Field Hockey
Tips for the Fan
Like any sport, field hockey is confusing to
watch if you have never played it yourself. Here
are a few things you can do to learn more about
the game.
1. Read about the game. Here
are a few sites you should visit to learn more
about the game:
SportSpectator Fan's Guide
to Field Hockey: Our 10-minute guide to the
game.
Wikipedia:
Good wiki community write-up on the sport.
USA
Field Hockey Basic Rules: A basic guide by
the national governing body of field hockey.
2. Watch a game with a player
(current or former). At a tournament, there is
plenty of time to watch games with coaches or
players. Watch a competitor's game while you have
a break. Also, at high school games, there are
usually multiple levels (frosh/soph, junior varsity,
varsity) that play on the same day. Come early
or stay late and watch the game with someone who
can answer your questions.
3. Watch a televised game.
Watching a game with professional commentators
will help you pick up the lingo. Olympic games
only occer every four years, but you may be able
to find a tape of archived matches. Additionally,
the men's and women's national championship games
are televised on CSTV (College Sports TV) each
year. Here are two other resources:
Field Hockey TV
has archived games. For some good free coverage,
click on the "On Demand" tab and then
enter "BDO" into the search field. The
coverage is international, but is a good opportunity
to see some play with commentary.
USA
Field Hockey videos. Skills from the Top videos
($30). Skip the first few options; they are geared
specifically toward player skills and are very
expensive. However, the Skills from the Top videos
are only $30 for a year of access and provide
good clips of basic skills as well as live game
coverage.
4. Ask questions. If you have
a question, don't be afraid to ask someone. Good
resources are coaches or players. You can ask
them in person, or contact
us and we'll try to help you out.
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