Question

Functional rules of Hockey.

Answer 1

The rules of the hockey game are developed and modified time to time only by International Hockey Federation to add glamour and excitement in the match. 

These rules can be understood as given below.

Teams 

Each team consists of 16 players, out of which 11 players play on the field at a time, which includes ten regular players and one goal keeper. Five substitution players remain on the sideline. In rare circumstances, a team will choose to pull its goal keeper off the field in exchange for an extra field player. The players on the sideline can be used as substitutes for any of the players on the field at any given time.

Coin Toss 

Before the start of the match, the umpire tosses a coin. The home team gets to choose whether it wants heads or tails. The team that wins the toss gets its choice of either possession of the ball at the start or the side of the field to defend.

Positions 

Positions in field hockey are not absolute. Generally, teams arrange players for defence, midfield, and attack. Many teams include a single player as the last defender called sweeper. Sweeper acts as a last line of defense in front of the goal keeper. The minimum number of players needed for a game is nine, including the goal keeper.

Goal Keeper 

Goal keeper is the last defender of a team and shall have distinguished jersey colour than that of teammates. A full protected goal keeper cannot leave the side’s defensive 25 yards (23m) line during play, unless the goal keeper is defending a penalty stroke.

The player who is substituted as a goalkeeper must wear a helmet, a thigh pad and sometimes a shoe protector. If the team wants an additional player in the place of a goal keeper, then the goalkeeper designated player must wear different coloured jersey and cannot use their feet or hands outside the 23 meter mark.

Handling Hockey Stick 

The head part of a hockey stick is hooked. The right-hand side of the stick is rounded, while the left-hand side is flat. The ball can be played only with the flat, left-handed side of the stick, or with its edge. The ball cannot be played with the rounded side of stick. This is natural for right-handed players and unnatural for left-handed players. Left-handed sticks are not allowed to be used in games.

Hitting the Ball 

To make a legal hit to the right without using the rounding side of the stick, a player must turn the stick over the ball and use the flat side. Taking a hit by reversing the stick head, turning the handle approximately 180 degrees over the ball and striking the ball with a left-to-right swing with the flat side of the stick is called reverse hit.

Dribbling 

Keeping the ball under close control is called dribbling. Dribbling is used while running with possession of the ball. It helps a player to move away from the opposing players for a chance to pass or to hit on goal. Other essential skills for playing field hockey are the ability to control, pass, push, stop, and shoot the ball with the stick.

Foot Foul 

Field Hockey players are not allowed to use their feet, or any other body part, to control the ball. If the ball hits a player’s foot, the umpire will either award the other team a free hit or let the game continue if the other team gains an advantage. Only the goalkeeper is allowed to use hands, feet, and body to stop or strike the ball.

Air Ball 

The ball is allowed to be lifted in the air as long as the referee does not consider the play to be ‘dangerous.’ The umpire will make a call if the ball could potentially hit or injure another player. The general rule is that the ball should not be lifted above the knee within five meters of another player. An exception to this rule is when the ball is raised by using a scooping or long-pushing action of the stick, or when there are no players in the same proximity as the ball. The ball cannot be hit into the air unless it is a direct shot on goal.

Scoring 

There are three different ways to score a goal in field hockey. 

1. Field goal: A goal can only be scored if the shot is taken within the ‘shooting circle’, a semi-circular area in front of the opponent’s goal. The shooting circle is also known as the ‘D’ for the defensive team. The ball must be touched by a player of either team inside the circle for it to count as a goal.

2. Penalty Corner: A penalty corner is awarded when the defensive team breaks certain rules inside the ‘D’, or when a defender commits an intentional offense outside the circle but within the 25 yards (23 metres) area. Teams generally have a set play for short corner. A short corner is the best opportunity to score a goal in field hockey, because the offensive team attacks with more number of players than the defensive team.

The following procedure should be applied to execute a penalty corner during the match. 

• Play is stopped for a penalty corner to allow time for both teams to set up its respective attack and defense positions. 
• Defensive team is allowed to put five defenders including the goal keeper on the end line. 
• The rest of the defensive team must stay behind the center line until the ball is pushed out by the offensive player. 
• One of the attackers will stand on the end line 11 yards (10 meters) away from the goal called ‘pusher’, and who pushes the ball out to the attackers on top of the shooting circle. 
• The ball is stopped by one of the waiting attacking team players called ‘stopper’, standing on the 16 yards circle. The stopper will stop the ball for the team mate to either hit or to drag the ball into goal. 
• In order to count a goal during a penalty corner, the ball must travel outside the shooting circle before hitting the ball into the goal. The receiver will then push the ball back into the circle for a shot to be taken. The shot has to be taken from inside the marked circle for the goal to count. 
• Fouls during penalty corner 
• If the first shot into the goal during penalty corner is a hard hit and the ball is lifted in the air above the backboard, the goal will not be counted. 
• To avoid the foul during penalty corner, the attacker must take push or scoop or flick shots in the goal. Even if the ball is lifted in the air due to push or scoop or flick shots, a goal is scored. On the international level, the ‘drag flick’ is the most popular type of lifted shot during the penalty corner.

