field hockey
Enable an AI agent to recognise field hockey activity, assess its playing state and determine permitted, required or unsafe next actions under the applicable rules.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise field hockey activity, assess its playing state and determine permitted, required or unsafe next actions under the applicable rules.
Field hockey is an 11-a-side outdoor team sport in which players use a one-faced, J-shaped stick to control and strike a hard spherical ball on a rectangular grass or hockey-turf pitch, scoring only from within the shooting circle into a defended goal, and is governed worldwide by the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH).
It can be Classify an activity's field hockey format and identify missing rules context.; Record a passage of play with ball contacts, player roles, pitch locations and uncertainty.; Assess candidate passes, challenges, shots and substitutions against the applicable playing constraints.; Identify the restart or penalty procedure associated with a recorded stoppage and authoritative decision.; Evaluate a scoring event against its preceding contact sequence and the format's scoring requirements.; Flag potentially dangerous play or unsuitable conditions for human assessment and identify unresolved evidence..
Distinguishing features
Recognise play using field-hockey sticks and a ball on a field-hockey playing surface, rather than classifying any stick-and-ball activity as field hockey.
Distinguish it from ice hockey through the playing surface, footwear, playing object and governing rules rather than the shared word 'hockey'.
Check the rules governing which stick surfaces may play the ball; stick shape alone does not establish that an action is legal.
Check format-specific scoring-area and attacking-touch requirements rather than treating every ball crossing the goal line as a goal.
Distinguish outdoor field hockey, indoor hockey and Hockey5s through their declared rules and playing arrangements before applying participant limits, boundaries or restart procedures.
Scope
+ Identification of the field hockey format and applicable rules
+ Playing roles, team composition, substitutions and temporary exclusions
+ Ball movement, possession, challenges and scoring eligibility
+ Match phases, restarts, penalties and officiating decisions
+ Playing conditions and hockey-specific safety constraints
- Player identity, medical history and long-term athletic development
- Pitch construction, facility ownership and maintenance operations
- Equipment manufacture, inventory and purchasing
- Tournament scheduling, standings and competition administration
- Ice hockey, floorball and other neighbouring stick-and-ball sports
Characteristics
- Playing format
- Declared format, such as outdoor field hockey, indoor hockey, Hockey5s or an identified adaptation Selects the relevant interpretation of team size, boundaries, scoring and permitted play.
- Applicable rules
- Governing rules document, edition, competition regulations and declared local adaptations Grounds decisions in the rules actually governing this activity.
- Activity context
- Competitive match, practice match, training drill or informal play Establishes which match procedures and adaptations apply.
- Playing configuration
- Players currently participating by team, role, substitution status and exclusion status Determines who may enter play and which role-specific permissions apply.
- Ball position
- Metres in a declared pitch coordinate frame, with height and observation uncertainty where available Supports boundary, scoring-area, restart-location and raised-ball assessments.
- Ball interaction
- Observed carry, push, hit, sweep, flick, scoop, deflection, tackle or unresolved interaction Makes technique-specific restrictions and contact sequences assessable.
- Playing phase
- Live play, stopped play, pending restart, interval, suspended or completed Determines whether ordinary play, a restart procedure or no play is currently permitted.
- Match clock
- Period identifier and seconds elapsed or remaining, with running or stopped status Supports period transitions and rules governing unfinished procedures.
- Confirmed score
- Awarded goals by team, with disputed or pending scoring events recorded separately Separates an observed goal-line crossing from an officially accepted goal.
- Decision authority
- Responsible umpire or authorised review process linked to each decision Distinguishes observations and agent assessments from binding match decisions.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 29 questions.
Format and rules Establishes which field hockey activity is being modelled and which rules govern it.
Field hockey variants and adaptations cannot safely share an assumed set of playing permissions.
Activity identity
Recognises field hockey and establishes its format and context.
Format recognition
Records evidence for the declared format and any mismatch between that declaration and observed play.
- Which field hockey format is declared, and what playing surface, equipment and boundary arrangements support that classification? definition
- Is this a match, drill or informal adaptation, and which departures from the declared format are intentional? boundary
Governing authority
Connects playing interpretations to identifiable rules and authorised decisions.
Applicable rule set
Records the rules edition, supplementary regulations and decision authority used for this activity.
- Which rules edition and competition or local modifications govern this session? provenance
- Who resolves a disputed interpretation, and which rule source takes precedence when provisions conflict? action
Players and playing roles Tracks who may participate and the permissions attached to their current roles.
Field-player and goalkeeper permissions, substitutions and exclusions affect the legality of play.
