This glossary is our full guide to key hockey vocabulary and tennis terminology. Available as a downloadable PDF you can print and stick on a wall.
Attacker - A player on a team whose job is to attack with the ball and score goals. They stay near the opponent's goal, in the best position to try and shoot when they receive the ball.
Attacking team – The team with possession of the ball in a game.
Back line – The line at either end of the pitch with a goal on.
Centre line – A line that goes across the centre of the pitch, from side-line to side-line.
Centre pass – The pass used to begin or restart a hockey game. The ball can be passed in any direction.
Defender – A player on a team whose job is to stop the opposition from goal-scoring. They stay closer to their own goal and do not usually join attacks with their team.
Defending team – The team that does not have possession of the ball.
Dribbling – As an individual, moving around the pitch whilst maintaining possession of the ball by keeping it close to their stick.
Flat side– The part of the hockey stick that contacts the ball. It has a flat face and is the only side of the stick allowed to contact the ball.
Foul – When a player commits an offence of the rules of hockey. A foul results in the other team getting a free pass at the spot of the foul.
Free pass – Similar to a free kick in football, it is awarded for any offence on the pitch. It must be taken at the spot the foul took place, and any opposing players must be 3m away until it is taken.
Goalkeeper – A position on a hockey team. There is only one goalkeeper on each team. A goalkeeper defends the team’s goal by blocking shots taken by attackers.
Goal side – A tactic when marking as a defender. The defender keeps themselves between their opponent and their own goal.
Hit out – A hit out is taken when the attackers advancing towards a goal hit the ball over the backline without scoring. The defending team win possession of the ball and must take the hit out in line with the top of the D and in line with where the ball went off the backline.
Long corner – A long corner is awarded if the defender or goalkeeper unintentionally hits the ball off their own backline and is taken from the nearest corner where the ball went off. The ball cannot go directly into the D from a long corner and must be passed to a player outside first.
Midfielder - A player on a team whose job is to link the defenders and attackers. They move backwards and forwards between the two goals and help defenders to block the goal when defending and move the ball forward to attackers when attacking.
Obstruction – A foul that occurs when a player runs in front of an opponent to stop them from trying to play the ball.
Penalty stroke - is awarded when a foul is committed against an attacking player inside the shooting circle. No other player except the goalkeeper and penalty taker is allowed inside the circle until the stroke has been taken.
Reverse stick – When a player has to control or hit the ball when it is on their left-hand side. It involves twisting the stick so that the flat side of the stick contacts the ball.
Shooting Circle (The ‘D’) – A D-shaped semi-circle around either goal. Only shots taken inside the circle can score goals. Any foul against an attacker inside the circle results in a short corner or penalty stroke.
Short Corner - During a short corner, the attacking team lines up just outside the D. The defending team positions their defenders and goalkeeper inside the circle to protect the goal. Once the short corner begins, one attacker pushes or hits the ball out of the circle to a teammate positioned near the edge of the D. This player is known as the injector. The injector's role is to receive the ball and then quickly pass or shoot it towards the goal.
Side-Line – The boundary lines on either side of the pitch where the ball must be kept inside to play.