subject: Hockey The Sporting Game [print this page] Hockey is not dissimilar to football but instead of the players using their feet they use a hockey stick. A hockey stick has a rounded head to help manoeuvre the ball in to the goals at the end of the pitch.
The traditional hockey pitch is ninety one point four meters by fifty five meters. Hockey or as it is sometimes known, field Hockey is an eleven a side game.
The hockey team is made up of Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers. Like with football, the only player on the field who is allowed to use their feet and hands as well as their stick is the goalkeeper.
It is believed that hockey started in almost 200 years ago by cricketers looking for a winter sport different to football, but the term Hockey has been recorded as early as 1363. Blackheath Football and Hockey Club was the first organised club.
Teddington, a London club was instrumental in the standardising some of the rules as well as introducing a spherical ball, in opposed to a rubber cube. The most influential rule created by them was the striking circle which was taken on by the men's Hockey Association in 1886. The women's hockey association was not founded till 1895. Hockey spread in the early twentieth century mainly due to the war.
The hockey season in the UK lasts from September to May. The game is now played on artificial grass and it is much more consistent than the field kind, which was generally in days gone by, a reincarnated cricket pitch.
The game of Hockey is played widely across the world. In the UK it is a popular family orientated sport played at all levels . The game is well thought of in many schools, particularly in the independent sector and offers a lifetime of both sporting and social opportunities. As with any international sport the rules are enough to fill a book, but below are some key ones to give you an idea of the game.
Your left hand should always be above the right when dribbling, shooting or passing.
The ball must not be raised or lifted towards another player.
The Ball can only be hit with the flat side of the stick.
Sticks should be kept well below shoulder height at all times.
The ball is pushed or flicked with your hands and your knees apart.
The ball is hit with two hands placed together on the upper part of the.
The ball can be dribbled by running with it on the end of the stick.
The ball cannot be played with either the feet or the hand.
Sticks cannot be used to hit other players and should not be swung dangerously.
The goalie can use his feet and body to stop the ball.
There are many more but these give you some key points to watch out for when watching a game of hockey. The two key positions in hockey are the defenders and the attackers. It is said that all players on the team in possession of the ball are defenders, and those on the team without the ball are attackers, so for the duration of the game you are always attacking your goal and defending the opposite goal.
The match is umpired by up to eight officials, and these are generally assisted by a timekeeper and a record keeper. A coin is tossed at the beginning of the game and the winner picks which end of the playing field they would like to start. The game is divided in to four parts of thirty five minutes each.
Hockey is a great sport to get kids involved in as it is a very competitive team sport, which can encourage the development of social and personal skills in any child. As a competitive team sport a high level of fitness and loyalty for your team are key traits for a dedicated hockey player.
