🏑 Field Hockey Rules: Rules and Fouls

The Traffic Light of Hockey 🚦

Imagine you’re playing a game where everyone runs around with sticks chasing a ball. Sounds chaotic, right? That’s why field hockey has rules — they’re like traffic lights that keep everyone safe and the game fair!

Think of it this way: Rules are like the rules at a playground. No pushing, take turns, play nice. Field hockey works the same way!

🚧 Stick Obstruction Rules

What Is It?

Stick obstruction is when you use your stick to block another player from getting the ball — like using your arm to stop someone from grabbing a toy you want!

The Golden Rule

You can ONLY use your stick to play the ball. You cannot:

• Use your stick to push away another player’s stick
• Block someone’s stick while your teammate takes the ball
• Wave your stick around to scare people away

🎯 Simple Example

Wrong: Maya wants the ball. She puts her stick in front of Tom’s stick so he can’t reach it.

Right: Maya goes for the ball directly and plays it cleanly.

graph TD
    A[Player approaches ball] --> B{Are you playing the ball?}
    B -->|Yes| C[✅ Legal play!]
    B -->|No, blocking opponent's stick| D[❌ Stick obstruction foul!]

💡 Remember: Your stick is for the ball, not for blocking other sticks!

⚠️ Dangerous Play Fouls

What Makes Play “Dangerous”?

Anything that could hurt someone! Field hockey is fast, and sticks are hard. Safety comes first!

Dangerous Play Includes:

🎯 Simple Example

Wrong: Jamie swings her stick super high to hit the ball really hard, but Sarah is standing right there.

Right: Jamie keeps her stick low and controlled, even if it means a softer hit.

⚡ Quick Tip: If your stick goes above your shoulder, it’s probably too high!

🎁 The Advantage Rule

What Is It?

Sometimes a foul happens, but your team still has the ball and a great chance to score. The umpire can let play continue instead of stopping the game!

Think of It Like This:

Imagine someone trips you, but you’re still running toward the goal. Would you rather:

• Stop and get a free kick from far away?
• Keep going and maybe score?

The umpire picks what helps YOU more!

🎯 Simple Example

Situation: An opponent fouls Ben, but the ball rolls perfectly to his teammate Kate who has a clear shot at goal.

Advantage: The umpire raises their arm but doesn’t blow the whistle. Kate shoots and scores! 🎉

graph TD
    A[Foul happens] --> B{Does fouled team still have advantage?}
    B -->|Yes - good position| C[🏃 Play continues!]
    B -->|No - lost possession| D[🛑 Whistle - Free hit awarded]

🌟 Fun Fact: The umpire raises one arm to show they’ve seen the foul but are playing advantage!

🎯 Free Hit Procedures

What Is a Free Hit?

When the other team breaks a rule, YOUR team gets to restart play with a free hit. It’s like getting a free kick in soccer!

The Rules:

1. Ball must be still before you hit it
2. Opponents must be 5 meters away (about 5 big steps)
3. You cannot score directly from a free hit (the ball must touch another player first)
4. The ball cannot be raised on a free hit (must stay on the ground)

🎯 Simple Example

Free Hit Given: Emma’s team gets a free hit near midfield.

What She Does:

1. Places the ball on the ground ⚫
2. Waits for opponents to back up 5 meters
3. Pushes the ball to her teammate (not toward goal directly)

📏 5 Meters = About 5 big steps back!

📐 Sideline and Corner Rules

When the Ball Goes Out

Sideline Hits

• Taken from where the ball crossed the line
• Same rules as a free hit
• Opponents must be 5 meters away

Corners (Penalty Corners)

When defenders accidentally hit the ball over their own backline, the attackers get a special chance called a penalty corner — it’s like a set play near the goal!

🎯 Simple Example

Sideline Out: The ball rolls over the sideline. The referee points, and the other team places the ball on the line to restart.

Corner: A defender kicks the ball over the backline. The attacking team sets up for a penalty corner — a great scoring chance!

graph TD
    A[Ball goes out] --> B{Which line?}
    B -->|Sideline| C[Free hit to other team]
    B -->|Backline by attacker| D[Free hit to defense]
    B -->|Backline by defender| E[⭐ Penalty Corner!]

🔵 Circle Entry Rules

The Circle = The Scoring Zone

There’s a big “D” shape in front of each goal called the circle (or striking circle). This is the ONLY place you can score from!

Key Rules:

1. You can ONLY score from inside the circle
2. The ball must touch an attacker’s stick inside the circle before going in the goal
3. Fouls inside the circle can lead to penalty corners or penalty strokes!

🎯 Simple Example

Wrong: Jake hits the ball from outside the circle. It flies into the goal. But wait — NO GOAL! The ball never touched a stick inside the circle.

Right: Jake passes to Lily who is IN the circle. Lily taps it in. GOAL! ⚽

🎪 The Circle Rule: No circle touch = No goal!

🙋 Umpire Signals

Who Are the Umpires?

Two referees (umpires) control the game. They use their arms, whistles, and hand signals to communicate decisions.

Common Signals:

🎯 Simple Example

You See: The umpire blows the whistle and points left with one arm.

What It Means: Free hit to the team attacking toward the left!

graph TD
    A[Umpire blows whistle] --> B[Look at their arms!]
    B --> C{What signal?}
    C -->|Arm up| D[Advantage or Goal]
    C -->|Arm pointing| E[Free hit that direction]
    C -->|Pointing at circle| F[Penalty corner]
    C -->|Pointing at spot| G[Penalty stroke]

🏆 Quick Summary

🌟 You’ve Got This!

Field hockey rules might seem like a lot, but they all come down to three things:

1. Be safe — don’t hurt anyone
2. Be fair — no blocking or cheating
3. Play the ball — that’s what your stick is for!

Now you know the rules. Time to play! 🏑

🎮 Next Step: Try the interactive mode to practice spotting fouls and making the right calls!