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Overview

Hockey is an invasion game that combines the skills of speed, endurance, technical prowess and physical toughness. The game is contested by two teams of 11 players and involves one team attacking another team's territory with the aim of scoring a goal. Wooden sticks and a hard plastic ball are required to play hockey. The rules have changed dramatically over the last 20 years to ensure the safety of all players.

The game of hockey has a number of different formats and can be played competitively and recreationally in a range of styles.

History

Although the origins of hockey are unknown, there is evidence that a similar game was played 4000 years ago by people in Egypt and South America.

Research has shown that modern hockey did not begin until 1862, when the first ever hockey club (Blackheath HC) was formed. It took another 24 years for the Hockey Association to be founded in 1886 and a further ten years for the All England Women’s Hockey Association to be established in 1896.

The first recorded international match was played between England and Ireland in 1895 and since then the basic format of hockey has remained very similar. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, competitive leagues were introduced to replace the previous 'friendly' fixture lists.

Although hockey is still very popular today, the numbers of national clubs have diminished by half in the last 20 years.