Two teams of eleven (ten players and a goalkeeper) use hooked sticks to move a small, hard ball and hit it into the other team's goal. The ball may only be played with the flat side of the stick.
How a goal is scored
A goal only counts if the ball is hit from inside the shooting circle, the D-shaped area in front of the goal. The team with more goals at the end wins. A full game is four quarters of 15 minutes.
Fouls and what they give
Using the feet or body to play the ball, playing it with the rounded back of the stick, swinging the stick dangerously, or blocking an opponent away from the ball. A foul gives the other team a free hit; a foul by defenders inside their own circle gives a penalty corner, a set move close to goal.
Rules children break first
Play the ball with the flat side only.
Keep the stick below the waist.
No kicking or stopping the ball with the feet.
Never swing the stick near another player.
At home you play with a soft ball
A tennis or soft ball and a plastic stick on a smooth yard: tapping, dribbling, stopping, passing against a wall and small games. The hard ball is for a club, with shin pads and a mouthguard.
Words you will hear (29, in plain language)
Stick
The hockey stick, with a curved hook at the bottom called the head.
Flat side
The head of the stick has a flat side, which is the only side allowed to play the ball, and a rounded back.
Grip
Left hand at the top of the stick, right hand lower down.
Tap
A small touch of the ball with the stick.
Dribble
Moving with the ball kept close to the stick with small taps.
Indian dribble
Moving the ball from side to side in front of you by turning the stick over.
Reverse side
Playing the ball on the left side by turning the stick over so the flat side faces left.
Push pass
A pass made by pushing the ball along the ground with the stick, without swinging it back.
Slap
A pass or shot with a swing of the stick.
Backswing
The stick going back before a hit, and carrying on toward the target after it.
Receive
Controlling a ball that comes to you, with the stick flat on the ground.
Side on
Standing with the shoulder, not the chest, toward the target.
Block tackle
Taking the ball from an opponent by putting the stick flat on the ground in its path.
Pull
Dragging the ball sideways across the body with one touch to go past a defender.
Shooting circle
The D-shaped area in front of each goal. Goals only count from inside it.
Free hit
An unopposed hit given to a team after the other team fouls.
Penalty corner
A set move after a defending foul in the circle; the ball is pushed from the back line to attackers waiting at the top of the circle.
Inject
The first push of the ball from the back line at a penalty corner.
Drag-flick
A shot that drags and flings the ball off the ground, often used at penalty corners.
Aerial
A pass lifted high into the air.
Goalkeeper
The player who guards the goal, in full padded kit.
Shin pads
Hard pads worn under the socks to protect the shins.
Mouthguard
A soft guard worn over the teeth.
Bib
A coloured vest that shows which team a player is on.
Keep-ball
A game where one team tries to keep the ball away from the other by passing.
3 v 1
Three players against one; "v" means against.
Marking
Staying close to an opponent so they cannot get the ball easily.
Pressing
A team moving forward together to win the ball back quickly.
Set piece
A planned move from a stopped ball, such as a penalty corner.
Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.
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Basic5 cards · show· hideThe child holds the stick correctly, taps and dribbles the ball close, stops it with the flat side, passes with a push and plays small games. Hockey is a sport to try alongside others when young; most players under 14 do best playing locally.
Move on whenthe child meets the self-checks on b1 to b3 and b5.
Intermediate4 cards · show· hidePush and slap, receiving on the move, the reverse stick, block tackles and small games from 1 v 1 to 3 v 3. Play games once the basic skills are under control, start with no defender and add them step by step, and end each drill with a shot.
Move on whenthe player can pass and receive on the move in a small game.
Advanced2 cards · show· hideSkilled actions repeated at speed (drag-flicks, aerial passes, reverse hits), set pieces with set roles (the penalty corner), pressing and team shape, and the mental side of a complete player: game understanding, skill, fitness, mind and teamwork.
More space and a second person. A grown-up can run every card.
You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at.
Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal.
End every session on one that works.
Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the
coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.