In true HCX style we like to keep you well informed and up to date on all big events in the university calendar. So with the Hockey Varsity coming up in 3 short weeks (24th March to be precise) we thought it was about time to scrub up on the old rules. For all those hockey virgins out there ‘Hockey for Dummies’ will allow you to look like a pro without having to suffer for hours on end during cold winter months trudging around a muddy field with a gum shield and itchy woollen socks for company.
Firstly the basics:
Hockey consists of two teams, both 11 a side but with a 16 man squad. There are no limits on subs and the match lasts 70 minutes, 35 each way with no extra time.
[pagebreak]
Main Rules:
– You can’t hit feet
– You can’t hit each other’s sticks
– Hockey is [supposedly] non-contact
– The ball should be kept on the floor, unless deemed not dangerous.
– It is a right-handed only sport and you can only hit the ball with the flat side of the stick
-You can only score when in circle!
The card system is slightly different to football, with three main cards: Green, Yellow and Red.
Green is for minor fouls, you are allowed to stay on the pitch but it is a warning (two greens for the same foul equals a yellow).
Yellow cards are for ‘bad fouls’ and they equate to ten minutes in the sin bin.
And finally the harshest and rarest card, the Red card, resulting in a player being sent off for the rest of the game.
[pagebreak]
Finally, potentially the most complicated area to understand in hockey, the long and short corners. But fear not, once you grasp this concept it is plain sailing from then on…
Long corners:
When the ball goes off the edge of the pitch (near the attackers own goal) by the defender. The attacking team then plays the ball from the side of the pitch and every player must be 5m away from the ball. On top of this the ball must travel at least 5m before it can enter the circle.
Short Corner:
This happens when a foul is committed in the circle, all of the defending team except the goal keeper and 4 players have to go to the halfway line. The remaining 4 defenders and goalie then start on the goal line defending the ball. The attacking team injects the ball into the circle from the baseline, where they then attempt to score. (These tend to be the most exciting but also nerve-racking point in a game!)
So there you have it, the basic rules of hockey that are accessible to any audience. Now you know the rules you have no excuse not to cheer on the mighty green army in three weeks time up at the sports park. As the saying goes “Be there or be square!”
Photo credits: www.fih.com; www.marlboroughnewsonline.com