Active team configuration
Records each team's participants and role-dependent playing permissions.
Role and participation
Distinguishes active players, substitutes and goalkeeper arrangements under the selected rules.
- Who is currently on the pitch for each team, and is that configuration permitted for this format? measurement
- Which participant has goalkeeper permissions, and where and under what equipment conditions do those permissions apply? boundary
Participation transitions
Tracks entry, exit and return to play.
Substitution and exclusion
Records pending substitutions and disciplinary restrictions that change team participation.
- May the proposed substitution occur during the current phase, including any penalty-corner procedure, and through which entry arrangements? action
- Which players are excluded, and what timing or authorisation conditions control their return and the team's permitted numbers? measurement
Stick, ball and contests Describes ball contacts, movement and player contests sufficiently to assess candidate actions.
Possession alone does not explain whether a hockey contact, challenge or raised ball is permissible.
Ball contact and trajectory
Records how the ball was played and where it travelled.
Contact sequence
Captures the player, stick or body contact, technique and resulting ball movement without assuming every contact is an offence.
- Who last played or touched the ball, with which stick surface or body part, and using what observable technique? measurement
- What trajectory, height and nearby-player positions are known, and how uncertain are those observations? measurement
Contested play
Assesses access to the ball, challenges and potentially dangerous interactions.
Challenge and danger assessment
Records evidence relevant to tackling, obstruction, physical interference and raised-ball reception.
- Could the challenger legitimately reach and play the ball, and what stick, body or shielding interactions occurred? boundary
- Which candidate actions are permitted around this raised or descending ball given player positions and the applicable danger and receiving rules? action
Scoring, stoppages and restarts Connects scoring attempts and interruptions to the next authorised phase of play.
Hockey decisions depend on location, preceding contacts and specialised restart procedures.
Scoring validity
Separates a scoring attempt, a goal-line crossing and an awarded goal.
Goal eligibility
Records the contact and location evidence required to judge a possible goal under the selected format.
- What attacking contacts and ball locations preceded the goal-line crossing, and do they satisfy this format's scoring requirements? boundary
- Was the goal awarded, disallowed or left pending, and by which authorised decision? provenance
Restart procedures
Records the awarded restart and its execution conditions.
Restart entitlement and execution
Distinguishes boundary restarts, free hits, penalty corners, penalty strokes and other procedures supported by the format.
- What event and authoritative decision stopped play, and which team receives which restart at what location? provenance
- What positioning, ball-movement and completion conditions must be satisfied before or during this restart? action
- Was advantage allowed after a suspected offence, and how does that affect whether a restart remains due? boundary
Match state and playing readiness Combines match progression with the conditions required to begin or continue play.
An otherwise legal hockey action may be unavailable because time has expired, a procedure remains active or playing conditions are unsuitable.
Time and completion
Tracks periods, interruptions and the conditions for a final result.
Phase and result status
Records clock state and outstanding procedures without assuming a clock signal immediately completes the match.
- Which period or deciding procedure is active, what time remains, and is the clock running? measurement
- Does an outstanding penalty procedure, review or competition-specific tie resolution prevent the result from becoming final? boundary
Pitch and equipment readiness
Assesses the hockey-specific suitability of the playing environment and equipment.
Permission to play
Records relevant pitch, goal, stick, ball and protective-equipment conditions and the authority to permit continuation.
- Are the pitch markings, surface, goals, sticks, ball and role-specific protective equipment suitable under the applicable requirements? boundary
- Which observed condition requires correction, equipment adjustment or suspension, and who may authorise play to resume? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Outdoor 11-a-side field hockey (FIH outdoor; the default international and Olympic form)
- Indoor hockey (FIH indoor; typically 6-a-side on a boarded court)
- Hockey5s (FIH five-a-side shortened outdoor format)
- Men's competitive field hockey
- Women's competitive field hockey
- Masters / veterans field hockey
- School and junior age-grade field hockey
- Grass-pitch versus sand-dressed or water-based artificial-turf hockey
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q1455 - Item for the sport field hockey.
- IOC sport code - HOC - Olympic programme code for field hockey; ice hockey is coded separately (IHO).
- Library of Congress Subject Headings - Field hockey - Authorized subject heading used in library and archive cataloguing.
