Hockey

Player: One of the participants in a team.

Team: A team consists of a maximum of sixteen persons composed of a

maximum of eleven players on the field and up to five substitutes.

Field player: One of the participants on the field other than the goal
keeper.

Goalkeeper: One of the participant of the each team on the field who
wears full protective equipment comprising at least head gear, leg
guards and kickers and who is also permitted to wear goalkeeping hand
protectors and other protective equipment.

Attack (Attacker): The team (player) which (who) is trying to score a

goal.

Defence (Defender): The team (player) which (who) is trying to prevent

a goal being scored.

Back- line: The shorter (55 meters) perimeter line.

Side line: The longer (91.40 meters) perimeter line.

Goal line: The back line between the goal posts.

Circle: The area enclosed by and including the two quarter circles and
the lines joining them at each end of the field opposite the center of the
back lines.

23Meters area: The area enclosed by and including the line across the
field 22.90 meters from each back- line, the relevant part of the side-
lines, and the back-line.

Playing the ball: Field player: Stopping, Deflecting, or moving the ball
with the stick.
Shot at goal: The action of an attacker attempting to score by playing the
ball towards the goal from within the circle.

The ball may miss the goal but the action is still a “shot at goal” if the
player’s intention is to score with a shot directed towards the goal.

Hit: Striking the ball using a swinging movement of the stick towards the
ball.

Push: Moving the ball along the ground using pushing movement of the
stick after the stick has been placed close to the ball. When a push is
made, both the ball and the head of the stick are in contact with the
ground.

Flick: Pushing the ball so that it is raised off the ground.

Scoop: Raising the ball off the ground by placing the head of the stick
under the ball and using a lifting movement.

Playing distance: The distance with in which a player is capable of

reaching the ball to play it.

Tackle: An action to stop an opponent retaining possession of the ball.

Offence: An action contrary to the rules which may be penalized by an

umpire.

Captains:

1] One player of each team must be appointed as caption.

2] A replacement captain must be appointed when a captain is

suspended.

3] Captain must wear a distinctive arm-band or similar distinguishing

article on an upper arm or shoulder.
 4] Captain is responsible for the behavior of all players on their team and
foe ensuring that substitutions of players on their team are carried out
correctly.

Player’s clothing and equipment:

- Field players of the same team must wear uniform clothing.

- Players must not wear anything which is dangerous to other players.

Field players:

- Are permitted to wear gloves for protection which do not increase the
natural size of the hands significantly;

- Are recommended to wear shin, ankle and mouth protection;

- Are permitted to wear throughout a match for medical reason s only a

smooth preferably transparent or white but otherwise single colored
face mask which closely fit the face, soft protective head covering or eye
protection in the form of plastic goggles (i.e. goggles with a soft covered
frame and plastic lenses); the medical reason must be assessed by an
appropriate authority and the player concerned must understand the
possible implications of playing with the medical condition;

Match and result

- A match consists of Four periods of 15 minutes and a half time interval

of 5 minutes.
- The team scoring the most goals is the winner; if no goals are scored, or
if the teams score an equal number of goals, the match is drawn.

Start and re-start the match

 A coin is tossed:

The team which wins the toss has the choice of which goals to attack in
the first half of the match or start the match with a center pass.

If the team winning the toss chooses which goal to attack in the first half
of the match, the opposing team starts the match.

If the team winning the toss chooses to start the match, the opposing
team has the choice of which goal to attack in the first half of the match.

Direction of play is reversed in the second half of the match.

A center pass is taken:

- To start the match by a player from the team winning the toss if they
chose this option: otherwise by a player from the opposing team.
- To re-start the match after half –time by a player of the team which did
not take the center pass to start the match.
- After a goal by a player of the team against which the goal was scored.

Talking a center pass:

- Taken at the center of the field

- It is permitted to play the ball in any direction
- All players other than the player talking the center pass must be in the
half of the field which includes the goal they are defending.

A bully takes place to re-start a match when time or play has been
stopped for any injury or for any other reason and no penalty has been
awarded:

A bully is taken close to the location of the ball when play was stopped
but not within 15 meters of the back line.

The ball placed between one player from each team who face each
other with the goal they are defending to their right
 The two players start with their stick on the ground to the right of the
ball and then tap of the flat face of their sticks together once just over
the ball after which either player is permitted play the ball.

All other player must be at least 5 meters from the ball.

Ball outside the field

- The ball is out of play when it passes completely over the side line or
back line.
- Play is restarted by a player of the team which was not the last team to
touch or play the ball before it went out of play.
- When the ball travels over the side-line, play is restarted where the ball
crossed the line and the procedure for taking a free it apply.

