Can a hockey player throw their stick or kit?
A · Advanced · Who decides, and what is unfair play? · 10 of 10Checked 13 October 2026
No.
Players must not throw any object or kit onto the field, at the ball or at anyone. A defender who throws penalty
corner kit and hits someone on or above the knee must get a yellow card, and a deliberate throw at a person can bring a
red card.
How it works
- Throwing a stick, kit or any object onto the field, at the ball or at a person is an offence.
- After a corner, a defender throwing protective kit that hits an opponent, umpire or anyone else on or above the knee in a normal stance: yellow card, whether or not anyone is hurt.
- If time is stopped for it: the ball outside the circle, free hit to the other team where the ball was; inside the circle a penalty corner (a penalty stroke if it stopped a probable goal).
- If the ball was already out of play, there is no extra team penalty and play restarts as it would have.
Tricky cases
A player threw their stick to stop the ball. Is that a foul?
Yes. Throwing a stick at the ball is an offence, and it can bring a card as well.
The mask landed on the field but hit no one. Is that a card?
It depends on the umpire. A yellow card is required only when the kit hits a person on or above the knee. Throwing kit onto the field is still an offence the umpire can penalise, and if the ball then hits it, a free hit, corner or stroke follows.
Why the rule exists
Thrown kit is a danger to everyone near it, and throwing a stick at the ball is a way of stopping play without playing it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIH rules from 1 March 2026 | Yellow card for thrown corner kit hitting someone on or above the knee | H13.3 n guidance |
From the rule book
FIH Rules of Hockey, Rules 9.16 and 13.3 n, in force from 1 March 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIH Rules of Hockey (PDF).