3. Penalty Stroke: A penalty stroke is a single shot taken on goal by an offensive player chosen by the team. The goalkeeper is the only opposing player that can defend this shot. A stroke may be awarded for a number of reasons. The most common reason for a stroke to be taken is when a defender commits a foul that directly prevents a goal from being scored.

The shot is taken from a spot referred to as the penalty stroke mark. It is located 7 yards (6.4 meters) directly in front and center of the goal. Game play is stopped during the penalty stroke and all players must stand away and outside of 25 yards (23 metres) line. The player taking penalty stroke must push, flick or scoop the ball towards the goal and is permitted to raise the ball to any height.

Fouls during penalty Stroke: When the stick makes contact with the ball, it should make no distinct hitting noise; otherwise the umpire can disallow the penalty stroke.

Free Hits 

Free hits are awarded throughout the main part of the field for general offences by either team. 

The most common fouls that lead to free hits are: 

• Obstructing an opponent from playing the ball. 
• Interfering with the stick or body when tackling. 
• Kicking the ball with leg. 
• Playing the ball dangerously (including lifting the ball).

Procedure to take a free hit 

In a free hit, the ball possession is given to the opponent team where the offence took place. 

The ball is placed on the ground and a player will restart the action by passing it to a teammate, hitting the ball forward or backward, or through a self-pass (either by dribbling the ball or hitting it into space). All the opposing players must stand at least 5 yards from this player until the ball is put into play. 

If the ball is within the 25 yards area of a goal, the ball cannot be directly hit into the circle. The ball must travel 5 yards by dribbling or passing before it can be hit into the circle and shot at the goal.

Answer 2

Obstruction 

In most general terms, obstruction is called when the ball is shielded from an opposing player who is trying to get the ball. Players often use their own bodies or sticks to block the ball, but third party obstruction can also be called. Third party obstruction is called when an attacking player runs to block an opponent’s path (who is trying to get the ball) between a teammate who has possession of the ball.

Match Time 

An international match time is 60 minutes with four 15-minutequarter (first quarter 15m and 2m for rest, second quarter 15m and 10m for rest third quarter 15m and 2m for rest and fourth quarter 15m) for rest. The additional time out for penalty corners and after goals ensure that the new 60 minutes format is primarily the actual playing time and eliminates the dead time associated with penalty corner set up while allowing the teams to enjoy their goal celebration.

Penalty Shootout 

The team that scores the most goals within the match time is the winner. According to the International Hockey Federation, if no goals are scored during regulation time, the game will end in a tie or draw. In the Knock Out Tournament, the winner is decided on the basis of penalty shootout.

The penalty shootout will be taken under the following conditions—

1. The defending goalkeeper will stand behind his own goal line, between the goal post. 

2. The ball is placed on the nearest 23 m line in a position opposite the center of the goal. 

3. The umpire blows his whistle to signal the start of the shootout. The attacker and the goalkeeper may then move in any direction. 

4. An attacker will start from behind the 23 m line near the ball. 

5. The shootout is completed when any one of the following occur— 

(a) 8 seconds has elapsed 

(b) The attacker scores a goal 

(c) The attacker commits an offence 

(d) The goalkeeper commits an offence a goal shall be awarded 

(e) The ball goes out-of-play over the back line, this include the goalkeeper who may intentionally play the ball over the back line to end the shootout.

Umpires 

There are two umpires (or ‘referees’) in each game. Each umpire controls half of the field, although general play in the midfield can be called by either umpire.

An umpire can give a card to any player who has committed a repeated offence.

There are three types of cards: 

Green card: Temporarily suspends the player for a minimum of two minutes of playing time. 

Yellow card: Temporarily suspends the player for a minimum of five minutes of playing time. 

Red card: Permanently suspends the player from the match. 

If a player is suspended temporarily or permanently, then the team plays with the remaining players.

Umpire Calls 

The whistle is the umpire’s tool to enforce the rules of the game. 

The umpire blows the whistle to:

• start the first and second half of the game 
• start a bully • call a foul 
• start and end a penalty stroke 
• indicate a goal 
• restart a match after it has been stopped 
• stop a match to substitute players into the game 
• stop the match for an injury

The umpire uses the whistle to keep the game moving smoothly. The umpire will also use hand signals to indicate the specifics of the call. 

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