Method of scoring

- A goal is scored when the ball is played within the circle by an attacker
and does not travel outside the circle before passing completely over the
goal- line and under the cross bar.
- protective headgear but may remove the headgear and take part in the
match anywhere on the field. Protective headgear must be worn by a
player with goalkeeping privileges when defending a penalty corner or
penalty stroke.

Conduct of play: umpires

- Two umpires control the match, apply the Rules and are the judges of
fair play.
- Each umpire has primary responsibility for decisions in one half of the
field for the duration of the match.
- Each umpire is responsible for decisions on free hits in the circle, penalty
corners, penalty strokes and goals in one half of the field.
- Umpires are responsible for keeping a written record of goals scored and
of warning or suspension cards used. Umpires are responsible for
ensuring that the full time is played and for indicating the end of time for
each half and for the completion of a penalty corner if a half is
prolonged.

Umpires blow the whistle to:

a] start and end each half of the match

b] Start a bully
c] Enforce a penalty
d] Start and end a penalty stroke
e] Indicate a goal
f] Re-start the match after a goal has been scored
g] Re-start the match after a penalty stroke when a goal was not scored
h] Stop the match for the substitution onto or off the field of a fully
equipped goalkeeper and to restart the match on completion of the
substitution
i] Stop the match for any other reason and to re-start it
j] Indicate, when necessary, that the ball has passed wholly outside the
field.
Umpires must not coach during a match.
If the ball strikes an umpire, unauthorized person or any loose object
on the field, play continues.

Penalties
Advantage: a penalty is awarded only when a player or team has been
disadvantaged by an opponent breaking the Rules.
If awarding a penalty is not an advantage to the team which did not
break the Rules, play must continue.
A free hit is awarded to the opposing team:
A for an offence by any player between the 23 meters areas
B for an offence by an attacker within the 23 meters area their
opponents are defending
C for an unintentional offence by a defender outside the circle but
within the 23 meters area they are defending.

A penalty corner is awarded:

A for an offence by a defender in the circle which does not prevent the
probable scoring of a goal
B for an intentional offence in the circle by a defender against an
opponent who does not have possession of the ball or an
opportunity to play the ball
C for an intentional offence by a defender outside the circle but
within the 23 meters area they are defending
D for intentionally playing the ball over the back-line by a defender
Goalkeepers or players with goalkeeping privileges are permitted to
deflect the ball with their stick, protective equipment or any part of
their body in any direction including over the back-line.
E when the ball becomes lodged in a player’s clothing or equipment
while in the circle they are defending.

Taking a penalty corner:

A the ball is placed on the back-line inside the circle at least 10 meters
from the goal-post on whichever side of the goal the attacking team
prefers
B an attacker pushes or hits the ball without intentionally raising it
C the attacker taking the push or hit from the back-line must have at
least one foot outside the field

D the other attackers must be on the field, outside the circle with sticks,
hands and feet not touching the ground inside the circle

E no defender or attacker other than the attacker taking the push or

hit from the back-line is permitted to be within 5 meters of the
ball when the push or hit is taken
F not more than five defenders, including the goalkeeper or player with
goalkeeping privileges if there is one, must be positioned behind the
back-line with their sticks, hands and feet not touching the ground
inside the field.

If the team defending a penalty corner has chosen to play only with
field players, none of the defenders referred to above has
goalkeeping privileges.

G the other defenders must be beyond the centre-line

H until the ball has been played, no attacker other than the one taking
the push or hit from the back-line is permitted to enter the circle and
no defender is permitted to cross the centre-line or back-line

I after playing the ball, the attacker taking the push or hit from the
back-line must not play the ball again or approach within playing
distance of it until it has been played by another player

J a goal cannot be scored until the ball has travelled outside the circle

K if the first shot at goal is a hit (as opposed to a push, flick or scoop),
the ball must cross the goal-line, or be on a path which would have
resulted in it crossing the goal- line, at a height of not more than 460
mm (the height of the backboard) before any deflection, for a goal to
be scored.

The penalty corner is completed when:

A a goal is scored

B a free hit is awarded to the defending team

C the ball travels more than 5 meters outside the circle

D the ball is played over the back-line and a penalty corner is not
awarded

E a defender commits an offence which does not result in another

penalty corner

F a penalty stroke is awarded

G a bully is awarded.

If play is stopped because of an injury or for any other reason

during the taking of a penalty corner at the end of a prolonged first or
second half and a bully would otherwise be awarded, the penalty
corner must be taken again.

For substitution purposes and for completion of a penalty corner at

half-time and full-time, the penalty corner is also completed when
the ball travels outside the circle for the second time.

