The Hockey World Cup is the biggest competition for field hockey outside of the Olympics, where it is also an active sport.
Field hockey is a sport in which two teams play against each other by moving a ball with a hockey stick. Field hockey also happens to be the national sport of both Pakistan and India. The game can be played on a grass or turf field or an indoor board surface.
Some rules of field hockey include: no foot-to-ball contact; the players must hit the ball with the flat side of their sticks; no use of hands; no obstructing other players; and no high back swing.
The game consists of four quarters of 15 minutes each and a 40-second time out after a penalty corner is awarded or a goal is scored. The team consists of 11 players: three forwards, three midfielders, three defenders, one sweeper and one goalie. These positions change and adapt throughout a match according to the play and position of the ball.
While in other countries field hockey is a male-dominated sport, in the United States field hockey is usually only played by women and known as a “women’s sport.”
Junior Hannah Mack has played field hockey at Elizabethtown College for three years.
“My favorite part about playing field hockey is definitely the friendships I’ve made,” Mack said. “They made playing college hockey so fun and have helped me get through some tough times, too.”
The team at Etown is close and participates in many events on campus outside of hockey as well.
“From getting Olive Garden before games to winning the Landmark, to Relay for Life, to just studying in the library it’s been so fun because of all the experiences we share,” Mack said.
Most players on the team have been playing for a while and have found the interest in the game through others.
“I started playing in elementary school. The high school runs a week long field hockey camp, so I did that each year until I could play for my school,” Mack said. “I think I just loved the sport, and the high school players were the coaches and they were like big sisters and role models for me.”
