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  • Location:
    • NE corner of McKale
    • Map to the location
  • Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
  • Day: Sunday

The Field Hockey Club

@ The University of Arizona

Rules We Use (Modified from those of International Hockey Federation)

1. NO HITTING in the circle for any reason. This means we all need to PUSH the ball, be it out of the circle, or into the goal. Hitting to score is pointless! The score is not valid! Pushing = do NOT lift your stick to whack the ball, but keep the stick on the ground while moving the ball forward as an extension of your stick.
2. No lifting of the ball in the circle.
3. For any free hits coming into the circle, taker of free hit needs to be 5 yards (meters) away from the circle, so watch where the dashed circle is!
4. On any free hits 5 yards from the circle, EVERYONE (so offence and defense) has to be at least more than 5 yards (meters) away from taker. If people are still moving away from taker of free hit, the taker cannot hit into them on purpose.
5. On any free hits, ball must travel 1 yard (meter) before player from same team can hit/push ball. If people are still moving away from taker of free hit, the taker cannot hit into them (or anyone) on purpose.
6. Danger overrules everything. A play that would normally be legal is not legal if it is dangerous.
7. Remember, the referee is always right! So do not argue with him/her.
8. Intentional PUSH/HIT by defense over the back line IN the circle or any other foul by the defense gives the offence a free hit/push outside the circle. Defensive fouls preventing a goal (eg. defender foot right in front of the goal) result in a goal being awarded.
9. Unintentional ball over the back line within the 25-yard line IN the circle that was touched last by defense gives the offence a long corner, taken on the side line along the side the ball went out and about 5 yards up from the backline.
10. Intentional and unintentional ball over the back line OUTside the circle by the defense gives the offence a long corner.
11. Balls over the back line by the offense results in the end of that play and defense continuing the game by taking a free hit from 16 yard.

Dangerous play is not allowed and constitutes of the following

1. Lifted balls in the circle.
2. Balls into the goal higher than the cones.
3. Hitting in the circle, remember ONLY pushing.
4. Excessive swinging of stick on hits when near other players, usually this comes down to allowing your stick to swing through above shoulder height.
5. Hacking, or smacking your stick into offenders stick without aiming for the ball.
6. Flicking one's stick before or after offender plays ball. This means you cannot just hit someone's stick. Reach only for the ball.
7. Reaching from behind is only OK as long as the defender does not touch the offensive player or their stick. Try to come around and face a player. Usually this happens when you are either too slow or a player already passed you. So either let someone else defend/attack the player or run faster!.
8. Receiving/reaching for ball above shoulder height. This risk exists when someone scoops the ball (lift the ball away from people and have it pass over people to drop down near the other end of the field).
9. Hit ball above knee height near people or into people.

Obvious rules worth pointing out

• Scoring permitted only from within the circle, or goal will not count.
• No hitting of ball with back of stick.
• No touching of ball by feet/body.
• No obstruction or covering of ball. The obstruction rule is a hard one to get, and hard to explain on paper. It has to do with turning in front of another player shielding the ball from fair attack by the other player. If you do not know this rule, how to avoid breaking it, ask one of the other players to explain it to you. The classic definition is: interfering with another player's ability to play the ball. For an actual obstruction penalty to occur three things must happen: there must be an actual potential for obstruction, the defender must be within playing distance, and the defender must be attempting to play the ball.
• Technically, a foul does not occur if there is no advantage from it, so play to the whistle.

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Tournament Rules

1. All matches will be played according to the 2005 edition of the International Rules of Hockey, with the following exceptions:
   1. This is a mixed tournament, therefore a minimum of five women on the field at all times. Goalie may be either sex. If only four women are on the field, there may be only five male field players
   2. Games will be a 11-a-side format. 10 field players and 1 Goalie of either sex.
   3. Duration of all matches shall be two periods of 25 minutes each
   4. If both teams have similar colored team jerseys, the team listed first in the schedule will wear alternate non color clashing uniforms, or pennies.
   5. Discipline during matches Colored cards will be used by each umpire at their discretion.
2. This is a mixed, social tournament. Sporting conduct is expected on and off the field. Umpires are advised to be very stern in the event of individual/teams constantly disputing calls during the games.
   • Green card - warning.
   • Yellow card - temporary suspension.
   • Red card - permanent match suspension*.

