Who Invented Hockey?
Today, we’re familiar with a range of hockey types, including field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, and indoor Hockey. The most famous is ice hockey, particularly in Canada. Irrespective of the forms, Hockey is a team sport in which two teams play against each other by guiding a ball or a puck attempting to get it to the target of the enemy. During the game, both groups use hockey sticks.
It’s impossible to claim the exact time of the birth of Hockey. We’re 100% never going to know for sure. But from some records of people participating in this kind of game about more than 4000 years ago. Because ball-stick games are as ancient as our culture, the oldest sources may be in China, Persia, or Egypt.
Archeologists have discovered that the early form of a ball-and-stick game was played in Greece in the 5th century BC. At the time that Europeans traveled across the Atlantic and began to settle in North America, they learned that native Indians played games that were precursors to lacrosse. Several museums today show evidence that Hockey was practiced by the Aztecs decades before Columbus ever reached the World.
The name “Hockey” remains to be derived from the French hoquet, meaning “shepherd’s staff.” The second assumption is based on the use of cork bangs, called stoppers; Place the wooden balls to play the game. Such artifacts originated from ice beer bottles, also known as Hockey. Nevertheless, the source of “hockey” remains unclear.
J. G. Creighton was a Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who established the first series of ice hockey rules some 140 years ago. Upon his arrival in Montreal, he presented hockey sticks and skates that were patented by Nova Scotia \Company in 1866. The skates depicted rounded blades held by metal clamps on the boots, which had never been seen before.
The very 1st game of ice hockey played in Canada was in 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink, where new rules were put in place. Only a few years later, Mr. Creighton’s laws have been revised at McGill University in Montreal.
Creighton dealt with the issue of making a small, triangular piece of wood that was the first hockey puck. It provided players with better control over the ball, and it reduced the chance that spectators would be injured during the game compared to similar games.
This game was played by pushing the ball instead of hitting it, to avoid sending the ball out of the field and into the bushes and ponds, which would lead to a longer recovery from the ball. Over the last several days and years, the game has been adapted and evolved into other separate sports such as croquet, lacrosse, shiny, field hockey, etc.
Sources indicate that the countries that contributed most to the growth of Hockey are Great Britain and France, where field hockey remains a common summer sport. During the cold, harsh winters in Europe, it was not uncommon for young athletes to play the ice variant of this sport. In the seventeenth century, the game began to become popular in Holland and later began to take place in England as well.
The first Men’s Olympic Hockey Competition was played in London in 1908, where all United Kingdom nations competed separately. Germany and France have participated in two other nations. Nevertheless, after the London Olympics, the game was removed from the 1912 games held in Stockholm due to the wishes of the host country for other’ free sports.’ Some years later, in 1920, ice hockey reappeared in Antwerp but was ignored again in Paris in 1924, following the establishment of the International Hockey Federation that same year.
In the end, Hockey was granted re-entry to Amsterdam in 1928 and has been on the program since then. As for women’s Hockey, it was the first time that it was included in the Olympic program in Moscow in 1980. Since the Sydney (2000) Olympics, men’s athletes have competed in 12-team tournaments and women in 10-team tournaments.
Hockey Rules and Regulations
Nowadays, many are usually confused between field hockey and ice hockey; we’re going to iron out all the confusion between them. We’re not going to see at you with the intricate details, so we’ve listed the ten essential rules that you need to learn to kick off your field hockey journey.
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to watch Hockey, or if you’re going to start playing it own, this all the steps will be beneficial.
1. How many teams and players are there on a hockey game?
Only two teams of eleven players are allowed on the field at once, ten field players and one goalie. However, there is an infinite number of times a group can get in and out at any given time. This gives players enough time to rest, particularly for beginners! Can you think of sprinting around the field without a break?
2. Are you allowed to kick the ball?
It’s less, so no, you can’t kick the ball. Players are just permitted to hit the ball with the flat side of their stick, aside from goaltenders who are allowed to utilize their body or feet to keep the rival from scoring. If you lose control and unintentionally kick the ball, you will not be permitted to continue dribbling the ball. When you purposefully kicked the ball to take advantage of it.
3. How can you swing your hockey stick?
You’re not allowed to swing your stick higher than your knees in the field hockey game. If you’re taking a free hit or starting a corner, you can’t back-swing your stick too far to be considered dangerous. You don’t want to hit your opponent, or worse, your teammate in the process!
Safety is the essential thing in every sport, and with a fast-paced, exciting game like Hockey, you’d like to take extra care not to hurt yourself or any other player.
4. How Many People can Permit to Challenge a Ball?
What’s unique about Hockey is that only two players are allowed to touch the puck at one time. If a third player interferes, it is called interference by a third party, so possession of the ball would go to a team that had only one player involved in the third party.
The 3rd obstruction rule almost often involves a player helping his fellow teammate out by obstructing the other side team from playing the ball and intercepting it. It’s also a foul, and it’s going to lead to a free hit for the others sied.
5. Sides of the Hockey Stick are you Permitted to Use?
The player can only play the ball with the face of the stick. If you’re using the back of the bat, it’s a penalty, and the other team will gain possession of the ball.
6. Is Tackling Permitted in Hockey?
Indeed, tackling this is necessary. Whatever, you are not allowed to use your body to move the opponent out of the way or to block them. For Hockey, you are tackling means that you can play balls and catch them as long as you don’t have any interaction with the other player or his stick. You may be penalized when you make contact with the attacker.
7. What are the Different Methods to Score in Field Hockey?
Three ways you can score in field hockey— a field goal, a penalty corner, or a penalty stroke. A field goal is scored when the shot is taken inside the strike area, in front of the opponent’s goal. If the ball were to hit outside the striking area, it would not be considered a target.
