THE AVAILABILITY OF LARGE PLOTS OF LAND AS PLAYING FIELDS AND THE UNCOMPLICATED NATURE OF EQUIPMENT MEANT THAT HOCKEY GRADUALLY BECAME THE POPULAR SPORT OF CHOICE AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS IN INDIA, WITH THE COUNTRY’S FIRST HOCKEY CLUB BEING FORMED IN THEN CALCUTTA (NOW KOLKATA) IN 1855
IN THE NEXT FEW DECADES, NATIONAL COMPETITIONS LIKE THE BEIGHTON CUP IN CALCUTTA AND AGA KHAN TOURNAMENT IN BOMBAY (NOW MUMBAI) POPULARISED THE SPORT FURTHER, ESPECIALLY IN ERSTWHILE PROVINCES OF BOMBAY AND PUNJAB.
THERE WERE TALKS OF FORMING A HOCKEY ASSOCIATION IN INDIA IN 1907 AND 1908, BUT IT DIDN’T MATERIALISE. THE INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION (IHF) WAS ONLY FORMED IN 1925, ONE YEAR AFTER THE FORMATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY FEDERATION (FIH).
THE IHF ORGANISED ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR IN 1926 TO NEW ZEALAND, WHERE THE INDIAN HOCKEY MEN’S TEAM PLAYED 21 MATCHES AND WON 18. THE TOURNAMENT SAW THE EMERGENCE OF A YOUNG DHYAN CHAND, WHO WOULD GO ON TO BECOME ARGUABLY THE BEST HOCKEY PLAYER THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.
AFTER A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OLYMPIC GAMES UNTIL 1924 — HOCKEY WAS ONLY PLAYED IN 1908 AND 1920 AND DROPPED FOR THE OTHER EDITIONS — THE PRESENCE OF A GLOBAL SPORTS BODY (FIH) ENSURED THAT HOCKEY GAINED PERMANENT OLYMPIC STATUS STARTING AMSTERDAM 1928.
THE INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION APPLIED AND EARNED AN FIH MEMBERSHIP IN 1927, THUS ENSURING THAT THE INDIAN HOCKEY TEAM WOULD PLAY ITS FIRST OLYMPICS IN 1928.
IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LEGACY – DECORATED WITH EIGHT GOLD MEDALS – A RECORD TILL TODAY.
THE MEN’S TEAM DOMINATED THE PRESTIGIOUS EVENT IN THE EARLY YEARS, WINNING SIX CONSECUTIVE GOLDS FROM 1928 TO 1956 AND ADDED TWO MORE SINCE.
| NUMBER | OLYMPICS | CAPTAIN |
| 1 | AMSTERDAM 1928 | JAIPAL SINGH MUNDA |
| 2 | LOS ANGELES 1932 | LAL SHAH BOKHARI |
| 3 | BERLIN 1936 | DHYAN CHAND |
| 4 | LONDON 1948 | KISHAN LAL |
| 5 | HELSINKI 1952 | K.D, SINGH |
| 6 | MELBOURNE 1956 | BALBIR SINGH SR |
| 7 | TOKYO 1964 | CHARANJIT SINGH |
| 8 | MOSCOW 1980 | VASUDEVAN BASKARAN |
16 YARD HIT:-
IF A PLAYER FROM ATTACKING TEAM HITS THE BALL OVER END LINE, FROM THE GOAL, THE FREE HIT GOES AT 16 YARDS.
ADVANCING:-
IT IS A PENALTY LAID FOR HITTING THE BALL WITH ANY BODY PART.
ATTACK (ATTACKER):-
A PLAYER WHO ALWAYS TRIES TO SCORE A GOAL IS CALLED ATTACKER.
BACK-LINE:-
THE LINE ALONG THE GOAL POST OR LINE THAT MARKS THE WIDTH OF THE FIELD IS CALLED BACKLINE.
BULLY:-
WHEN THERE IS AN INJURY OR THE GAME IS STOPPED FOR ANY REASON, AND IF THE POSSESSION IS UNCLEAR, THE MATCH IS RESTARTED BY PLACING THE BALL IN BETWEEN THE PLAYERS.
CENTER PASS:-
IT IS A FREE HIT WHICH IS PLAYED AFTER A GOAL IS SCORED. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS PASS-BACK.
CIRCLE: –
THE AREA ENCLOSED WITHIN QUARTER CIRCLE THAT COVERS SOME PORTION OF BACKLINE AND GOAL POST IN THE CENTRE.
CLEARING:–
WHEN THE BALL IS HIT AWAY FROM THE GOAL, IT IS CALLED CLEARING.
CROSS:-
WHEN THE BALL IS PASSED IN FRONT OF OPPONENT’S GOAL IN ORDER TO SCORE POINTS.
DANGEROUS PLAY:-
IT IS ANY ACTION IN THE GAME THAT MAY RESULT IN INJURIES OF OTHER PLAYERS.
DEFENSE (DEFENDER):-
AN ON-FIELD PLAYER OF A TEAM WHO TACKLES ATTACKERS OF OPPOSITION TEAM AND TRIES TO BLOCK THEM FROM SCORING A GOAL.
