Both the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions begin with a preliminary phase: the 12 teams in each competition are divided into two pools of six, and each team plays every other in their pool. The top two teams in each pool qualify for the semi-finals, the winners of which go head-to-head for the gold. The other teams in the two groups play each other to determine final placings.
In the preliminary phase, teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw.
In the knockout matches, ties are resolved by extra time (two 7½-minute periods), with a golden goal - the first goal scored - winning the match. If still tied after this time, the match is decided by a shoot-out competition of five attempts per team.
For a complete set of rules, please refer to the website of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the governing body for the sport.
Find out more about the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions at the Olympic Games on the International Olympic Committee website.
