Essentials for a game of hockey

Hockey is one of the oldest form of games, which dates back to 1272BC. Hockey refers to a family of sports, and its variants include field hockey, ice hockey, street hockey, sledge hockey, roller hockey, and much more. The basic of the game is similar to all forms, i.e. two teams play against each other with an objective to maneuver the ball or puck to the opponent's goal post. There are certain essentials needed to play a game of hockey, which are briefly discussed below.

Hockey sticks: A game of hockey can never be played without a hockey stick. Though the sticks used for various hockey games look similar, they differ in few aspects. Field hockey sticks, the shape of the stick varies depending on the position of the player. Shorti, Midi, Maxi, and J Hook are the various types of field hockey heads. Shorti is ideal for mid fielders who like to have better control over the ball, and Midi head is perfect for strikers. Maxi has increased surface area and is right choice for defenders and attackers to stop the ball. Finally, J Hook sticks are preferred by defenders as they best aid in stopping the ball.

Ice hockey sticks comprise of a shaft and a blade, which would be in contact with the puck. They come in varied lengths, and players normally choose a stick according to their height. Based on the height of the stick, the angle of the blade also varies. To aid the skater with increased speed in the shot, the blades are curved in the heading direction of skater. Various materials are used in the making of these hockey sticks, like wood, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and much more, enabling the player to choose that suits them the best.

Hockey sticks for roller hockey are much similar to the ice hockey sticks, but the blades are replaceable as they wear down easily.

In air hockey, a mallet or paddle is used in place of stick, as the sport is played on a table.

Balls/Pucks: Balls are used in street hockey and ball hockey, and they are made of either plastic or rubber. For optimal visibility, they come in bright orange. A small, hard ball is used infield hockey. Other variants of hockey use pucks, which function similar to a ball in other sports. A hard disk made of vulcanized rubber is used in ice hockey, with dimensions of 1 x 3 (T x D) inches. Their weight ranges from 5.5 and 6 ounces. Though, black is preferred for professional games, pucks are manufactured in other colors too, like blue, reddish pink/orange, and fluorescent orange. The pucks for roller hockey are akin to ice hockey, the only difference being they are made lightweight.

Goals: At each end of the field, a goalpost, which comprises of metal frame and cloth net, is included. The puck should cross the goal line to be considered as goal. For field hockey, the goal structure should be 12 ft wide and 7 ft tall, whereas for ice hockey, it is 6 and 4 ft respectively. Buy quality hockey equipment from leading sports stores