Rules for High School Field Hockey

More than 62,000 teens play high school field hockey each year in the United States. While there are teams in almost every state, only 19 actually consider it an official high school sport. Most other states are played at a club level. This is a fast sports that require a lot of hand-eye coordination, as well as speed and some grit. Many rules changes have occurred in the last few years to create more offense.

  1. Equipment

    • Each player uses a stick that measures between 36.5 and 37.5 inches that features a slight curve at the bottom used to hit a small, rubber ball. All offensive and defensive players must wear shin guards and mouth pieces. Goal keepers must wear a helmet, leg guards and hand guards.

    Playing Time and Surface

    • Each game is broken into two 30-minute halves. The field is 100 yards long and 60 yards wide, with a 7-foot high, 12-foot wide goal at each end.

    General Playing Rules

    • Each team lines up with 11 players on the field at one time, and substitutions can be made freely. A coin toss determines who gets to play offense first. A pass from the center of the field starts play and also is used used after each goal, which is scored by putting the ball in the net.

    Warnings and Suspensions

    • There are a number of penalties that can be called during a game that will warrant a green card, which is considered a warning to a player for breaking the rules such as hitting a ball too high or striking with the wrong part of the stick. A yellow card means a 5-minute suspension and usually thrown because of escalating penalties. A red card gets a player kicked out of a game.

    Playing With Casts

    • Player must have padding surrounding any casts that they wear on the field. This rule was adopted for the 2009 season.

    Penalty Stroke

    • If a defensive player hits the player with the ball inside a 16-yard-wide arc from the center of the goal, then a penalty stroke is called. This gives an offensive player a free shot from roughly 7 yards out with only the goalie trying to block the shot.

    Corners

    • If a defensive player knocks the ball out of play, then the offense is allowed a free hit from the corner of the field closest to where the ball went out.