A penalty stroke is awarded:

A for an offence by a defender in the circle which prevents the probable

scoring of a goal

B for an intentional offence in the circle by a defender against an

opponent who has possession of the ball or an opportunity to play
the ball

Taking a penalty stroke:

A time and play is stopped when a penalty stroke is awarded

B all players on the field other than the player taking the stroke and the
player defending it must stand outside the 23 meters area and must
not influence the taking of the stroke.

C the ball is placed on the penalty spot.

D the player taking the stroke must stand behind and within
playing distance of the ball before beginning the stroke

E the player defending the stroke must stand with both feet on the
goal-line and must not leave the goal-line or move either foot until
the ball has been played

F if the player defending the stroke is a goalkeeper or player with

goalkeeping privileges, they must wear protective headgear; if the
player defending the stroke is otherwise taking part in the game as a
field player, they may wear only a face mask as protective equipment.

If the team defending a penalty stroke has chosen to play only with
field players and not to use a substitute goalkeeper or player with
goalkeeping privileges to defend the penalty stroke, the
defender may only use their stick to make a save.

G the whistle is blown when the player taking the stroke and the player
defending it are in position

H the player taking the stroke must not take it until the whistle has
been blown

The player taking the stroke or the player defending it must not
delay the taking of the stroke.

I the player taking the stroke must not feint at playing the ball

J the player taking the stroke must push, flick or scoop the ball and is
permitted to raise it to any height Using a ‘dragging’ action to play
the ball at a penalty stroke is not permitted.

K the player taking the stroke must play the ball only once and must
not subsequently approach either the ball or the player defending the
stroke.

The penalty stroke is completed when:

A a goal is scored or awarded

B the ball comes to rest inside the circle, lodges in the goalkeeper’s
equipment, is caught by the goalkeeper or player with goalkeeping
privileges, or goes outside the circle.

E for an offence by a player of the defending team and a goal is not

scored: the penalty stroke is taken again

F for an offence by a player of the attacking team other than the player
taking the stroke and a goal is scored: the penalty stroke is taken
again.

Personal penalties

For any offence, the offending player may be:

A cautioned (indicated by spoken words)

B warned (indicated by a green card)

C temporarily suspended for a minimum of 5 minutes of playing time

(indicated by a yellow card)

For the duration of each temporary suspension of a player on or off

the field, the offending team plays with one less player.

D permanently suspended from the current match (indicated by a red

card).

UMPIRING

1 Objective

1.1 Umpiring hockey is a challenging but rewarding way to

participate in the game.
1.2 Umpires contribute to the game by:

A] Helping to raise the standard of the game at all levels by

ensuring that players observe the Rules

B] Ensuring that every game is played in the right spirit

C] Helping to increase the enjoyment of the game for players,

spectators, and others.

1.3 These objectives can be achieved by umpires being:

A] Consistent: umpires maintain the respect of players by being

consistent

B] Fair: decisions must be made with a sense of justice and

integrity

C] Prepared: no matter how long an umpire has been officiating,

it is important to prepare thoroughly for every match

D] Focused: concentration must be maintained at all times;

nothing must be allowed to distract an umpire

E] Approachable: a good understanding of the Rules must be

combined with a good rapport with the players

F] Better: umpires must aim to become even better with each

and every match

g] Natural: an umpire must be themselves, and not imitate

another person, at all times.

1.4 Umpires must:

A] Have a thorough knowledge of the Rules of Hockey but
remember that the spirit of the Rule and common sense must
govern interpretation

B] Support and encourage skilful play, deal promptly and firmly

with offences and apply the appropriate penalties

C] Establish control and maintain it throughout the match

D] Use all the available tools for control

E] Apply the advantage Rule as much as possible to assist a

flowing and open match but without losing control.

Applying the rules

2.1 Protecting skilful play and penalizing offences:

A] The relative seriousness of an offence must be identified and

serious offences such as dangerous or rough play dealt with
early and firmly in a match

B] Intentional offences must be penalized firmly

C] Umpires must demonstrate that if players co-operate, skilful

play will be protected and the match will be interrupted only
when essential for its proper conduct.

Umpiring skills

The main umpiring skill areas are:

A] Match preparation

b] Co-operation

C] Mobility and positioning

D] Whistling

e] Signaling.
 Flag-posts:

a] flag-posts are between 1.20 and 1.50 meters in height

b] flag-posts are placed at each corner of the field
c] flag-posts must not be dangerous
d] if unbreakable, flag-posts must be attached to a spring base
e] flag-posts carry flags, not exceeding 300 mm in width or length.

Stick
The total weight of the stick must not exceed 737 grams.

Ball
3.1 The ball:
A] is spherical
B] Has a circumference of between 224 mm and 235 mm
C] Weighs between 156 grams and 163 grams
D] Is made of any material and colored white (or an agreed colour
which contrasts with the playing surface)
E] is hard with a smooth surface but indentations are permitted.