- Dewey Decimal Classification - 796.355 - Class number commonly used for field hockey as a sport.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- FIH Rules of Hockey (Fédération Internationale de Hockey)
- FIH Tournament Regulations (Fédération Internationale de Hockey)
- FIH Quality Programme for Hockey Turf and associated facilities guidance (Fédération Internationale de Hockey)
- World Anti-Doping Code as implemented for hockey by FIH (World Anti-Doping Agency / FIH)
- Olympic Charter sport-inclusion and eligibility framework as applied to hockey (International Olympic Committee)
- NCAA Field Hockey Rules (National Collegiate Athletic Association, United States)
- NFHS Field Hockey Rules (National Federation of State High School Associations, United States)
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Olympic, FIH Hockey World Cup, FIH Pro League, and continental championship match play for national teams
- Club competition in national leagues (for example the Dutch Hoofdklasse, German Bundesliga, and England Hockey leagues) and in school or university programmes
- United States NCAA and high-school field hockey, overwhelmingly as a women's varsity sport
- Community club training, mixed social hockey, and junior pathway sessions on municipal or club turf pitches
- Physical-education and development programmes in countries where the sport is simply called hockey
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Pitch length - 91.40 - m
- Pitch width - 55.00 - m
- Shooting-circle radius - 14.63 - m
- Goal width × height - 3.66 × 2.14 - m
- Penalty-stroke spot distance from the goal line - 6.40 - m
- Ball mass - 156-163 - g
- Ball circumference - 224-235 - mm
- FIH outdoor playing time - 4 × 15 - min
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Raised or deflected ball striking the face, head, or throat, causing concussion, dental, or orbital injury
- Stick-on-body and follow-through blows, especially on fingers, hands, and shins
- Close-range shots and drag-flicks injuring goalkeepers despite protective kit
- Non-contact knee (including ACL) and ankle injuries from cutting on hockey turf
- Turf burns, overuse stress, and heat illness on exposed water-based pitches
- Dangerous aerial contests and third-party contact when a falling ball is contested
- Undercutting or reckless tackling that produces open wounds from stick edges
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- In most of the world the sport is called simply hockey; in the United States and Canada it is specified as field hockey to distinguish it from ice hockey
- India and Pakistan retain a large popular and historical centre of the game, with a strong tradition of individual stick skill; elite play there has moved from natural grass onto turf
- The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and England run dense club systems on water-based turf with a more pressing, structured style
- Argentina's women's programme is a national sporting reference in a way the men's game is not
- In the United States and Canada the competitive pathway is predominantly female and school- or college-based; men's field hockey is comparatively small
- Australia and New Zealand treat hockey as a mainstream outdoor national-team sport alongside cricket and other Commonwealth codes
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Ice hockey - Played on ice with skates and a puck (or ball in some variants) under IIHF rules; field hockey is unskated, uses a hard spherical ball, and is played on grass or hockey turf.
- Indoor hockey - Same stick family but 6-a-side on a small boarded indoor court with rebound-in-play rules; outdoor field hockey is 11-a-side on an unboarded 91.40 × 55.00 m pitch.
- Lacrosse - The crosse has a netted pocket that can carry the ball; a field-hockey stick has no pocket and a single flat playing face.
- Floorball - Uses a lightweight stick with a closed plastic blade and a hollow perforated ball, almost always indoors; field hockey uses a hard solid ball and a wooden or composite J-shaped stick.
- Hurling - Gaelic Athletic Association code using a camán and a stitched sliotar, with aerial striking and catching central; field hockey forbids playing the ball with the rounded back of the stick and has no hand-catch.
- Shinty - Scottish camanachd using a caman that may strike with both sides of the head; field hockey allows only the flat face.
- Bandy - Ice sport with skates, a ball, and a large rink; field hockey is a turf or grass sport without skates.
- Roller / rink hockey - Played on wheeled skates with a ball, typically indoors; field hockey is an unskated field sport.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of field hockey this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Rules of Hockey - Pitch and goal dimensions, ball mass and circumference, match format, stick construction limits, and the distinction of outdoor, indoor, and Hockey5s as FIH disciplines.
- field hockey (Q1455) - Canonical identifier, aliases, and sport-family links used to name this thing in open catalogues.
- Field hockey - Specialist description of play, equipment, and the historical split from ice and other stick-and-ball games.
- Field hockey - Competition structure, regional naming (hockey vs field hockey), and neighbour sports against which the game is commonly distinguished.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend field hockey to include indoor hockey and Hockey5s, or should this model reference separately registered formats?
- Which governing rules editions and competition adaptations should provide the initial researched baseline?
- How should agent observations, umpire judgments and review outcomes be reconciled when they disagree about danger, obstruction, advantage or scoring validity?
- What minimum observation quality is needed to assess stick-surface contact, scoring-area contacts and raised-ball reception without overstating certainty?
- How much training and informal play should this model own when participants intentionally alter team sizes, scoring conditions or restart procedures?