India Women, on Monday (August 28), qualified for the inaugural edition of FIH Hockey5s World Cup that is set to take place in January next year in Oman. While the fans are well versed with regular field hockey, the Hockey5s is a new format in the sport and even the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is taking the quicker and simpler format of the sport seriously. Not many are aware of Hockey5s despite the fact that this type of Hockey was first introduced in 2013 and is being played by over 60 nations.
Let us know more details on Hockey5s:
Hockey5s is faster and shorter variant of traditional hockey. It is similar to T20 format in cricket, Rugby7 is Rugby and 3*3 basketball in Basketball. The introduction of Hockey5s was done in 2013 mainly with an aim to increase the viewership in the sport by making it quicker, easier, simpler and entertaining for the viewers. The format also made its appearance in 2014 Youth Olympics in China and now more than 60 nations play the Hockey5s.
As far as the rules are concerned, the Hockey5s court is exactly half the size of the field used to play traditional hockey. Interestinglly, the size of the field differs a bit with every competition. However, the minimum to maximum acceptable field size according FIH regulations is 40mx28m - 55mx42m.
How many players take part in Hockey5s?
Unlike field hockey where 11 players per team are allowed to participate, Hockey5 allows only five players, including the goalkeeper, per side. However, four substitutions are allowed during the match.
How to Play Hockey5s?
The biggest difference in Hockey5s from the traditional hockey is the presence of boundary boards that are generally of 10-25 cm in height. In field hockey, once a ball crosses the sidelines, it is deemed out of play and it resumes with a free hit. However, in Hockey5s, the ball still is in play even after hitting the boundary boards. The ball comes back into play after hitting the boards. This results in saving a lot of time and the flow of the game is also not disturbed. With boundary boards coming into play, new skills, tactics and angles also come into play. The ball is deemed out of play only if it travels over the boundary board.
No Penalty Corner in Hockey5s, but what is Challenge?
Potent goal-scoring option in field hockey, Penalty Corner, doesn't exist in Hockey5s. Instead, there is a concept of 'Challenge' in this format of the sport. A challenge is awarded to a team if the defender commits an offence in their own half denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity for the opposition.
During a challenge, the ball is placed on the quarter line and only an attacking player taking the challenge and the goalkeeper of the opposition can be in the half. Remaining players from both sides are bound to stand in the other half of the pitch. The attacker starts playing the ball only after the umpire's whistle goes off. However, the attacker and his team can only take a shot at the goal after moving 4 metres with the ball during the challenge. Also, once the attacker touches the ball, the other players standing behind the quarter line can also rejoin the play.
What is Penalty Stroke?
In Hockey5s, Penalty Stroke is awarded for a defensive action preventing a certain goal like foot on the goal line or a foul by goalkeeper on the attacker when the Challenge is in progress. In penalty stroke, the ball is placed on the penalty circle in the opposition half and the attacker takes a direct shot at the goal with only the goalkeeper defending the goal.
Rules related to foul
Hockey5s is somewhat similar to traditional hockey when it comes to different type of penalties. Green card amount for one-minute suspension for a player while a yellow card will see the player sitting out of the game for two minutes. Red card is issued for harshest of challenges from a player and in this case, he/she is suspended for the remainder of the match.
How long Hockey5s match goes on?
A Hockey5s match lasts only for 20 minutes divided into two halves of 10 minutes each. Only two minutes of break is allowed in between two halves. In case both teams are on level terms at the end of regulation time, then the match either ends in a draw or it is decided by a challenge shootout in a best of five system.
When is inaugural Hockey5s World Cup taking place?
The Hockey5s World Cup is set to be played from January 24 to 27 in Oman next year. A total of 16 teams (Men's and Women's each) will take part in the competition.
