockey teams may make as many substitutions as they like during a game.

Hockey Player positions

The positions in a baseball team could be broadly categorized as defenders, midfielders, and attackers. These are known as the 'field players', We also have goalkeepers who happen to be the only players with a pre-determined role, the area players stick to attacking or defending, with the midfielders joining in both roles!

Hockey Stickhandling

Stick Handling, or 'stick work,' is a vital hockey skill. A good hockey player needs to be able to control the ball, pass it, shoot and of course dribble. Hockey sticks have a round side and a flat side, and players are only permitted to touch the ball with the flat side - that is why, in a high-tempo game, the art of stick-work is essential.

Air ball!

During General hockey play, players are not allowed to hit the ball high in the air. The ball could be raised by scooping, but it's at the referee's discretion whether this represents dangerous play. Players aren't allowed to play the ball if it is above shoulder height unless they are attempting to block a shot on goal. Shots on goal tend to be raised as this is the very best means of scoring goals.

Hockey Scoring Rules

Scoring in hockey can only be done in a couple of ways: from a Field Goal, Penalty Corner or Penalty Stroke.

Hockey Field Goals

'Field Goal' refers to a goal from open play, which can only be scored
from within the shooting circle.

Hockey - Penalty Corners

Penalty Corners are awarded when the defending team breaks a rule within the shooting circle. They may also be awarded if a defender commits a bad foul within the defending quarter of this area - represented by a line 23 metres from the goal. When a penalty corner is awarded, play is stopped and both teams place themselves in their various defense and attack positions. An attacker stands with the ball on the goal-line, with the remaining attackers usually positioned on the shooting circle. The defenders and goalie position themselves behind the goal-line in a penalty corner - ready to rush the attackers once the ball is pushed out to them. After the ball is pushed out, it has to leave the shooting circle before another attacker can touch it. The receiver can then push it in the circle to shoot themselves or set up another attacker to shoot.

Hockey - Penalty Strokes

Penalty Strokes are often given when a defender has committed a foul that prevented a goal being scored. Penalty strokes in hockey are very similar to penalty kicks in soccer, in that the attacker shoots unopposed, with only the goalkeeper to beat. The hockey 'penalty spot' is seven meters from goal.

Length of a hockey match

Hockey matches Are composed of two halves of 35 mins, and there is a half-time break of between 5 and ten mins. In some tournaments, a game that ends in a tie will go to extra time, where the first team to score is the winner.

Hockey Umpires

There are two umpires in every hockey game - each controlling their half of the pitch and Collaborating on decisions that happen in the center. There is a three card System for penalizing players in hockey. The umpire reveals a green card as a warning to the player. A yellow card suspends the receiver for a minimum of 5 minutes, and a red card excludes the player from the remainder of the match - with the team struggling to replace them with a substitute. 

 

 

 

 

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Related hobbies: Polo, Cricket

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