In England, hockey has been played since the 18th century in primary schools and was well established from the mid-19th century. 

Field hockey is governed by the International hockey federation. It represents both the men and women at the international level in many competitions. Hockey is played in Olympic games, World league, Champion trophy, and junior world cup. The FIH formulates the rules of hockey. There are various types of hockey games such as rink hockey, ice hockey, field hockey, and bandy. 

In the majority of countries in the world, hockey refers to field hockey. But in countries like Canada, the United States, Russia, and many countries in Eastern and northern Europe, hockey men’s ice hockey. 

While playing the game, only goalkeepers are allowed to touch the ball with any part of the body. Other players can only play with the ball using the flat side of the stick. The player’s hand is also considered as the part of the stick while the player is holding it. If the round part of the stick gets touched with the ball then it is considered a penalty. Goalkeepers are also not allowed to play with the back of their hockey stick. 

How the hockey match starts

The match of hickey begins with the toss of a coin. The team that wins the toss can decide the goal to attack in the first two quarters or to begin the match with a center pass. 

How to score a goal

When the ball gets over the goal line completely and under the crossbar from the striking circle then the goal is said to be scored. 

The area that comes under the quadrant arc 14.63m from the goal line is known as a striking circle. The maximum scoring team wins the match. The match is said to be drawn when both the teams score equal goals. 

Free hit

The team gets a free hit when the opposing team comes up with a foul. During the free hit, the ball should be kept still and the opponents should stand at a distance of 5 meters from the ball. 

Violation of these rules can cause you a loss of points. 

The basic rule of hockey 

• The hockey player can hit the ball using the flat side of the hockey stick. 
• The player cannot touch, hit or hold the ball with any part of their body or their feet. 
• You are not allowed to wear jewelry and use shin guards and mouth guards. 
• On the hockey ground, 10 players can play together with one goalie.
• The game of hockey lasts for 60 minutes, in two halves of 30 minutes each. 

In this article, you will get to read about the rules of hockey. Hockey is played in many parts of the country and also at the national and international levels. You should follow the basic rules to play hockey.