🏛️Official — NCAA
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Team Sports
1–7 players
outdoor
stick, ball
7 essential rules
NCAA Field Hockey is the collegiate variant of women's field hockey contested in the fall semester at NCAA Division I, II, and III. NCAA Field Hockey uses the International Hockey Federation (FIH) rule baseline with NCAA-specific modifications around match length, substitution count, video review...
Stick: J-shaped, max length 105 cm, max weight 737 g, made of wood/composite; flat side only used to play the ball; Ball: hard, spherical, 22.4 cm circumference, 156-163 g, white with raised seams; Goalkeeper equipment: NOCSAE-approved helmet with face mask, throat protector, chest protector, pad...
Field: 91.40 m long × 55 m wide (FIH spec); NCAA may use slightly smaller fields; Surface: water-based artificial turf preferred (FIH spec); some NCAA venues use sand-based turf or natural grass; Two 22.90-m lines (originally "25-yard line"); one halfway line
11 players per team on field including 1 goalkeeper; Roster: typically 16-22 players for NCAA D1; up to 18 may be in match-day squad; Substitutions: unlimited and rolling (FIH/NCAA framework — distinct from FIFA limited subs); player exits, substitute enters at the 22.90-m line
Match: 4 quarters of 15 minutes each (FIH adopted from 2014 onwards; NCAA aligns); 2-minute breaks between Q1/Q2 and Q3/Q4; 5-10 minute halftime; Tied at end of regulation: NCAA Tournament — 7-minute golden-goal sudden-death OT periods, then penalty shootout if still tied
Goal: ball wholly crosses goal line between posts, propelled from inside the shooting circle by an attacking player's stick; Goal from outside the circle = no goal; Most goals at end of regulation/OT/shootout wins
Common fouls: obstruction, dangerous play, third-party block, ball played with rounded side of stick, foot kick, raised hit outside the circle; Card framework: green card (warning, possible 2-min temp suspension), yellow card (5-10 min suspension to penalty box; team plays short), red card (full ...
Mandatory mouthguard at NCAA level. Goggles strongly recommended (high incidence of stick-strike eye injuries).
Return Possession After Injury Stoppage
If a team intentionally plays the ball dead or out of bounds to allow an injured opponent to receive treatment, the opposing team is expected to return possession when play resumes. Scoring or retaining aggressive possession after such a gesture is considered a serious breach of honor.
Field hockey lacks automatic stoppages for all injuries, making this custom load-bearing for fair play. Observed at all levels from youth to NCAA.
Honor the Post-Game Handshake Line
After the final whistle, both teams line up and shake hands or tap sticks down the line. Players are expected to participate with genuine respect regardless of the result. Halfhearted participation or avoiding the line is considered disrespectful.
A cornerstone tradition in field hockey at the collegiate and high school levels; more formalized than in some other sports.
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