Aller au contenu
Insporta Book
fr
EnglishРусскийDeutschEspañolEestiSuomiItalianoFrançaisPolski日本語한국어中文
FootballCricketFutsalTriathlonTennisGolfPatinage artistiqueBasketballVolley-ballRugbyBaseballBadmintonField HockeyMéthodologiePourquoi ça marcheFaire un test

Field Hockey · Faits intéressants

Chapitre 1 : Histoire et origines

10 tests · 100 faits · mis à jour le 30 octobre 2026 · markdown

The early rules, beach games, pioneers and odd beginnings of the sport.

1.11Rossall's Beach Game

A public school on the Lancashire coast played hockey on the sand, by the tide tables.

Test 1Rossall's beach gameFaire un test

  1. The grass fields were too wet for rugby at that time of year, so they went down to the shore.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  2. The pitch vanished under the sea at high water, so the game ran by the tides.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  3. Each line was gone with the next tide, so it was drawn afresh every match.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  4. Play goes back at least to 1867, six years before anyone wrote the rules down.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  5. The rouge came from the school's early football, which imitated the Eton field game.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  6. With no forward passing allowed, close control was the whole of the attacking game.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  7. Association hockey arrived as an organised school sport only at the end of the 1960s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  8. At least 1867, 1873, 1900, the end of the 1960s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  9. 3 yards, 6 paces, 20 paces, 80 paces.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · restitution

  10. As in rugby, the ball could not go forward by a pass, so dribbling ruled.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey) · application

1.12The Surbiton Minute Book

The rules of 1876, as copied into a club's minute book, show a strange early game.

Test 1The rules of 1876Faire un test

  1. The extracts open the Hockey Museum's chronology of how the rules changed.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. Right into the 1970s the rule book still described the ball by reference to a cricket ball.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. Its width could run anywhere from 50 to 80 yards as well.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. The roll came in at right angles to the line, and the roll-in lasted almost a century.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. That same 15 yards later became the radius of the marked striking circle.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. There was no menu of penalties yet, only the ball brought back and a bully.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. No measurements were given, so a committee's eye was the only test.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 7 feet, 6 yards, 15 yards, 50 yards.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 1876, 1886, 1900, 1908.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. The shoulder limit lasted a long time: the rule capping stick height was deleted only in the early 1980s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.13The Code of 1886

The Hockey Association's first code, with flags, three taps and white-painted balls.

Test 1The Hockey Association's code of 1886Faire un test

  1. Flags stood where the modern 23-metre line now runs.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. Three taps stayed the ritual for over a century.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. No substitutes were allowed either, so the eleven who started had to finish.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. It took until the 1970s before two were allowed, and even then a player could not come back on.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. The stick itself had to be wood; towelling and rubber grips belong to much later days.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. Field players could stop the ball with a hand or foot, but could not kick it away.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. The code simply did not mention any goalkeeping equipment.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. One, two, three and five: the shape widens as it goes up the field.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 4 yards, 5 yards, 15 yards, 25 yards.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. Traditional leather-covered cricket balls were simply painted white.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.14Umpires Through the Years

From appeals and fixed halves to cards and signals: how the umpire's job changed.

Test 1How umpiring changedFaire un test

  1. From 1907 umpires could apply the rules without being asked.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. It also made each umpire responsible for the whole of one side-line.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. Its first meeting followed on 25 July that year.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. It was formally written in as a rule only in 1927.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. The 1886 code had allowed either two umpires or one with two linesmen.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. From the 1970s a temporary suspension had to last at least five minutes.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. The Hockey Museum's chronology calls it a trip to the sin bin.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 1907, 1936, 1959, the 1970s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. April 1900, July 1900, 1927, the 1970s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. Green, yellow and red were all brought in during that decade's changes.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.15Corners Before Today

The penalty corner began as a fix for defenders' fouls, and kept on changing.

Test 1How the penalty corner changedFaire un test

  1. The same year brought the penalty bully, for stopping a certain goal.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. The attackers, meanwhile, waited outside the circle.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. The rest of the team had to wait at the 25-yard line.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. Before that they had needed only to get behind the 25-yard line.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. The same year cut the defenders behind the back line from six to five.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. The first common rule book for men and women tightened what had not been umpired rigorously.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. With no stop required any more, the corner became a quicker routine.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 1908, 1961, 1987.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 1908, 1987, 1996, 2003.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. The corner is taken again one defender short, and in theory this could go on until the defence had gone.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.16The Bully's Long Goodbye

Hockey's oldest restart faded out over a hundred years, one rule at a time.

