Field Hockey Rules: Quarters, the Circle, Penalty Corners, Cards and High School Rules

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

The umpire’s arm points at the goal, and everyone knows what’s coming: a penalty corner. Five defenders pull on face masks and crouch behind the back line, the attackers spread around the top of the circle, and the inserter waits with one foot off the field. One push, a stop, a drag flick, and the crowd is on its feet. Moments like that are why it pays to know the field hockey rules. This guide covers the international rules from the FIH, which college teams also follow, then the ways high school (NFHS) rules differ: 11 v 11, quarters, the circle and scoring, fouls, penalty corners and strokes, and the green, yellow and red cards.

Field hockey rules at a glance

	International (FIH) and NCAA college	US high school (NFHS)
Players	11 per side, usually a goalkeeper and 10 field players	11 per side
Game length	Four 15-minute quarters, 2-minute breaks, 10-minute halftime	Four 15-minute quarters (since 2020), no timeouts
Field markings	Metric: 23-meter lines, circle 14.63 m from the goal	Yards: 25-yard lines, 16-yard hits
Ties	NCAA: sudden-victory overtime, then a shootout	Set by NFHS rules and state associations
Required protection	NCAA: mouthguard for every field player; FIH recommends shin, ankle and mouth protection	Shin guards and a mouthguard in a visible color (not white or clear); goggles optional, ASTM F2713 if worn
Cards	Green 2 min, yellow at least 5 min, red for the rest of the game	Green card is a 2-minute suspension; yellow and red cards also used

Teams, positions and substitutions

Each team has up to 11 players on the field. Most play with a goalkeeper and ten field players, usually arranged as forwards, midfielders and defenders, though the rules let a team play without a goalkeeper. Under the FIH rules a team has up to five substitutes (competitions may allow more), and substitutions are unlimited and rolling: a player can go on and off as many times as the coach likes, except while a penalty corner is being set up. Time stops only for goalkeeper changes.

Game length and the clock

A game is four 15-minute quarters, with a 2-minute break after the first and third quarters and a 10-minute halftime, when teams switch ends. The 2026 FIH rules also stop the clock after every goal and when a penalty corner is awarded, restarting when both teams are ready. US high school games moved from two 30-minute halves to the same four-quarter format in 2020 and dropped timeouts.

Ties in college: from 2026, a tied NCAA Division I game goes to one 15-minute sudden-victory overtime with 11 players a side; Divisions II and III play up to two 10-minute sudden-victory periods at 7 v 7. If it’s still tied, there’s a shootout: five players per team each get one-on-one attempts from the 23-meter line against the goalkeeper, and each attempt ends after eight seconds.

The field, the circle and scoring

The field is 91.40 meters long and 55 meters wide (about 100 by 60 yards), split by a center line and two 23-meter lines (25-yard lines in high school). At each end is the goal, 3.66 meters wide and 2.14 meters high, with a backboard along the bottom. Around each goal is the circle (also called the D or the striking circle), which reaches 14.63 meters (16 yards) from the goal.

The key scoring rule: a goal only counts if an attacker plays the ball inside the circle and it doesn’t leave the circle before crossing the goal line. A rocket from outside the circle that flies straight in is no goal; a touch by an attacker’s stick inside the circle makes it one, and a defender’s touch along the way doesn’t matter.

Fouls, free hits and the self-pass

• Stick side: the ball may only be played with the flat face of the stick, never the rounded back, and not hit hard with the edge on the forehand.
• Body: field players may not stop, kick, pick up or carry the ball with the body. It isn’t always a foul if the ball hits a foot; it is if the player gains an advantage or meant it.
• Obstruction and contact: no backing into or blocking an opponent who is trying to play the ball, no pushing, and no tackling unless in a position to play the ball without body contact.
• Dangerous play: no lifting the stick over other players’ heads and no raising the ball dangerously. A hit may only be raised on purpose as a shot at goal.
• Aerial balls: opponents must give a player receiving a falling raised ball 5 meters. A 2026 change lets them close in once the receiver has touched it.

Most fouls give the other team a free hit where it happened. Opponents must be 5 meters (5 yards in high school) away, and the taker may pass or simply dribble off with a self-pass. Near the attacking circle there’s a safety brake: from a free hit inside the attacking 23-meter area, the ball can’t go into the circle until it has traveled at least 5 meters or been touched by a defender.

