Hockey played on a field; two opposing teams use curved sticks to drive a ball into the opponents' net; SYN. hockey.
A game played with hooked sticks and a ball, the object being to hit the ball into the goal. It is played between two teams, each of not more than 11 players. Hockey has been an Olympic sport for men since 1908 and for women since 1980.
The playing field is 91.5 m/100 yd long and 54.9 m/60 yd wide.
Goals, 2.1 m/7 ft high and 12 ft/3.7 m wide, are placed within a striking circle of 48 ft/14.6 m radius, from which all shots at goal must be made. The white ball weighs about 5.5 oz/156 g, circumference about 9 in/123 cm. Most sticks are about 3 ft/91 cm long. The game is started by a “push-back”. The ball may be stopped with the hand but not held, picked up, thrown, or kicked, except by the goalkeeper in his or her own striking circle. If the ball is sent into touch, it is returned to play by a “push-in”. The game is divided into two 35-minute periods; it is controlled by two umpires, one for each half of the field.
A game using hooked sticks, not unlike the modern ones, was played by the ancient Greeks.