Field hockey is a popular sport played around the world. Like any sport, it has its own unique equipment, rules, techniques, and traditions that lend themselves well to riddles. Here are 57 riddles about various aspects of field hockey to challenge your knowledge of this fast-paced game.
Riddles About Field Hockey Sticks
The curved stick used to maneuver the ball is one of the most iconic pieces of field hockey equipment. Let’s start with some riddles about field hockey sticks:
Riddle 1: What has a long, slender curve and can strike a ball with power and precision?
Answer: A field hockey stick
Riddle 2: I’m made of fiberglass, graphite, Kevlar, or wood and I’m your main piece of equipment when dribbling and shooting the ball. What am I?
Answer: A field hockey stick
Riddle 3: I’m flat on one side and rounded on the other to best control the ball. I can be used to push, dribble, pass, and shoot. What hockey equipment am I describing?
Answer: A field hockey stick
Riddles About Field Hockey Balls
The solid plastic balls used in field hockey are smaller and harder than balls used in many other sports. Try these brainteasers related to field hockey balls:
Riddle 4: I’m a small, hard ball about the size of a baseball. I’m made of solid plastic and travel fast across grass and artificial turf during a hockey game. What am I?
Answer: A field hockey ball
Riddle 5: You can pass me, dribble me, push me, hit me with an open or reverse stick, and shoot me into a net. I’m not as bouncy as a soccer ball and I’m smaller too. What ball am I?
Answer: A field hockey ball
Riddle 6: I may be white, orange, or yellow and I’m constructed of hard plastic. Up to eleven players try to shoot me into a net to score. What ball am I?
Answer: A field hockey ball
Riddles About Field Hockey Pitches and Positions
The field hockey pitch and lineup of players in positions also lend themselves to some puzzling riddles:
Riddle 7: I’m a 100 yard long rectangular field with a goal at each end. Teams try to shoot the ball into the opposing goal while defenders try to block shots and the goalie protects the net. What arena am I?
Answer: A field hockey pitch
Riddle 8: We come in numbers ranging from 1 to 11. We each have positions like goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and strikers. Together we make up a field hockey _____ ?
Answer: Team
Riddle 9: Our field hockey team has eleven players, one is a goalie, three are defenders, five are midfielders and two are strikers. Given this information, what number player is the second striker?
Answer: Number 10
Riddles About Field Hockey Terms and Equipment
In addition to sticks and balls, field hockey has other specialized gear along with its own unique terminology. Test your knowledge with these riddles:
Riddle 10: These allow players to run safely on surfaces like artificial turf. Many field hockey players add them to their shoes to grip the ground while playing.
Answer: Cleats
Riddle 11: I protect player’s shins from ball strikes. I strap on over the socks and lower leg during matches.
Answer: Shin guards
Riddle 12: We’re bulky padding worn on the shoulders, chest, and abdomen to protect from injury when the ball strikes this upper body region.
Answer: Padding
Riddle 13: These are blows or deflections where the ball ricochets unpredictably off of a player’s stick or foot.
Answer: Trap
Riddle 14: I’m a tactic where a player uses their stick and body to legally block an opponent from reaching the ball.
Answer: Tackle
Riddles About Field Hockey Rules
Like any sport, field hockey has certain rules that players must abide by. Test your knowledge of field hockey rules with these riddles:
Riddle 15: To score, this must fully cross the goal line between the goal posts and under the crossbar.
Answer: The ball
Riddle 16: Players can’t touch this with their feet or hands unless they are the goalie in the circle.
Answer: The ball
Riddle 17: During a penalty corner, I’m the protective gear worn by defenders on their hands, arms, and legs while they stand behind the goal line.
Answer: Pads
Riddle 18: Along with sticks and shoes, this piece of safety gear is required to cover the shins and socks during play.
Answer: Shin guards
Riddle 19: To restart play after a foul, these are taken from the location of the infraction.
Answer: Free hits
Riddles About Field Hockey History and Traditions
Dating back over 300 years, field hockey has developed some unique history and traditions. Here are some brain teasing riddles related to the background of field hockey:
Riddle 20: Players in this early version of field hockey had wooden sticks with a curved end.
Answer: Hurling
Riddle 21: In the late 1800s in this country, schools and universities established field hockey rules and regulations that were later adopted internationally.
Answer: England
Riddle 22: After initially only allowing men to participate, the first women’s field hockey association was established in which country in 1927?
Answer: Ireland
Riddle 23: First played in 1908, I’m an international field hockey competition with qualifying tournaments that happens every four years with men’s and women’s national teams.
Answer: Olympic Field Hockey
Riddle 24: First held in 1971, I’m an international field hockey competition held every four years solely for women’s teams.
Answer: Women’s World Cup
Riddles About Field Hockey Penalties
Breaking the rules results in penalties and free hits for the opposing team. Test your knowledge of field hockey infractions and penalties with these riddles:
Riddle 25: I occur when a defender intentionally blocks a shot on goal with their foot inside the circle. This results in a penalty stroke.
Answer: Foot foul
Riddle 26: If I dangerously raise my stick toward another player at head height, I’ll be penalized with a yellow or red card.
Answer: Stick obstruction
Riddle 27: When an attacker enters the scoring circle before the ball, this type of violation likely occurs resulting in a free hit for the defense.
