Hockey - sports information

Equipment required to play hockey: mouth guard, hockey stick, gloves, shin pads, shinliners (inner socks) and gloves.

Wear Shinnerz for Hockey.

Field hockey is an exciting and fast moving team sport that was originally played on grass but is now more commonly played on sand-based or water-based artificial turf (Astroturf as it's better known).

Hockey is team game that is popular among both male and females in numerous parts of the world, particularly Europe, South Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. It is believed that field hockey first appeared in England in the mid 18th Century but it wasn't until the 19th Century that it became well established, primarily in schools. The governing body of this exciting sport is the International Hockey Federation.

Men's field hockey has been played at the Olympic Games since 1908 but yet it took until 1980 for women's participation. Hockey has several regular international tournaments for both men and women - apart from the Olympic and Commonwealth Games there is the Hockey World Cups that take place every four years. Many countries have numerous club competitions for junior and senior players. After football and cricket, hockey is believed have the third largest number of participants worldwide.

Normally the game is played between single sex sides (although sometimes mixed sides play together) - between two teams of up to sixteen players, with only eleven of whom allowed to play on the pitch at any one time. The remaining five substitute players may swap on during the match.

The hockey players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using their stick. The players use J-shaped hockey sticks that are made of composite of wood, glass fibre or carbon fibre and play with a small, hard ball.

The game is split into two equal halves for 35 minutes play each half with normally a 5 minute break at half time. There are no fixed positions in a hockey team in fact even a goalkeeper is not required according to the rules! Most teams arrange themselves into fullbacks (defence), mid-fielders (halfback) and forwards (front line) and many teams include a single sweeper.

Hockey can be played all year round with those in colder climates moving to indoor facilities during the winter months. Indoor field hockey is slightly different as teams play 6-a-side rather than 11 and the field is reduced in size as a consequence. Also, sidelines are replaced with barriers to rebound the ball. There are many hockey camps year round in UK and abroad.

What is the essential kit required to play hockey?

To play hockey at any level - you must be protected and wear:

• Field, astro, indoors
• Team hockey players
• Hockey stick and ball

• Shin pads
• Shinnerz Inner socks
• Mouth guard and hockey gloves

Dangers from flying sticks and balls in hockey.

Like any sport is important to have the right kit. Players wear mouth guards to protect their teeth and gums from the impact of the ball or sticks - in most places these are compulsory. Players also wear shin guards to protect their shins from the sticks and flying balls. Shin pads or shin guards are worn under the outer sock and again are often required equipment in many countries. They are designed to fit around the shin with special ankle / instep protection. There are numerous producers of hockey shin pads but some of the better known manufacturers are Grays, Adidas and Kookaburra.

Shin pads and hockey - protective equipment.

Hockey is a game that offers plenty of opportunity for injury with its fast paced action - even more so through use of a long, hard stick and an equally hard ball!

A high proportion of these leg injuries can be prevented by ensuring the correct protective equipment is worn, in particular shin pads, as a ball can be missed and an opponent's shin struck by accident with the hockey stick, if not by the ball itself.

Again, Shinnerz offer that extra level of comfort, allowing player to concentrate on their game rather than on the discomfort of shin pads rubbing against their skin. This can also apply in ice hockey.