High school field hockey is played in two halves, 30 minutes each. Goal cages are 7 feet high, 12 feet wide, and 4 feet deep, and are equipped with boards on the back and sides. There are 11 players per side including the goalkeepers, and that’s without even getting started. Here’s a look at some more of the rules:
*The ball may only be only touched with the flat part of the stick (a hockey stick has a curved head and is rounded on one side, and flat on the other)
*Players are not allowed to shield the ball using their body or stick
*Players may not stop or deflect the ball using any part of their body
*Players may not hit or hook on to an opponents stick (this foul is more commonly known as hacking)
*Players may not raise the stick above waist level during the initiation of a hit or pass
*Free hits are awarded to the non-offending team after a foul has occurred
*If a foul is committed by the defense in the shooting circle then a short corner is awarded to the opposing team. For short corners, the ball is placed on the goal line, 10 yards from either goal post. An offending player hits the ball out to a teammate who stops in with in the boundary of the shooting circle. From then, a shot may be taken on cage.
The list of hockey rules could probably go on for pages but if you really want to know what it's all about, come out to a game!
