Rules of Hockey

In general the rules hockey are quite simple and straight forward. 

Hockey used to be played on grass but is now preferred to be played on an artificial grass called AstroTurf.

A rough outline of the rules of hockey are that there are two teams. Each team has 11 players on the pitch at one time and 5 substitutes on the side line, during a match each team can make as many substitutes as many times as like and at what ever time they want.

On every team there are four categories or positions of players, goalkeeper, defender, midfield and attackers. The defenders, midfield's and attackers are all out field players because they are allowed to go anywhere on the pitch but a goalkeeper must stay inside the circle. 

The circle on a hockey pitch is actually a semi-circle but is named the circle or the D as it is shaped as the letter D.

Out field players must be able to control, pass, push, hit and stop the hockey ball with the hockey stick.

A hockey stick has two sides, the right side is rounded and the left side is flat, you are only allowed to use the left side or flat side of the hockey stick.

The outfield players are not allowed to use their feet or any part of their body to stop or control the hockey ball with exception to the goalkeeper defending inside their own circle.

Goals can only be scored when the outfield player is inside the opponent's circle and gets the ball into the opponents goal. You can only get one point for each goal scored.

Each hockey match last 70 minutes which is broken into two 35 minute halves with a 5 to 10 minute break between the two halves. 

There are also two umpires for each game.