Test 1The disappearing bullyFaire un test

  1. It lasted until 1963, when the penalty stroke took its place.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. It is the ancestor of the free hit defenders now take after a ball goes over the back-line.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. It was first taken from a spot 8 yards from the goal.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. It became a centre pass that could go in any direction only in 1996.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. It still turns up today after, say, an injury stops play.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. The rewrite of that year kept the idea of the bully but simplified the ritual.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. That one change was made in the same year offside went experimental.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 1957, 1963, the early 1980s, 1996.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 1886, 1908, 2004.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. It looks the same as in the 1880s, except that the sticks now touch only once.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.17Hands, Feet and Sticks

What players could once do, and what they can do now that their grandparents could not.

Test 1Hands, feet and sticksFaire un test

  1. Use of the hand by anyone but a goalkeeper went only in the early 1980s.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. The same rule stopped players using any part of the body except the hand to stop the ball.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. Lifting the ball had to be done by the safe scoop, not by chopping under a hit.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. That is roughly 790 grams; today's limit is lower.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. A hard forehand hit with the edge was banned again in 2007.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. Before then a shot at the head could not legally be stopped with a raised stick.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. A side could now play with eleven field players, a choice still seen at the very end of matches.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 1904, 2002, 2007, 2009.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 1904, 1938, the early 1980s, 2007.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. It came more than a century after the first code, which had not mentioned any goalkeeping kit.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.18From Yards to Metres

How a game once measured in yards, feet and ounces went metric, and what shifted on the way.

Test 1From yards to metresFaire un test

  1. A conversion table for imperial users was put at the back of the book.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  2. That is why the stroke spot sits at an awkward-looking 6.4 metres today.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  3. The later fixed figure of 60 yards is about 55 metres, the width played on today.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  4. The same year let umpires advance a free hit by 10 yards for dissent.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  5. It is the dotted line you still see around each circle.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  6. The new limits were 9 inches long and 14 inches wide.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  7. It starts opposite where the ball went behind the goal-line.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  8. 1886, 1905, the 1970s, 1998.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  9. 9 inches, 14 inches, 36 inches.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · restitution

  10. Attacking free hits had to be kept away from the circle, and the dashes made the distance easy to see.

    Source : The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books · application

1.19The Apple

An Englishwoman who went to America for a short course in 1901 and stayed for the rest of her 107 years.

Test 1Constance ApplebeeFaire un test

  1. She was born there on 4 June 1873.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  2. Bryn Mawr's alumnae magazine told stories about her under that very name.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  3. She had come for a summer course and showed the game at a seminar there.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  4. She began in 1904 and stayed into the late 1920s.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  5. She had lived through the whole rise of the game she brought across the Atlantic.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  6. The association became the national voice for a sport that was then almost all female.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  7. It finally closed after the 1994 season.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  8. 1873, 1901, 1904, 1922.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  9. 1901, the early 1920s, 1981, 1994.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · restitution

  10. To this day American field hockey is played overwhelmingly by women, unlike nearly anywhere else.

    Source : Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 1901 · application

1.20Olympic Comings and Goings

Hockey dropped in and out of the early Games, with some very odd tournaments.

Test 1Hockey's early Olympic odditiesFaire un test

  1. Its absence pushed a French official to found the FIH that very year.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  2. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales each entered and each won a medal.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  3. Uhlenhorster HC went over as a club and represented the country.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  4. Japan took silver all the same, since only three teams had entered.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  5. The team trained on the deck on the way there.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  6. The sea swallowed them one by one as the players practised at sea.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  7. It was the condition that eventually folded the IFWHA into the FIH.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  8. Three, four and six.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  9. 1908, 1924, 1936, 1980.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · restitution

  10. India scored 38 and let in just one, in the final against Germany.

    Source : Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments' · application

Sources

Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: the FIH and its continental federations, national associations, The Hockey Museum, the Olympic Channel and Olympedia, Guinness World Records, clubs' and makers' own histories, museums and named reputable media.

  • The Hockey Museum, 'History of the Rules of Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org), from the Surbiton Hockey Club minute book and later rule books70
  • The Hockey Museum, 'Rossall Hockey' (hockeymuseum.org/rossall-hockey)10
  • Britannica, 'Constance Applebee'; Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, 'Lore: The Apple'; Vassar Encyclopedia chronology, October 190110
  • Olympedia, 'Hockey' (olympedia.org/sports/HOC) and its edition pages; bharatiyahockey.org, 'Golden Olympic Moments'10