DRIBBLE:-
PLAYER MOVING FORWARD OR SIDEWAYS WHILE CHANGING THE POSITION OF THE BALL FROM LEFT SIDE TO RIGHT SIDE JUST TO ELUDE THE DEFENDERS.
DRIVE:–
HIT HARDER WITH THE SWINGING OF STICK.
FIELD PLAYER:–
A PLAYER ON THE FIELD OTHER THAN GOAL KEEPER IS CALLED FIELD PLAYER.
FIELD PLAYER WITH GOALKEEPING PRIVILEGES: –
AN ON-FIELD PLAYER WHO HAS SPECIAL PRIVILEGE OF GOAL KEEPING OTHER THAN GOALKEEPER. SHE/HE WEARS A UNIQUE COLOR SHIRT TO BE SPOTTED EASILY BY PLAYERS ON FIELD.
FLAGRANT FOUL:–
WHEN A PLAYER HURTS ANOTHER PLAYER INTENTIONALLY, IT IS CALLED FLAGRANT FOUL. THE PLAYER IS SUSPENDED FROM THE GAME.
FLICK:–
THE PLAYER HOLDS THE STICK FIRMLY AND FLICKS THE BALL TO LOB IT IN AIR AND PASS IT TO YOUR TEAM PLAYERS. THE BALL TRAVELS AT GOOD PACE IN THIS SHOT. HERE THE BALL MUST NOT RISE ABOVE 18 INCHES.
FREE HIT:–
IT IS AWARDED TO THE DEFENDING TEAM IF THE ATTACKING MAKES FOUL OUTSIDE THE SHOOTING CIRCLE. HERE THE OPPOSING TIME SHOULD BE FIVE YARDS AWAY FROM THE BALL.
GOALKEEPER:–
A TEAM MEMBER WHO WEARS ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND GUARDS THE GOAL BY NOT LETTING OPPONENT TO SCORE IS CALLED GOALKEEPER.
GOAL-LINE:-
THE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO GOAL POSTS IS CALLED GOAL-LINE.
HIT :–
IT IS TO HIT THE BALL WITH THE SWINGING STICK. THE HARD HIT IS KNOWN AS A DRIVE.
LONG HIT:–
IT IS A FREE HIT FROM THE CORNER FOR ANY OFFENSE.
MARK:–
IF THE OFFENDING TEAM ENTERS THE DEFENDING ZONE THEN THE DEFENDERS POSITION THEMSELVES IN A WAY TO PREVENT THE BALL FROM REACHING THE GOAL. THIS TACTIC IS APPLIED TILL THE TIME THE BALL IS MOVED AWAY FROM THE DEFENDING ZONE.
MISCONDUCT:−
IF A PLAYER MISBEHAVES WITH PLAYERS OF HIS TEAM OR THE OPPONENT TEAM BY USING OBSCENE LANGUAGE OR HURTING INTENTIONALLY, A PENALTY IS AWARDED TO HIM. THIS PENALTY CAN BE A GREEN CARD FOR WARNING, YELLOW CARD FOR FIVE-MINUTE SUSPENSION OR RED CARD FOR DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE GAME.
OBSTRUCTION:−
PENALTY FOR USING THE BAT OR THE PERSON’S BODY TO PREVENT OTHER PLAYER TO PURSUE THE BALL.
PENALTY CORNER:–
WHEN A TEAM MAKES FOUL INSIDE THE STRIKING CIRCLE, A PENALTY CORNER IS AWARDED TO OTHER TEAM. IT IS A HIT MADE FROM A DISTANCE OF TEN YARDS FROM THE GOAL. WHERE ATTACKING TEAM IS OUTSIDE THE GOAL. FIVE PLAYERS OF THE DEFENSE TEAM STAND BEHIND THE END LINE AND RES STAND BEHIND THE CENTRE LINE. WHEN THE DEFENSE TAKES THE BALL UNDER CONTROL, THE PENALTY CORNER ENDS.
PENALTY STROKE:–
WHEN A GOAL IS PREVENTED BY A FOUL, A ONE-ON-ONE FREE SHOT IS AWARDED.
PUSH:-
IT IS A METHOD WHERE THE BALL IS IN CONTACT WITH BOTH BAT AND THE GROUND AND THE PLAYER MOVES THE BALL ALONG THE FIELD.
RAISED BALL:–
SCOOPING, FLICKING AND CHIPPING THE BALL INTO THE AIR IS CALLED RAISED BALL.
SCOOP:–
IT IS A METHOD OF PASSING OR SHOOTING THE BALL BY PICKING IT UP INTO THE AIR AND FLING IT.
SIDE IN:–
WHEN THE OPPONENT HITS THE BALL OUTSIDE THROUGH SIDE LINE, A FREE HIT IS AWARDED TO THE TEAM.
SIDE-LINE:-
THE LINE THAT MARKS THE LENGTH OF THE HOCKEY FIELD IS CONSIDERED AS SIDE-LINE.
STRIKER:–
THE PLAYER WHO SHOOTS THE BALL IS CALLED STRIKER.
TACKLE:–
IT IS A DEFENSE ACTION TO TAKE THE BALL FROM THE OPPONENT.
UNDERCUTTING:–
PENALTY FOR SWINGING HARDER UNDER THE BALL TO RAISE IT.
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THANKS.
