By Stephen Cooney

There are 4,000 year old drawings in Egypt that depict a game similar to field hockey and the Ancient Greeks played a game using horns that was almost identical. The sport as we know it has been around since the early 19th century and the first club was formed outside of London in 1849.

Despite its name the game is almost nothing like hockey, and most people who watch it can’t figure out what is going on. Anyone who doesn’t play will probably leave the match dizzy and wondering what they just watched.

The only real thing we know is it is played on a field with sidelines and end lines, a circle that resembles the three point line, a goal they call a cage, girls in skirts, curved sticks that sort of look like canes and the major object is to get the bright orange ball in the goal and beat your opponent.

Apparently, the sport also uses a bunch of terms from other sports like stroke, jab, shot, tackle and even a few familiar player positions like forward and goalie. There are even things like shots and fouls but I am sure you are probably more confused now than you were before.

Luckily, the Senior Forward and four year starter for the Pride was able to sit down with me and school me on a few finer points on the game. I am now thoroughly convinced that field hockey is like no other sport in the world and probably needs a new name to stop all the confusion.

Either way, since Blankmeyer is one of the best players in the CAA and a national All-Star who has played field hockey since the 6th grade, we decided to take her word on the rules. Hopefully this will help you out and you can enjoy a game. There are few this weekend.

You have played forward since your freshman year.

I started every game so far.

You just knocked on wood there, what was that all about? Little nervous about the last couple games?

You never know what could happen. That’s funny you caught on to that.

In field hockey, forward is more like striker in soccer. So what do you have to do during a game?

To basically attack. We are accepted to make things happen. WE are the goal scores.

You play inside what looks like a giant three point line?

Okay you can say that, but I can go anywhere on the field I never go past midfield. I will go a little before that on our defensive side, but I am never in our defensive circle.

So the little I know is a stroke is like a penalty kick? Do you take those?

Right. On a stroke there is a little place about 7 yards out and they shot from there. I have the one stroke we have had this year we took. The goalie saved it.

You actually shoot on the stroke. If I am right you can’t score on the stroke unless it hits the wood?

A stroke is like a penalty kick it is you against the goalie and you get those for certain fouls. Certain fouls would give you a stroke instead of a corner.

Where the other team has to go back to their mid field and four of them get to stay back and the goalie.

The stroke is when you guys do that goofy shot where you bend down low. What is the point of that? And then there is also a corner.

It is for power. Just to hit it harder. The corner is where the other team has to go back to their mid-field but four of them get to stay back with the goalie.

When you shoot a corner where do you start?

We start where the end line meets the circle. Not like a corner of the field like in soccer.

Someone then stops it and you shoot it?

Yeah the stopper stops it and then someone else shots it. It works like this. There is a girl who passes it from the end line. She passes from anywhere outside the circle. But you have to be inside the circle to score. She puts it in and then the stopper stops it and feeds it to the shooter. The initial shot has to hit the wooden part. It can’t go high. If the goalie saves it and you get a rebound that shot can go high.

On the corner the other team starts in the net right? Why in the net?

Yeah that’s just the rules. When a corner happens we are allowed seven people so it is like the perfect scoring opportunity. Once the ball gets pulled out you have to stop it and shoot it in. The initial shot on a corner has to hit the backboard.

Now in hockey if someone shoots it you can deflect the puck in. So if someone shoots it from the corner and you deflect it does that count?

Exactly. Yeah. You like ice hockey?

I am a huge hockey fan so it drove me nuts the first time I went to a game. I was just thinking “I am never coming to a game again because I have no clue what is going on.” I just thought the game was like this weird mix of soccer, hockey and lacrosse. It would just make me so mad. I feel like you need someone to tell you what is going on. I guess that is what the Chronicle is using you for.

So you’re a hockey fan?

I love ice hockey. I am a Rangers fan. I am from Jersey but I am not a Devils fan.

That’s pretty terrible. I am a Penguins fan and you just beat us so that’s not good we can’t be friends but at least your not a Devils fan. But let’s get back to field hockey. So, on a stroke you can put it anywhere on the Cage?

Yeah.

The goalie can’t freeze the ball in field hockey right?

That is a stroke. If the goalie covers the ball you get a stroke.

So the goalie is just supposed to kick the ball away?

She can use anything to stop the ball she just can’t cover it. If she knocks it out it is a long hit.

What is a long hit?

A long hit is if the defender or the goalie kicks it out but not intentionally because that is a corner. Other wise it is a long hit. A long hit is played on the sideline about 7 yards up. It is like a free kick in soccer.

You’re only allowed to touch the ball with the flat side of your stick? How annoying is that?

You get used to it. It is tough. Field hockey is a very skillful sport. Everyone is like “I can do that,” but, no, it is very tough. You’re bending down so low, and I have an advantage ’cause I am short as it is. Being able to see passes and using your stick it is tough.

You’re constantly flipping it over.

Yeah, to protect it. It is called an Indian dribble. You can dribble however you want but that is to protect the ball. Especially when you are in close

How hard was it when you started playing to know what was going on?

It was hard. It is not that really well known here. I never thought I would be able to play at a higher level back then. It is tough.

Did you have someone sit you down and tell you how the game works?

I just went out and I learned as I went.

They just threw you out there’re and you picked it up?

Yeah, it was tough

Anything else you think people don’t understand? Things you need to know? I think in the United States people don’t watch it ’cause they do not know what is going on so is there anything else they should know?

There is no offside. In high school people always said because there are more whistles in high school people are just say ‘what is that sport with all those whistles.’ People don’t understand that when you are playing you commit a foul and you get a free hit. That’s what it is for.

I was watching it and I am always wondering “Why are there so many whistles?” Whistles that do not result in corners or strokes are always free hits and those go to the side?

When someone has the ball and they commit a foul. For example, it is not allowed to touch your foot or the ball goes high. If the foul is committed on the field the team that had the foul committed against them will take the ball and do a hit or small pass or work the ball up the field. That means the team that committed the foul has to back off five yards and give you some space. Fouls in the circle are corners.

Except for the certain bunch of rules that get you strokes. I am still kind of iffy sometimes on how you get strokes but you always get one if the other team covers the ball. That is a stroke.

The sticks can’t touch right?

When you tackle?

I guess. I would call it a poke check but that is just ’cause I associate the game with hockey and that is probably a terrible thing. It just makes everything way more confusing for everyone.

No it depends on how you tackle ’cause you are supposed to play the ball. If you were dribbling and I wanted to tackle I would put the stick flat on the ground there are other ways but basically you cannot hack the stick to stop an opponent from moving forward.

So you cannot poke check like in hockey?

We have a jab. It is when you poke the ball. As long as you are playing the ball it is okay but you can’t hit the stick. It depends on the ref it is very situational.

How hard is that?

Really hard when you are young you are just all over the place but you get more composed?

Anything else?

I guess just the lift. When you do not see a pass on a free hit you can lift the ball down the field as long as it goes over peoples heads. It is a good way to get field advantage.

Think people would be more likely to watch if they knew?

Yes, definitely. It is a really big game overseas. Most countries even have men’s teams too.