Hockey in the London Olympics 2012

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, men’s and women’s teams will be shooting for gold and glory at the new Hockey Centre in the Olympic Park.

Key Hockey Facts

Venue: Hockey Centre
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 women; 12 teams in each event)
Hockey demands speed, stamina and a mastery of intricate hand-eye coordination. Played by teams of 11 on an outdoor pitch, the sport is a long-time Olympic favourite, offering non-stop action over 14 days of competition.

Interesting Hockey & Olympics Vignettes

Hockey gets its name from the French word ‘hocquet’, which means ‘shepherd’s crook’.

The first time an Olympic Hockey tournament was played on artificial turf was in 1976 in Montreal.

The first men’s Olympic Hockey final was played on 31 October 1908 in London. England beat Ireland 8-1.

The influence of the British Empire on the development of Hockey is seen in the dominance of countries such as India, Australia and Pakistan at the Olympic Games.

Interesting Hockey Facts

The basics

Teams of 11 players (plus five substitutes) compete against each other on a pitch measuring 91.4 metres by 55m. Players use hook-shaped sticks to advance a hard ball towards their opponents’ goal, which stands 3.66m wide and 2.14m high. Matches are played over two halves of 35 minutes each.

Until the 1970s, hockey was always played on grass. However, top-level matches, including those at London 2012, now take place on water-based synthetic-turf pitches, which allow the ball to roll more smoothly and quickly.

At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions will begin with a preliminary phase: the 12 teams in each event will be divided into two pools of six, and each team will play every other team in their pool. The two best teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals, the winners of which will go head-to-head for the gold.

Olympic Hockey, past and present

Men’s Hockey made its Olympic debut at the London 1908 Games, but the first women’s Olympic Hockey competition wasn’t held until the Moscow 1980 Games.

At London 2012, all matches will be played at the brand new Hockey Centre in the Olympic Park.

Jargon buster

Golden goal: If extra time is required during the classification stages of the tournament, the team that scores the first goal – the golden goal – wins the match.
Green card: An official warning that results in an automatic two-minute suspension. The umpire may also issue yellow cards (longer temporary suspensions) and red cards (removal from the game).
Penalty corner: Awarded for a variety of different infringements (usually in the shooting circle), penalty corners are taken from the back line, 10m either side of the nearest goalpost. Only five defenders are allowed to defend penalty corners, which are also known as short corners.
Shooting circle: An arc in front of each goal; goals can only be scored from within the shooting circle.

Information on the London Olympics & Paralympics 2012