Injuries are a real possibility in any aggressive sport. In field hockey, players must always wear protective gear and are not allowed to avoid contact. When you set foot on the field, be sure you have everything you need.
Having the right protective gear and apparel is crucial for your safety, as well as the proper equipment to play the game properly. So, to find out if you have the right gear, check out this list.
1. Chest Protector
The chest is susceptible, so you should safeguard it while playing. With a chest protector, you can keep yourself from dangerous objects like balls or sticks with well-made chest protection. While providing the best possible protection for the player’s torso, it should be lightweight to allow easy movement.
2. Face Protection
Field hockey players can wear a minimal face mask during penalties to protect their faces from the ball. Translucent, single-colored, or have a metal grill pattern. Removing right once the penalty strike ends, as it can only be worn for that long.
Those athletes who must wear protective headgear or medically required plastic eye goggles must adhere to these regulations. Given their medical conditions, the athletes’ hazards in a game must also be evaluated by coaches, umpires, and other authorities.
Hockey Rules prohibit players from “conducting themselves in a manner which is dangerous to other players by taking advantage of the protective equipment they wear” when wearing face masks.
3. Field Hockey Shoes
Every field hockey player needs a good pair of sneakers. Cleats for the activity offer superior traction on the grass to lessen the likelihood of slipping and sliding. On top of that, they provide stability and support, which helps players make rapid turns and maneuver with ease.
4. Gloves as Hand Protection
Hockey players must wear protective gear, including gloves, so long as these do not excessively enlarge the wearer’s hands.
5. Gum Shields as Mouth Protection
Several pieces of data point to the fact that gum shields reduce the likelihood of injury, leading many to call for mandatory use by all field hockey players. The hockey regulations state that gum shields should be shock-absorbing, installed by a dentist or a reliable supplier, and updated annually for the best protection.
6. Knee and Upper Leg Protection
Field hockey players can wear extra protective gear like knee pads or upper leg protectors to defend a penalty corner. Due to the decreased mobility caused by their size and weight, most players opt not to wear this supplementary protective gear during hockey games.
7. Shin Pads and Ankle Protection
The International Federation of Hockey (FIH) suggests that all field hockey players wear ankle and shin protectors while playing the game. Hockey is a sport that can cause serious injury due to the game’s fast pace. Wearing robust hockey protective gear around the lower legs is recommended to decrease the risk of injury greatly.
8. Extra Protection for Goalkeepers
Goalies are legally required to wear protective gear, including knee and ankle pads, shin guards, and a helmet while playing field hockey. It is also highly advised to use protective gloves.
Players on the pitch can wear shin guards up to 29 centimeters broader than the standard. A hard, well-fitting helmet with throat and neck protection is what the FIH suggests goalkeepers use for head protection. Also, extra padding covering the goalkeeper’s arms, upper body, knees, and thighs is allowed.
9. Comfortable Apparel
Breathable and comfortable field hockey apparel is often overlooked, yet it is necessary. Fabrics that wick away sweat allow athletes to keep dry and reduce the risk of skin irritation and injury. Lightweight and elastic fabrics also aid in mobility on the field.
Factors to Consider for Quality Field Hockey Protective Gear
You must choose high-quality protective gear to guarantee safety and protection while playing field hockey. Here are the factors you should consider:
Ergonomics
Carrying out a variety of motions characteristic of normal use and noting any limits or pain produced by the protective gear is part of this small-scale practical wear trial. The testing aims to determine whether the personal protective equipment (PPE) has any negative ergonomic effects, including restricting movement.
Impact Performance
The impact machine tests the protectors and ensures they adequately reduce forces communicated to the portions of the body that need protection. Depending on the test, the device’s impact energy can be supplied by lowering a guided falling mass striker from a suitable height.
An instrumented anvil simulates the wearer’s body part while testing the protector. The surface area is partitioned into multiple test zones for various items that fall under the standard, with varying impact performance requirements for each zone.
In addition, the standard recognizes five distinct performance levels (numbered 1 to 5), with level 5 denoting the pinnacle of performance.
Innocuousness
The product’s innocuousness is defined as an individual’s subjective evaluation of the presence or absence of any potentially harmful features, such as sharp edges. This feature also contains a manufacturer’s declaration and references to chemical test techniques that measure the quantity of dangerous compounds in the product’s basic components.
Restraint
The retention of safeguards during anticipated use is of the utmost importance. In most cases, a system of straps that can be adjusted will do the trick. Applying predetermined forces to the protector and then measuring the displacement it causes allows you to evaluate the restraint system’s effectiveness.
Sizing and Protective Coverage Area
Products offering impact protection should adhere to the minimum dimensions of the protective coverage area, a crucial sizing consideration. They are sized according to the people wearing them, and the measurements are compared to either a standard template or important measurements taken using normal metrological processes.
Protect Yourself in the Field
Players take comfort in knowing they are well-protected as they enter the field. They are transformed into fearsome opponents by combining skill, strategy, and top-notch protective gear. The fast-paced sport of field hockey requires strong defenders to do more than only stop goals; they must also safeguard themselves so that they can play with passion and energy.