While Ice Hockey may be more popular, its sibling is definitely a sport to keep track of. While it’s not played everywhere, there are many people who follow it fanatically and bet on the matches consistently. In this teaching session, we will go over some of the basic terms of Field Hockey for the people unfamiliar with the sport, so that they will be able wager through the best Asian and European bookmakers.
The area of play
The schematic shows all the areas of a rink and their names. It also provides the dimensions of each section, however, some of the names require a bit a better explanation:
- Center Line
That’s the line that divides the court in half. Considering that the length is 100 yards, it denotes the 50-yard mark.
- Center Mark
The spot where the ball is placed to start play at the beginning of the first half, the second half, any overtime periods, or following a goal.
- Center Pass
This pass is used to begin a half or to restart the action after a score. The ball is placed in the center mark. The center forward player passes the ball at least one meter backwards to a teammate. When the pass is completed, the game can be continued.
- Circle
Also known as the “Shooting” or “Striking” circle. It’s the semi-circle marked in front of the goalposts.
Player Positions
Players are split into 3 groups. The “strikers”, the “midfielders” and the “defenders”. Depending on their specific positions on the court, there is an even further classification:
- Center Forward (CF)
is the central focus of the offense for a team. This player is a scorer who spends most of their time on the opposing team’s half. When defending, they apply pressure to the backline of the opposing team to prevent them from moving the ball up the field quickly.
- Right/Left Wings
are the players who have similar duties to the center forward, except they are positioned closer to the sidelines. Defensively, they pressure their opposing halves.
- Inside Left/Right
These players, also known as “link”s, are the most physically active ones on a team. They are expected to move the ball from the defense and midfield teammates to the strikers. On defense, they pressure the opposing midfield from trying to get the ball and force a turnover.
- Center Half
is the on-field general of the team. They link the two sides of the field and allow the ball to go from left to right or vice versa. In general, these players will touch the ball in every play and lead whenever there’s a shift in the game such as a turnover.
- Right/Left Half
players are defensive specialists who mark the opposing team’s wings. The “outside halves” as they are often called, also have important duties on offense and can push well into the attacking half.
- Fullback
is a purely defensive position that can be played on either side of the field. The main task is to mark the opposing team’s high strikers. On offense, they move the ball from their defensive half, while supporting their teammates by being outlets to transfer the ball from one side to another.
Passes and tactics
Now, it’s time to talk about the terminology of the action that you see:
- Bully
If there is a natural stop of play, one person from each team takes part in a bully to restart the game. The players tap their sticks 3 times, alternating between the ground and the other stick before they go for the ball.
- Dribble
In field hockey dribbling is the action of running while controlling the ball with the stick.
- Indian dribble
is a newly popular way of dribbling that includes moving the ball left and right by turning the stick over the ball.
- A Slap
is a basic hit where the stick is kept close to the ground.
- The Flick
is a type of stick movement that lifts the ball off the ground. The ball must not rise more than 18 inches (45 cm) in the air.
- Scooping
refers to the movement where a player places the head of the stick under the ball and shovels it forward as they lift it in the air.
- Aerial pass
is a high-flying pass made through flicking or scooping.
- Back pass
is a pass made to slow down the game by passing backwards in the direction of the player’s own goal cage.
- Drag flick
is a skillful shot often utilized by high-level players to take a legal lifted shot on a goal during a penalty corner.
- Flat pass
is a pass that goes straight to the right or left to a teammate.
- Jabbing
is a tactic employed by a defender to poke consistently at the ball to force a turnover.
- Leading pass
A type of pass thrown a few meters ahead to a teammate to get the player to run towards a, usually open, area.
- Pulling
A defensive maneuver that involves moving the ball from side to side, or backwards.
- Tackle
An attempt to take the ball away from an opponent using the stick.
- Reverse drive
is a type of hit where the ball is struck with the inside edge of the stick using a backwards swinging motion.
- Reverse spin
A veteran move where the player turns to the right in a circle with the ball and dodges the opposing player.
This is all for the first part of our tutorial about the glossary of field hockey. The follow-up will include various penalties and stoppages of play, which are very important for any bettor thinking about betting in-play using an account at the best betting platform.