Physical Demands of Field Hockey
Below are some of the key points when looking at the physical demands of field hockey.
- A high energy cost during accelerating and decelerating movements and when running backwards and laterally (2,3) contributing to a high physical exertion
- High intensity running that is more important than total distance as an indicator of physical outputs (4, 5) even though field hockey is made up of majority low/moderate intensity efforts
- During periods of high intensity activity, many of the significant events of the match occur (2)
- Players require a high level of conditioning due to large distances covered, repeated bouts of high intensity running, and a variety of additional physical demands associated with repeated changes in tempo (1-4)
- Most of the gameplay and time spent in field hockey adopts a semi-crouched body position (5)
Important Traits for Field Hockey
Below are some of the on-field physical requirements to play field hockey at the highest level (6-9):
- Repeat-Sprint Ability (RSA)
- Aerobic Capacity
- High-Intensity Running (HIR)
- Agility
- Change of Direction (COD)
High Performance Field Hockey 