Key facts

Venue: Riverbank Arena
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 women; 12 teams in each event)

Hockey demands speed, stamina and a mastery of intricate hand-eye coordination. Played by teams of 11 on an outdoor pitch, the sport is a long-time Olympic favourite, offering non-stop action over 14 days of competition.

The basics

Teams of 11 players (plus five substitutes) compete against each other on a pitch measuring 91.4 metres by 55m. Players use hook-shaped sticks to advance a hard ball towards their opponents’ goal, which stands 3.66m wide and 2.14m high. Matches are played over two halves of 35 minutes each.

Until the 1970s, hockey was always played on grass. However, top-level matches, including those at London 2012, now take place on water-based synthetic-turf pitches, which allow the ball to roll more smoothly and quickly.

At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions will begin with a preliminary phase: the 12 teams in each event will be divided into two pools of six, and each team will play every other team in their pool. The two best teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals, the winners of which will go head-to-head for the gold.

Olympic Hockey, past and present

Men’s Hockey made its Olympic debut at the London 1908 Games, but the first women’s Olympic Hockey competition wasn’t held until the Moscow 1980 Games. At London 2012, all matches will be played at the brand new Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park.

Jargon buster

• Golden goal: If extra time is required during the classification stages of the tournament, the team that scores the first goal – the golden goal – wins the match.
• Green card: An official warning that results in an automatic two-minute suspension. The umpire may also issue yellow cards (longer temporary suspensions) and red cards (removal from the game).
• Penalty corner: Awarded for a variety of different infringements (usually in the shooting circle), penalty corners are taken from the back line, 10m either side of the nearest goalpost. Only five defenders are allowed to defend penalty corners, which are also known as short corners.
• Shooting circle: An arc in front of each goal; goals can only be scored from within the shooting circle.

See the London 2012 Olympic Games competition schedule

Get involved

As a non-contact sport, hockey can be enjoyed by people of both genders and all ages. Find out how you can get involved by contacting the hockey associations of England , Scotland , Wales and Great Britain . The International Hockey Federation’s website is another great resource.

See also