Penalty corners

A penalty corner (a “short corner”) is awarded for a defender’s foul in their own circle that doesn’t stop a probable goal, an intentional defender’s foul inside their 23-meter area, or a defender deliberately playing the ball over the back line. How it’s taken under FIH rules:

• The ball goes on the back line inside the circle, at least 10 meters from the goal post, and an attacker pushes or hits it out with one foot outside the field.
• Up to five defenders, including the goalkeeper, start behind the back line; the rest wait beyond the center line. The other attackers wait outside the circle.
• The ball must travel outside the circle before a goal can be scored, which is why teams stop it at the top of the circle and then shoot.
• If the first shot is a hit, it must cross the line no higher than 460 mm, the height of the backboard (18 inches in high school). Flicks and drag flicks may go higher, as long as they aren’t dangerous.

Defenders may wear face masks, and the FIH recommends a smooth or metal-grill face mask for every defender at a penalty corner. Under the 2026 FIH rules, players must take that equipment off safely once the corner is over; a thrown mask or glove that hits someone at or above the knee earns a yellow card. A drag flick is usually the shot here, which is why our field hockey hub has a section on the low back.

Penalty strokes

A penalty stroke is awarded when a defender’s foul in the circle stops a probable goal, or for an intentional foul in the circle against an attacker who has the ball. The ball goes on the penalty spot, 6.40 meters in front of the goal; the goalkeeper stands on the goal line and can’t move a foot until the ball is played; everyone else waits outside the 23-meter area. The taker gets one push, flick or scoop, with no faking.

Cards: green, yellow and red

• Green card: a warning and a 2-minute suspension (FIH; also NFHS since 2013).
• Yellow card: a temporary suspension of at least 5 minutes of playing time; the umpire may set longer for serious offenses.
• Red card: out for the rest of the game. In the NCAA, the player also sits out the team’s next game.

While a player is suspended, the team plays one short. Umpires can also caution a player with words, and in the NCAA coaches can receive cards for bench conduct.

How high school (NFHS) rules differ

Most US high school field hockey is played under the NFHS rulebook, which follows the international game closely but has its own touches and safety rules:

• Equipment: shin guards and a mouthguard for every field player; since 2006 the mouthguard must be a readily visible color, not white or clear, and from 2026 it can’t have attachments that don’t protect the mouth. Goalkeepers wear a full helmet with a rounded cage, a wrap-around throat protector, a field hockey chest protector under the jersey, and a mouth protector.
• Goggles: required for all field players from 2011 to 2019, optional since 2020. Any goggles worn must be permanently labeled for ASTM F2713, the field hockey standard.
• Penalty corner masks: allowed since 2020; wire-caged face masks have been allowed too since 2025, and must come off once the corner ends.
• 2026 changes: before a penalty corner, only an ill, injured, suspended or disqualified defending goalkeeper may be substituted, and if an attacker enters the circle early, the inserter must go back beyond the center line.
• State rules: state associations add their own, such as New Jersey’s running clock when a team leads by five or more goals, and some still require goggles.

Youth games often use smaller fields and fewer players; see our youth field hockey guide.

Rule-legal gear for practice and games

The rules shape the gear: every stick must pass through a 51 mm ring and have a bow of no more than 25 mm, and the ball is hard, 224–235 mm around and 156–163 grams. For a team ball bag, Champion Sports field hockey balls (about $42 for 12) are official size and NFHS-approved, the maker says. The Grays GX1000 (about $100) is a forgiving composite stick for newer players, and for penalty corners the Osaka field hockey face mask (about $60) has a clear visor and adjustable straps. Our field hockey gear guide covers sizing and goggles.

Back to the field hockey hub, or see leagues and associations, field hockey injuries and gear. Comparing sports? See the soccer rules and lacrosse rules.

Field hockey rules questions

Can you score from outside the circle in field hockey?

No. A goal only counts if an attacker plays the ball inside the circle and it stays in the circle until it crosses the goal line. A deflection by an attacker inside the circle counts; a defender’s touch doesn’t change anything.

How many players are on a field hockey team?

Eleven on the field per side, usually ten field players and a goalkeeper. Under international rules a team has up to five substitutes and can substitute freely, except while a penalty corner is being set up.

What does a green card mean in field hockey?

A warning plus a 2-minute suspension, during which the team plays a player short. A yellow card means at least 5 minutes off and a red card means the player is out for the game.

Why can’t you use the back of the stick?

The rules say the ball may only be played with the flat face, which is why players turn the stick over (a reverse-stick) to play on their left. Playing it with the rounded back is a foul and gives the other team a free hit.

Are goggles required in high school field hockey?

Not by national NFHS rules since 2020; they’re optional. If worn, they must be permanently labeled for ASTM F2713. States, schools and parents can still require them, so check with your state association.