A penalty corner is awarded when the defender commits an infringement inside or outside the range of the attack, but within 25 yards. The defense team consists of 4 attackers and one goalkeeper. The target is only counted if the ball travels outside. A penalty stroke can be awarded for several reasons, but the most common would be if a defenseman commits a foul that directly prevents a goal from being scored. In a penalty, the goalie is the only 1 who can defend the shot, and a single-player takes the ball at the stroke point. This is a bit like the soccer offensive striking area, and the ball is made inside.
8. What do the Different Cards Meaning in the Field of Hockey?
Just many other sports, an umpire card can be shown to a player who violates the rules of the game. Three cards can be showed-green, yellow, and red.
The green card is the least serious of all; it serves as a 1st warning to the players and a reminder not to break the rules. Players can be temporarily suspended from the match for a total of 5 minutes. The red card is the most serious of all, and players are permanently suspended from the game, forcing their team to play with fewer players.
9. How Long Does a Hockey Match Generally Last?
Field hockey is played in half. Each half lasts for 35 minutes, and the break in-between usually lasts for 5 to 10 minutes. At the beginning of each quarter, the player starts the game by passing the ball from the center of the field. This is the same way that the game is restarted after the goal is scored. Apart from the player making a move, all other players must be in their defensive half. The team that lost the purpose gained possession of the ball for the restart.
10. How Do We Define the Winner?
Same as most sports, the group that scores the most objectives before the finish of the game has announced a champ. On the off chance that the score is tied toward the finish of the game, either a draw is kept up, or the game enters additional time or a punishment shootout.
Since you’ve heard the fundamental principles of the game, I’m almost sure you’re tingling to get the hockey stick and play! However, pause; there are a couple of different points that you should consider, for example.
HOCKEY AT THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS (Biggest Event): WHO’S QUALIFIED, Here’s all you need to learn about the Hockey at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Time is ticking down to start in Tokyo 2020, and the fans of field hockey have a lot to be excited about.
This is one of the most significant hockey events on the calendar that puts Hockey at the center of the biggest sporting event, and 12 women’s and 12 men’s steam will fight for gold and glory in Tokyo’s Oi Seaside Park.
Here’s all you need to think about:
Olympic Hockey Qualification
Men:
Japan (Hosts, 2018 Asian Games champions)
Argentina (2019 Pan-American Games champions)
South Africa (2019 African Olympic Qualifiers)
Belgium (2019 Euro Hockey Championship winners)
Australia (2019 Oceania Cup winners)
Spain (Defeated France in Olympic qualifiers)
The Netherlands (Defeated Pakistan in Olympic qualifiers)
Canada (Defeated Ireland in Olympic qualifiers)
Women:
Japan (hosts, 2018 Asian Games champions)
Argentina (2019 Pan-American Games)
South Africa (2019 African Olympic Qualifier)
Netherlands (2019 Euro Hockey Championship)
New Zealand (2019 Oceania Cup)
Spain (Defeated Korea in Olympic qualifiers)
China (Defeated Belgium in Olympic qualifiers)
Australia (Defeated Russia in Olympic qualifiers)
Who to watch: Argentine Double Act?
Argentina’s men are defending the Olympic champions, looking right at the Pan American Games, beating Canada in the final 5-2.
And if Los Leones were fine, Las Leona went one good, beating Canada 5-1 in the women’s final to book their safe passage to Tokyo.
The women’s team won four Olympic medals, including gold in Sydney 2000 and London 2012, as they would love to do another Argentine double act at the top of both podiums in Tokyo.
The 2020 Summer Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics (SO) is less than a year away, producing the first round of men’s and women’s field hockey qualifications. The FIH Olympic Qualifiers start on Friday, with 28 men’s and women’s teams competing for the final 14 places in Tokyo.
Team USA women are one of those teams, and they’re going to play two games against host India in what’s the last chance to secure a spot at the Olympics. The winner will qualify for the total score after the two matches.
Below is everything you need to learn about the FIH Olympic Qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, with the men’s and women’s teams playing, how the process works, the full schedule of matches, and how to watch and stream the games?
FIH Olympic Qualifiers: Teams
12 women’s teams and 12 men’s teams will be participating in the field hockey competition at the 2020 Olympics. Five teams have already qualified in each group.
• Women’s teams: Japan, Argentina, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa
• Men’s teams: Japan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, South Africa
This leaves seven spots available on either side, to be filled by the following 14 women’s and men’s teams:
• Women’s: United States, India, Australia, Russia, China, Belgium, Spain, Korea, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Chile, Ireland, Canada • Men’s: Portugal, France, Netherlands, Pakistan, Canada, Ireland, India, Russia, New Zealand, Korea, Turkey, Austria, Malaysia
How the Qualifying Process Works
• Qualifying for the Olympic Field Hockey Tournament is a process that has been taking place since the beginning of 2019, involving the results of the FIH Pro League and the Finals Series, the Continental Championships and the FIH World Rankings.
• Japan automatically receives a place as the host country. The top 4 finishers in the Pro League automatically qualify, as do the top five finishers in the FIH Series Finals. Teams that won their continental championships, such as Argentina’s men and women winning gold medals at the Pan American Games, have qualified automatically.
• In some cases, the continental champion and the top FIH finisher were the same teams, creating an open slot. As a result, that’s how we get into the FIH Olympic Qualifiers with seven Olympic spots on the line. The teams competing for these positions are the 14 top-ranked teams left in the new FIH world rankings, which were released in September.
• Once the rankings came out, FIH held a draw to decide the matching’s for the final Olympic Qualifiers. Qualifiers will be played on two back-to-back games at the same venue. The higher ranking nation will host both tournaments. The overall winner of the two games, based on the total score, will qualify for the Tokyo Games.