The Rules of Field Hockey

What is field hockey?

Field hockey is a team sport played with curved sticks and a small, hard ball. 🏑 Two teams of eleven players push, dribble and hit the ball along the ground, trying to score in the other team's goal.

It is one of the oldest team sports in the world and is played by boys and girls everywhere.

The aim of the game

Your team wants to score more goals than the other team. You score by getting the ball into the other team's goal. The team that stops the most goals and scores the most wins.

Each team also has a goalkeeper who guards the goal and is the only player allowed to use their body to stop the ball.

The shooting circle

Here is a special rule that makes hockey different. You cannot score from anywhere on the pitch. A goal only counts if the ball is hit or touched by an attacker inside a curved area in front of the goal called the shooting circle (or "the D" because of its shape).

Why? This rule keeps players from just hitting long shots from far away. It rewards teams that work the ball close to the goal with good passing.

Using the stick

The hockey stick has a flat side and a rounded side. You may only play the ball with the flat (front) side. Hitting with the rounded back is a foul.

You move the ball in three main ways:

1. Dribbling — guiding the ball along with the flat of the stick as you run.
2. Pushing — keeping the stick on the ball and pushing it to a teammate.
3. Hitting — a stronger strike to pass far or shoot.

No feet and no hands

This is a key rule: outfield players must not touch the ball with their feet or hands. Only the stick is allowed.

If the ball hits your foot, the referee usually gives the other team a free hit. The only player allowed to use their body and feet is the goalkeeper, and only inside the circle.

Fouls and safety

Hockey uses a hard ball and sticks, so safety rules matter:

• Do not raise your stick dangerously near other players, especially near heads.
• Do not hit, hook or hold another player's stick.
• Do not push, trip or block an opponent with your body.
• Dangerous play — like a wild, high swing — is a foul.

When a foul happens, the other team usually gets a free hit. Fouls inside the circle can lead to a penalty corner, a special set-up close to goal.

Starting and restarting play

A game starts with a pass back from the centre of the pitch. When the ball goes off the side line, the other team pushes it back in along the ground. The game is played in quarters with short breaks.

Why the rules work

The flat-stick rule and the no-feet rule make players use real skill with the stick. The shooting circle rewards teamwork and good passing instead of lucky long shots. Together these rules make hockey a fast game of control and cooperation.

Practice activity: stick-and-cone dribble

Try this safe dribbling game with friends and an adult helper:

1. Place a line of cones (or shoes) about one big step apart.
2. Using only the flat side of the stick, dribble the ball in and out of the cones.
3. Keep the stick low and the ball close — no swinging it up high.
4. Time each player, then try to beat your own time.
5. Finish by passing the ball to a partner using a gentle push along the ground.

This builds control, the flat-side habit and safe low-stick play. Always keep heads and feet away from swinging sticks.

Now you know the rules

You understand goals, the shooting circle, the flat stick and safe play. Grab a hockey stick and a ball and practise dribbling!

Want more sports rules? Read The Rules of Soccer for Beginners, and learn about Teamwork and Sportsmanship.