A very physically demanding sport, field hockey (or just ‘hockey’) is played all over the world.
Despite its popularity, hockey is not as lucrative as its ice-based relative, even with sizeable audiences when the Olympics rolls around.
The interest in hockey from a betting perspective piques around the Olympics. Played at a high pace and with drama aplenty, it’s an easy sport to get into as a spectator.
While there are several key rules to follow, the foundational concept of the sport is a lot more intuitive than others. If you’re considering trying your hand at hockey live betting, make sure you are familiar with how the rules and scoring work:
History
Games with balls and curved sticks have been played for literally thousands of years. Bans were placed on games similar to hockey during the Middle Ages.
By the 1800s, organisations started to form to set regulations for hockey and its sporting siblings in stone. This was when we first saw the structure of field hockey we know of today.
Versions of the sport first appeared in England in the mid-18th century, but field hockey wasn’t properly established until the following century. Blackheath in London was the home of the first ever hockey club in 1849, and the sport has been played all over the world since then.
Pakistan recognises field hockey as its national sport, while it was also the national sport of India until a government department decided against having a national sport.
Rules
The aim of hockey is to score more goals than the opponent during the game. A hooked stick is used by players to dribble, pass, and shoot the ball.
Hockey teams are made up of 11 players (10 outfielders and a goalkeeper). Five substitutes are allowed, and teams are allowed to make rolling subs throughout the game.
Players are usually categorised between defence, midfield, and attack. Goalkeepers are covered in protective equipment, and they are the only player on the team allowed to contact the ball with any part of their body.
Formations vary between teams depending on their style of play and the strengths of their team.
Players must only use the flat side of their hockey stick. A backstick violation will result in possession being given to the other team. Players must only dribble or move the ball with their stick.
Hockey matches last 60 minutes with four periods of 15 minutes. The clock is stopped whenever the ball is dead, so matches take much longer than the hour of in-play time.
Fouls in hockey see the other team awarded a free hit, penalty corner, or penalty strokes. Free hits are the equivalent of a free kick in football, meaning a team has committed a foul outside of the circle.
Penalty strokes are when a foul has stopped a certain goal being scored. Penalty corners are for fouls in the circle that did not necessarily prevent a goal – the defensive team cannot have more than five players defending the goal.
Scoring
Any hockey team is aiming to score more goals than their opponent in the 60 minutes of play. A goal is only counted if the ball crosses the line from a strike inside the Dee.
If a game is level after normal time, it can either be declared a tie, go to extra time, or a penalty shootout.
Penalty corners and penalty strokes are the best opportunities for teams to score in field hockey.
Pitch Size & Dimensions
Hockey pitches are rectangular, measuring 55 metres wide and 91.4 metres long. Astroturf is predominantly used for modern pitches, with a variety of sand and water bases used.
A centreline splits the pitch in half. Each half is then divided by another line. There is a striking circle around each goal with a diameter of 14.63 metres. All goals must be scored from inside the striking circle.
Equipment
A field hockey ball is very hard and roughly 73 millimetres (or 2.9 inches) in diameter.
Hockey sticks feature a long handle with a curved head and cannot weigh more than 737 grams. The curved head must only be flat on one side.
Most Successful Countries at the Olympics
Since field hockey was first played in the 1908 Olympics, it has been a part of every Games other than 1912 and 1924. Women’s hockey was first played at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
India have won the most hockey gold medals with eight. The Netherlands have the highest medal tally with 18. Australia and Great Britain have won 13 medals apiece, putting them two ahead of India.
Despite their overall success, India have not medalled in the Olympics since 1980. The Netherlands have played in the women’s gold medal match in the last four Games, winning four of them.
Germany have made the men’s semifinals or better in five consecutive Games.
