Indoor Field Hockey

What is Indoor Field Hockey?

Indoor field hockey is an indoor variant of “traditional” outdoor field hockey game. Indoor field hockey is mainly played as a pastime by outdoor field hockey players during the off-season when the outdoor pitches are frozen. Indoor field hockey is played in regular national and international championships. The first Indoor Field Hockey World Cup was organized in 2003.

The smaller, hard-surface pitches and the use of sideboards makes game-play much faster. It is also both technically and physically demanding and great for skill development.

Indoor field hockey differs from outdoor field hockey in several ways:

  • The playing pitch is smaller than the outdoor pitch.
  • Side-boards mark the sidelines helping to keep the ball in play.
  • The goals are smaller than in outdoor field hockey.
  • A team consists of 5 field players and 1 goalkeeper on the pitch, with a maximum of 10-12 players on a team.
  • The players may not hit the ball, but only push it or deflect it, and may not raise the ball except in the shooting circle, with the purpose of scoring a goal.
  • The lighter and thinner indoor allows players to play faster.   
  • Right-handed and left-handed indoor gloves are required.