Field Hockey 4:
On Artificial Turf
Artificial turf has probably had more impact on field hockey than on any other team sport. As in other sports, the synthetic surface has placed a premium on speed. In fact, some purists might say that speed has replaced skill. More likely, speed and new kinds of skills have replaced older skills.
With artificial turf, the head of the hockey stick has become considerably shorter, which makes it much easier to use the so-called "reverse stick," the approximate equivalent of ice hockey's backhand.
The smaller head also makes it easier for a player to trap the ball between the ground and the stick, held horizontal to the ground. Formerly rare, that's now become a standard tactic. Artificial turf was first used in the Olympics in 1976, at Montreal. It has since become required for international competition and for most major national events, as well.
The surface of choice for modern, elite-level field hockey is known as water-based. A porous pad, used as backing for the turf, is saturated with water to keep the back of the carpet wet. That helps prevent injuries and it also keeps the ball from taking off too dramatically. Mainly because of the water-based turf, the leather cricket ball formerly used has been replaced by a hard, solid plastic ball manufactured specifically for field hockey.
As the game has speeded up, the shaft of the stick has become stiffer, allowing players to hit the ball harder and farther. An aluminum stick was introduced in 1994, but the use of metal and other artificial materials was soon banned. Metal is still banned, but other materials can now be used to reinforce the stick's wooden core. Fiberglass, carbon, and Kevlar are the most commonly used materials.
The combination of artificial turf, the plastic ball, and the stronger, stiffer shaft has led to a new type of shot, known as the drag flick, in which the ball is lifted from the ground with a swift sweep of the stick. Sticks with bowed shafts were developed during the 1990s to allow more control over the shot. The rules were changed in 2003 to limit the bowing to 50 millimeters (a little over 2 inches).
Field hockey players today wear more protective equipment than they did when the game was played on real grass. Goaltenders are now required to wear helmets and the rest of their padding has become thicker. Most field players now wear padded gloves, at least on the left hand, as well as shinguards. Mouth guards are only recommended by the FIH but they're required by many national, regional, and local organizations.