Answer: Offside
Riddle 28: If I use physical force and contact to dispossess an opponent of the ball, I may be punished for this infraction.
Answer: Charging
Riddle 29: I’m an intentional attack on an opponent’s stick instead of reaching for the ball. This is considered dangerous play.
Answer: Hacking
Riddles About Field Hockey Terms and Techniques
Mastering vocabulary and techniques is key for field hockey players. See if you can solve these riddles that cover common field hockey terms and tactics:
Riddle 30: I’m a two-touch move to avoid defenders by lifting the ball gently into empty space then running onto it.
Answer: Self-pass
Riddle 31: When dribbling the ball, I refer to keeping it close to your stick with soft touches to maintain maximum control.
Answer: Carrying
Riddle 32: I’m a pass made with the intent for a player to run onto the ball and receive it on an open stick.
Answer: Lead pass
Riddle 33: I refer to players organized in a wall to defend a free hit from close range.
Answer: Rushed
Riddle 34: When defending, this term refers to channeling an attacking player to the sideline to limit scoring opportunities.
Answer: Shepherding
Riddles About Field Hockey Skills
Field hockey requires a diverse range of specialized talents and abilities. Test your knowledge of hockey skills with these riddles:
Riddle 35: I combine hand-eye coordination with power to strike the ball long distances towards the goal.
Answer: Hitting
Riddle 36: Goalies excel at me, using their hand protectors, kickers, and leg guards to block shots on net.
Answer: Saving
Riddle 37: For this, players use the flat side of their stick to move the ball short distances. I’m ideal for maintaining possession and creating passing lanes.
Answer: Pushing
Riddle 38: Dodging defenders and keeping the ball under control while moving quickly requires mastery of this bouncing the ball off the stick continuously.
Answer: Dribbling
Riddle 39: This attacking skill involves lifting the ball softly over approaching defenders then collecting it on the other side making a free run towards goal.
Answer: Elimination
Riddles About Basic Field Hockey Concepts
New to field hockey? These riddles cover some of the basic elements of the sport:
Riddle 40: Played between two teams of eleven players, the objective is to shoot me into the opposing team’s goal while preventing goals in your own net.
Answer: The ball
Riddle 41: Teams can substitute me on and off the pitch at frequent intervals keeping fresh legs on at all times.
Answer: Players
Riddle 42: My hard surface allows the ball to roll fast and true compared to grass. Many higher-level hockey games take place on fields constructed from me.
Answer: Artificial turf
Riddle 43: We come in sizes small, medium, and large to provide the best fit for players. Shin protection is also important that we provide.
Answer: Shin guards
Riddle 44: Eleven meters in front of each goal, I’m a semi-circle zone that warrants special rules and defensive positioning.
Answer: Shooting circle
Riddles About Field Hockey Attacking Formations and Strategies
Varied formations and offensive tactics are used in field hockey to create scoring chances. Solve these riddles that cover attacking schemes:
Riddle 45: In this formation, there are five midfielders and five forwards with only one player hanging back on defense.
Answer: All-out attack
Riddle 46: This attacking style relies on maintaining possession in the midfield area probing for defensive weaknesses to exploit.
Answer: Possession play
Riddle 47: In this setup, four forwards pressure the defense looking for gaps while five midfielders provide support from deeper positions.
Answer: 4-4-2 formation
Riddle 48: For this corner attack, four forwards charge the goal for tip-ins while six midfielders crowd the top of the circle hoping for deflections.
Answer: Crowded house
Riddles About Defensive Field Hockey Formations and Strategies
Strong defensive play prevents goals just as much as scoring them. Test your knowledge of hockey defensive tactics and positioning with these riddles:
Riddle 49: This aptly named structure consists of nine players closely packed into the shooting circle area blocking shots from all angles.
Answer: The castle
Riddle 50: In this tight formation, all eleven players fall back towards their own goal denying space and passing lanes to the attack.
Answer: Man-to-man defense
Riddle 51: This zone defense tactic focuses on contesting shots from the top and sides of the circle but gives up the baseline area.
Answer: The triangle
Riddle 52: Standing aggressively at the halfway line, this high-pressure system aims to trap opponents in their own end leading to turnovers.
Answer: 3-4-3 formation
Riddles About Field Hockey Protective Gear
The fast paced play and hard ball necessitates wearing protective equipment in field hockey. See if you can identify the gear from these riddles:
Riddle 53: Worn on the hands, I protect a player’s fingers from bruises and breaks when stopping hard shots.
Answer: Gloves
Riddle 54: My hard shell and face grid defend against rising shots to the head region.
Answer: Mask
Riddle 55: Often seen in bright colors, I shield a goalie’s legs and kickers using dense foam padding under a plastic outer layer.
Answer: Leg guards
Riddle 56: My boxy shape shields the arm holding the stick from ball contact using padding enclosed in rigid plastic shells.
Answer: Arm guard
Riddle 57: Worn by players with vision issues, I have strong shatter-resistant lens materials to allow continued play.
Answer: Sports goggles
Conclusion
How did you do with these riddles about the various elements of field hockey? This quick-paced game has been popular for over 300 years and continues to grow internationally. Mastering the techniques and rules through practice helps unlock field hockey’s speed, skill and intrigue as a lifetime sport.
