Field hockey words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 23 words · Step 2 of 2

Fouls and penalties

Third-party obstruction

Running in front of or blocking an opponent so they cannot play the ball, without playing it yourself. It also covers attackers blocking defenders at a penalty corner.

Also called: shadow obstruction, third party obstruction
See also: Obstruction, Penalty corner

The ruleWhat is obstruction in hockey?

Caution

A spoken warning from the umpire, the lightest personal penalty, given before or instead of a card.

Playing terms

Scoop

Raising the ball off the ground by placing the head of the stick under it and lifting.

Forehand

Playing a ball that is to the right of the player in the direction they are facing.

Shot at goal

An attacker's attempt to score by playing the ball towards the goal from inside the circle. It counts as a shot even when it misses, if the intention was to score.

Self-pass

A free hit taken by playing the ball and then carrying on with it, with no pass to a teammate. It is allowed under the free-hit procedure.

Playing distance

The distance within which a player can reach the ball to play it. Several rules depend on it, such as obstruction and where a free hit is taken.

Attacking terms

Drag flick

A powerful, controlled shot used mainly at penalty corners, where the ball is dragged and flicked in one motion for pace and accuracy.

Reverse stick shot

A shot from the player's left side, played with the stick turned over so the flat face still meets the ball. Playing the ball with the rounded back of the stick is not allowed.

Also called: reverse stick
See also: Stick

Aerial ball

A pass lifted high into the air to travel over defenders, requiring skill to control on landing.

Deflection

Redirecting the path of a shot or pass using a slight touch, often used to change the goalkeeper's angle.

Set piece terms

Injection

The push or hit from the back-line that starts a penalty corner. The ball is placed on the back-line inside the circle at least 10 metres from the goal-post, it must not be raised intentionally, and the attacker taking it must have at least one foot outside the field.

Also called: injector
See also: Shooting circle, Penalty corner, Kicking, Push pass

Penalty corner routine

The rehearsed sequence of passes and shots teams use to try to score directly from a penalty corner.

Stopper

The player who receives and controls the ball first during a penalty corner routine, setting it for the shooter.

Ball over the back-line

The restart depends on who played the ball. If an attacker did, the defence takes a free hit up to 15 metres from the back-line. If a defender did unintentionally, or a goalkeeper deflected it, it is a free hit on the 23-metre line. If a defender did it intentionally, it is a penalty corner.

The ruleWhat happens when the ball goes over the back-line without a goal?

Long corner

A common name for the attacking free hit on the 23-metre line, given when a defender plays the ball over their own back-line by accident.

Also called: 23-metre restart
See also: Ball over the back-line, 23-metre area

Defensive terms

Jab tackle

A quick, controlled poke at the ball using the stick to dispossess an opponent without a full tackle.

Block tackle

A tackle where the defender places their stick firmly to stop the ball rather than trying to win it away cleanly.

Marking

Staying close to an opposing player to limit their space and passing options.

Match and officials

Video umpire

In tournaments that use video review, an off-field official who checks replays when an on-field umpire refers a decision, either on the umpire's own doubt or after a team asks. Umpires can refer goals, penalty strokes and serious misconduct; a team's one referral covers goals, penalty strokes and penalty corners inside the 23-metre areas, and is kept if it succeeds. The final decision stays with the on-field umpire.

Also called: video referral, team referral

Advantage

Play is allowed to continue after an offence if stopping it would help the team that broke the rule. A penalty is awarded only when a player or team has been disadvantaged by an opponent's offence.

Also called: advantage rule

The ruleWhy didn't the umpire blow for that foul?

Rolling substitutes

Substitutes may come on at almost any time, so players rotate on and off many times. Substitution is not allowed during a penalty corner, except for an injured or suspended defending goalkeeper, and a suspended player cannot be replaced.

Also called: rolling substitution
See also: Goalkeeper, Penalty corner

The ruleHow do substitutions work in hockey?

Field goal

A goal scored from open play, not from a penalty corner or a penalty stroke. FIH tournaments use field goals as a late tie-break in pool tables.

Also called: open-play goal
See also: Penalty corner, Penalty stroke

All Field hockey words