In the picture, a famale hockey player above the grass is holding the stick with both hands and hitting the ball.
SPORTS

Field hockey

Field Hockey is a sport where two teams with 11 players each, face each other to score in the opposite team's goal, with the help of a specialized stick. Goals are only valid if the ball is pushed within the area by the attacking team.

The field is rectangular, with a synthetic grass mat. Chile has its first public field at the Estadio Nacional, with a mat that complies with the highest international standards, certified by the FIH (International Field Hockey Federation). In the #Santiago2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games, Field Hockey will offer a direct quota for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In the picture, a female hockey player above the grass is holding her stick with both hands and hits the ball.

History of this sport

Field hockey is one of the oldest sports in history. According to records, it can be evidenced that in Persia, in 2,000 BC, a rudimentary version of the sport was played. The same thing happened in other parts of the world such as Greece, Mongolia or even in South America in the 14th century, when the Mapuches practiced their own version known as palin.

In 1875 the English Hockey Association was formed and made its debut as an Olympic sport at London 1908, although women were not allowed to participate until the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

In the case of the Pan American Games, the men's teams debuted at Winnipeg 1967, while the women's teams were able to participate 20 years later at Indianapolis 1987.

Historically, the country that has led the Pan American Games medal table in field hockey is Argentina. Its two teams (female and male) have obtained 17 gold distinctions. Both branches were also champions at Lima 2019.

In the picture, a female hockey player above the grass is holding her stick with both hands and hits the ball.

How do you compete?

Although the name of the sport indicates that it is played on grass, natural grass slowed down the game, so today the field is made of synthetic grass.

The field of play must be rectangular (91.40 m long and 55 m wide). It must also have two goals, each surrounded by a semi-circle of throwing that has a shape similar to the letter D. All its defining lines must be white and measure 75 mm wide.

The teams are distributed between defenders, midfielders, forwards and the goalkeeper. Each one of them fulfills a specific function within the field of play and must follow the regulations, abiding by what the match referee indicates.

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Quiz

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Information for the community

As of the completion of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, Chile will present the first public field hockey ground. They will be located in the National Stadium Sports Park and will serve as a contribution to the development and massification of this discipline in the country.

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