Playing the field

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Story Content

• Grass to astroturf
• Positions and scoring
• Rules and penalties

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While field hockey is related to its counterpart on ice, the strategies and flow of the game are very similar to soccer. Defence and positioning are the most important elements of field hockey, and the game is played on a pitch nearly the size of a soccer field. Those factors conspire to make field hockey a low-scoring affair, and it doesn't help that goals can be scored only from within the goal circle.

Changes for more offence

The sport by nature is not appealing to first-time viewers, and even terrific passing and ball control are only a draw to people familiar with field hockey.

However, the elimination of the offside rule in 1998 was designed to encourage offence and has led to more wide-open play with increased scoring.

In addition to the offside rule being eliminated, umpires have been instructed to avoid stopping the game for obstruction fouls and unintentional fouls, such as the ball touching the foot of a player if no benefit is gained.

The ball can now also be played with the edge of the stick, as opposed to only with the flat part of it allowing new ways to strike the ball at the goal. Another rule designed to speed up the game is the rolling substitution. In the past, players had to wait for a stoppage in play before they could come into the game, but now they can change while the game is in progress.

"Field hockey is a major sport internationally, but it didn't have a great television or North American appeal," says former Canadian national player Phyllis Ellis. "I think by the rule changes that have happened in the last couple of years the game has gone from sort of an insider game to a more international, soccer-like appeal."

Grass to Astroturf

Astroturf was introduced at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and has made quite a difference in play. When played on grass, both players and the ball moved slower and often had to play through divots. Astroturf increased speed, and the flow of the game improved dramatically.

"When you play on Astroturf, the environment does not play into the success rate of passing, stickhandling and so forth," says Ellis. "It becomes more about technique and technical skill than it does about the elements. So when you take away that element you just have a pure field."

The positions

Forwards, defenders, midfielders and goalkeepers make up the four positions in field hockey. Forwards are the offensive players who attempt to score goals and the defenders protect the net. Midfielders, as in soccer, are the link between defenders and forwards. They also can play a checking role as they try to clog the middle of the field. The goalkeeper is the last line of defence.

Depending on a team's particular strength, coaches can use different player alignments on the field. Common formations include three (forwards), four (midfielders), and three (defenders), or 4-4-2 and 5-3-2.

Scoring

Despite the recent emphasis on scoring, games are typically defensive, with attackers struggling to break free of defenders. Players patrol the pitch looking for open space to break free on offence while trying to maintain close proximity on the defensive side.

The top nations in field hockey usually possess one or two game-breakers: superbly talented players who can make the difference by using their speed to find open space and take full advantage of the rare chances to score.

Capitalizing on penalty corners and penalties can also affect the outcome— another similarity to soccer. Scoring chances are rare, so the best teams consistently cash in on these scoring opportunities.

Rules

Field hockey is a hybrid of ice hockey and soccer. The main equipment is pure hockey, sort of: a wooden or composite, hook-shaped stick similar to an ice hockey stick, only shorter. The field is pure soccer: a pitch soccer players would find familiar.

Each team must field 11 players, including a goalkeeper, while having a roster of 16. The game is played over two 35-minute halves and only attacking players can score when they are in the goal circle— a D-shaped arc that stretches 14.6 metres out from each goal.

Centre passes start each half and after each goal. The player stands on the centre spot and passes to a teammate at least one metre away. A coin toss determines who will take first possession with the other team starting the second half with possession.

Penalties

Players can only strike the ball with the flat side of the stick and can be penalized for intentionally hitting the ball with any other part of their bodies. Only the goalkeeper can use any part of his or her body to touch the ball.

Obstruction is called when players use their sticks or bodies to prevent another player from hitting the ball. The ball cannot be struck while in the air unless the player is taking a shot at the goal, and the sticks must be kept below the shoulder area.

The penalty for the above infractions is loss of possession of the ball, unless one of the two referees deems it to be a serious offence, in which case one of three coloured cards may be issued. A green card is a warning, a yellow card suspends the offending player for a minimum of five minutes, and a red card ejects the offending player.

Teams will now receive three points for a victory, following the format started in Sydney. It's an added incentive to play aggressively on offence instead of sitting back and settling for a tie, which is still worth one point. If teams are tied in points after the round-robin tournament, the first three tiebreakers are, in order: wins, goal differential and goals scored.