| About Hockey |
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Hockey is the oldest known stick-and-ball game (apart perhaps from Irish hurling, which dates back to pre-historic times). Historical records show that games resembling modern field hockey were played in various ancient civilizations, although it is not possible to know exactly when and where the game began. There are 4,000 year old drawings in Egypt of the game being played. While modern hockey appeared in the mid-18th century in England, primarily in schools, it was not until the first half of the 19th century that hockey became firmly established, the first club being created in 1849 at Blackheath in south-east London.
The game is played between two teams of eleven players over two 35-minute halves on a 100 × 60 yard (91.4 m × 55 m) rectangular field officiated by two umpires.
Each player carries a "stick", normally a little over 3 feet (90 centimetres) long and traditionally made of wood but now often made with fibreglass, kevlar and carbon fibre composites, with a rounded handle flattening out on one side and with a hook at the bottom. The flat side of the hook is used to push, dribble, or hit a hard plastic ball.
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Players are only permitted to play the ball with the flat side or edges of the stick. The flat side is always on the "natural" side for a right-handed person — there are no "left-handed" hockey sticks. If the ball is raised off the ground in a manner that is in the umpires opinion dangerous the ball is turned over to the other team and they receive a free hit from the point of contact.
At the highest level, hockey is a fast-moving, highly skilled sport, with players using fast moves with the stick, quick accurate passing, and hard hits, in attempts to keep possession and move the ball towards the goal. While physically tackling and otherwise obstructing players is not permitted, collisions are common, and the speed at which the ball travels along the ground (and sometimes through the air, which is legal if it is not judged dangerous by the umpire) requires the use of padded shin guards to prevent injury. Some of the tactics used resemble football (soccer), but with greater speed - the best players maneuver and score almost quicker than the eye can see.
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