field hockey

Background - A sport played widely in Europe and Asia since the late 18th/early 19th century. More dominantly played by females in America, it is a sport played by both men and women. As the years passed, the equipment for this sport has evolved greatly. Known simply as 'hockey' in countries other than America, field hockey is often denounced as a 'girly sport', a predominanly lesbian sport, or as not really hockey. However, none of this is true. It is an olympic sport, and is among the top 5 most played sports in the world. The Game - The game consists of two teams of 11 (including a goalie), trying to get the ball into the opposite goalcage. There are two 35-minute halves in collegiate and international play, and two 30-minute halves in varsity high school play. Field hockey is known to have alot of fouls, but most are called just to keep the game safe. Many different types of hits are allowed, such as drives, pushes, flicks, scoops, drags, chokes, slaps, and chips. Equipment - The sticks are flat on one side, which is the only side you may hit the small, hard, plastic ball with. The stick may be composed of wood or of composite material, usually a combination of glassfibre, carbon, and aramide.