Question 1

True or false: Field hockey balls are made of solid plastic and weigh about the same as a baseball.

Accepted Answer

True. Standard field hockey balls are hard plastic, weighing 156-163 grams (5.5-5.75 oz), close to a baseball's 142-149 grams.

Question 2

True or false: Field hockey players can legally use their feet to stop or deflect the ball.

Accepted Answer

False. Only the goalkeeper is allowed to use their feet; field players must use the flat side of the stick. Using feet results in a foul.

Question 3

True or false: Field hockey is the second most popular sport in the world after soccer, by number of participants.

Accepted Answer

True. According to the International Hockey Federation, field hockey has over 2 billion players globally, second only to soccer.

Question 4

True or false: In field hockey, a goal can only be scored from inside the shooting circle, not from beyond it.

Accepted Answer

True. The ball must be touched by an attacker within the circle (a semicircle 16 yards from goal) for a goal to count.

Question 5

True or false: The first known set of written rules for field hockey dates back to the 19th century in England.

Accepted Answer

True. The modern rules were codified in 1875 by the Hockey Association in England, though similar games existed earlier.

Question 6

True or false: The penalty corner in field hockey is similar to a penalty kick in soccer, awarding a direct shot on goal.

Accepted Answer

False. A penalty corner requires the ball to be pushed out and stopped before a shot; it's not a direct free hit. The shot often occurs after a pass.

Question 7

True or false: Field hockey sticks are always curved at the head to help control the ball.

Accepted Answer

False. The stick has a flat face on one side and a rounded back; the curve is at the head, but the stick is not always curved—it's mainly straight.

Question 8

True or false: Field hockey was originally played exclusively by men, and women were banned from playing until the 1970s.

Accepted Answer

False. Women's field hockey dates back to the 1890s, and it became an Olympic sport for women in 1980. No universal ban existed.

Field Hockey Trivia Questions