For free hits (including centre passes, corners and all sideline restarts

after the ball has been outside the field):-



All opponents must be at least 5 metres from the ball



For all free hits awarded to the attack within their opponent’s 23 metre

area – ALL players must be at least 5 metres from the ball



Attacking free hits awarded within 5 metres of the circle are taken back to

the nearest point 5 metres from the circle (dotted line around the circle if

there is one)



A player taking a free hit, centre pass, corner or sideline restart can be

the next player to play the ball – a ‘self pass’



Taking the free hit and the next playing of the ball must be 2 distinct and

separate actions



The ball does not have to move 1 metre before the same player may play the

ball again



At a free hit, which is not a ‘self pass’, the ball must move at least 1

metre before it can be played by a teammate of the player taking the free

hit



For free hits (including long corners and sideline restarts) taken by the

attacking team inside their opponents 23 metre area the ball cannot be

played directly into the circle:-



At a ‘self pass’ the ball must travel at least 5 metres from the point of a

free hit (not necessarily in a single direction) before the taker can play

the ball into the circle



Alternatively the ball must be touched, deflected, hit or pushed by any

other player before it either enters the circle or can be played into the

circle



For a free hit taken by the attacking team in their opponent’s 23 metre area

which is played directly into the circle, a free hit is awarded to the

opposing team from the spot where the free hit was taken from



Historically, at a “miss-hit” free hit, long corner, penalty corner or

sideline ball, the original player had to move away from the ball and was

unable to play it again until it was touched by another player. These can

now be treated as a ‘self pass’

1. Hockey matches are 70 minutes long, 35 minutes each way

2. There are 11 players in each team
3. These are the positions:

4. The game starts at the centre with a push back by the CF. Each team stands on their defensive side.
5. You can only score a goal if the ball is hit from within the attacking D
6. You cannot tackle from behind the player as you'll get injured
7. When the ball goes off the backline by an attacker a hit out is taken by the sweeper if it is in the middle or the R or LB if it is towards the sides

      the ball is taken from in-line with where it went off on the backline and in-line with the top of the D e.g.

8. If the ball goes off the sideline then a hit in is taken where the ball went off
9. If the ball goes off the backline by a defender unintentionally then a long corner is taken by the wings from the marker on the sideline

10. If there is a foul by a defender within their defending D or the ball is hit off the backline on purpose a short corner is awarded:
  - 4 defenders and the goalkeeper stand behind the back line in the goal
  - all the other players from the defending team have to go back to the half way line
  - the attackers have to stand around the edge of the D
  - the ball is put into play from the mark next to the goal by the injector
  - the ball is passed to the attacker at the top of the D
  - the ball must go out of the D and come back in by the player who takes a strike at goal
  - as soon as the ball is in play the defenders run out of the goal towards the attackers
  - if the first shot is a hit then the ball must hit the backboard at the bottom of the goal