   *Any player sent off the field for disciplinary reasons will have their name and the circumstances recorded by the umpire. A player who has been ejected (red card) shall automatically be suspended from their team's next match. Based upon the Umpires' report and the severity of the infraction, the Tournament Committee will determine that player's eligibility for further participation in the tournament beyond their one match suspension. Any team using a disqualified player shall forfeit the game in which the disqualified player was a participant and the disqualified player will immediately be ejected from the tournament.

3. All matches will begin on time unless the captains mutually agree in the presence of one or both umpires to start late, but this will cut into allotted playing time. All match times will begin and end at the sound of the horn at the scorer's table. All teams, must field at least eight (8) players for each match. Any team not prepared to play within three minutes of the scheduled time will forfeit the match. The score of a forfeited match shall be 0-3. If neither team is ready to play at the scheduled time the score shall be recorded as 0-0 and no points will be awarded to either team. If one team forfeits while the match is in play and the other team is leading by more than three goals, the actual score will be kept. Teams that forfeit a match risk forfeiture of all matches.
4. Pool matches will result in 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss. Pool standings will be determined on the basis of:
   1. Teams will be ranked according to their total number of points;
   2. head-to-head match result;
   3. greatetst number of wins;
   4. goal differential;
   5. most goals scored;
5. If still tied, penalty strokes will be taken at 9:25 AM Sunday. Otherwise, no overtime or penalty strokes will be played in the event of a tie, except for the championship match (if tied after regulation will proceed directly to penalty strokes).
6. During playoff games, in the event of a tie score at the end of regulation, both teams will proceed to penalty strokes to break the tie. The following penalty stroke procedures will be used:
   • The umpires will determine which goal will be used;
   • The first team to stroke will be determined by a coin toss;
   • Team managers/captains will select five players from their team. Only players on the team's approved roster, excluding any player(s) who has been ejected (red card), shall be eligible to take strokes. At least one woman must take a stroke;
   • Each team shall alternately take penalty strokes against one and the same goalkeeper of the other team until a total of five strokes from each team have been taken. The team scoring the most goals shall be declared the winner. The goalkeeper shall not be changed except in case of injury or ejection;
   • If during the penalty stroke competition, a player (either a stroke taker or a goal-keeper) is suspended, then that player shall take no further part in the penalty stroke competition and, unless a goalkeeper, cannot be substituted. If a stroke taker, any stroke the player should have been entitled to take will be counted as no goal. If a goalkeeper then the replacement may only be from one of the nominated stroke takers. The player replacing the goalkeeper may continue to take the penalty strokes but, when required to defend penalty strokes, must wear protective headgear. This player may also wear other approved goalkeeper equipment;
   • If the score is still tied, another series of penalty strokes will take place using the same five players, subject to incapacitated goalkeepers being replaced, excluding any player(s) who has been ejected (red card) by either the umpire or the Tournament Official, and shall be 'sudden victory'. This means that the winner shall be the first team to be awarded more goals than the opposing team after an equal number of strokes (no minimum) has been taken by each team. The sequence does not need to be the same as in the previous series and the team manager has the freedom of choice at the time of each stroke as to which of the five nominated players will take the stroke using all five nominated players per round;
   • The goalkeeper, if selected to take strokes, may remove only the gloves and helmet.
7. Only those players on the team's approved roster may play for the team. Any use of unauthorized players will constitute a forfeit and may result in the team's disqualification from the tournament at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. Maximum number of players on all rosters is (16) sixteen.
8. The Tournament Committee may change any fixtures, fields, schedules, and umpires, as it deems necessary.