As mentioned in our article on field hockey, the game is played with many kinds of equipment, let us know about these equipments in detail.
Table of Contents
Field Hockey Equipments
Hockey Stick
All the 11 players of both the teams carry a specially made ‘stick’. It is 80 to 95 cm long. Sticks of different sizes are also available. Traditionally the hockey sticks were made out of wood but now it is also made with carbon fiber composites such as Kevlar and fiberglass. There is a strict “No” for the usage of metal in the making of a hockey stick. Only a ‘ right-handed‘ hockey stick is allowed and hence no ‘left hand’ hockey stick exists. The hockey stick is often called a ‘J’ because of its shape. A new curved stick, which is more popular today among hockey players is called the ‘Indian style’ curve. This Indian style curve is a bit tighter than the previous English style and thus it helps the players to tackle the hockey ball more easily. The grip of the stick resembles the grip of a tennis racket.
The Field Hockey Ball
The standard field hockey ball is made out of plastic, but it has a hard-sphere. These balls are also made over a cork core sometimes. The hockey balls are meant to be usually white but since the different colored turfs are available nowadays a better contrast colored ball can also be used. The hockey ball has a circumference of 224 mm to 235 mm or 8.8 inches to 9.3 inches and it weighs between 156 gm to 163 gm or 5.5 oz to 5.7 oz. The balls are covered so that they can travel better on wet surfaces as well.
The Goal Keeper’s Equipment
In the year 2007, the rules for the field hockey goalkeepers went through a drastic change. As per these newly laid rules, the field hockey goalkeeper must use or wear –
- A helmet
- Leg Guards
- Kickers
- Chest guards
- Padded shorts
- Heavily padded hand protectors
- Groin Protectors
- Neck Guards
- Armguards
- And a hockey stick (of course…)
