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IN THE CROSSHAIRS |
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ESPN.com puts Olympic field hockey In the Crosshairs with our interactive fan guide feature. Check out each sport's fan guide for more In the Crosshairs looks at the Olympic sports.
Field Hockey in the
Crosshairs
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Olympic competition dates: Sept. 16-30
Venue: State Hockey Centre
The outlook
Australia, which earned an automatic entry as the host
nation, won women's gold medals in 1988 and 1996. South Korea,
Argentina, the Netherlands and Germany are expected to challenge in
the 10-team competition. Australia is also a top contender in the
12-team men's field.
The finer points
Format: Field hockey is similar to soccer. A game consists of two 35-minute halves, with 11 players on each team, and the playing area is roughly the size of a football field. Each goal is 12 feet wide and seven feet high. Players may shoot for goal only from the shooting circle, which is placed 16 yards from the goal, and the goalkeeper may use any part of the body to stop a shot. Twelve men's teams and 10 women's will participate in pool play with the top three teams advancing to the medal round.
Equipment: Each player is armed with hardwood sticks that resemble hockey sticks, though smaller. The stick is flat on one side and rounded on the other, and only the flat side may be used to hit the ball, which weighs about 5½ ounces and is slightly larger than a baseball. Players wear shin guards. The goalkeeper wears a face mask and heavy padding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
