Field Hockey 5:
Indoor Hockey
Indoor field hockey was developed in Germany during the 1950s. Other European countries became interested in this version of the sport. In 1966, the FIH established an Indoor Hockey Committee, which took over the job of standardizing and promulgating the rules.
The FIH sanctioned its first tournament matches in 1972. European championships were established for men's teams in 1973 and women's teams in 1975.
There are six players on an indoor hockey team, including a goaltender. The indoor field is 36 to 44 meters long and 18 to 22 meters wide. Side boards keep the ball from going out of bounds.
The major difference in the playing rules is that, in indoor hockey, a player is not allowed to hit the ball with a sweeping movement of the stick. In moving the ball down the floor, only pushes are allowed. (A push is defined as a stroke in which the ball and the head of the stick are both in contact with the floor; the stroke must begin with the stick close to or touching the ball.) Flicks and scoop shots are allowed only from within the striking circle.
The FIH held its first World Cup for indoor hockey in 2003. That inspired the formation of the East Coast Premier League (ECPL), with teams from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
The ECPL became the North American Premier League (NAPL) in 2004, when Toronto joined. The following year, Montreal was also admitted.
The league is unusual in two respects. First, There are both men's and women's teams. Second, rather than having the usual home-and-away schedule, the NAPL stages a series of round-robin tournaments, each hosted by one of the league's cities.
The NAPL is supported by the United States Field Hockey Association and the U.S. Men's Field Hockey Foundation, since one of its chief goals is to strengthen national teams for indoor hockey's second World Cup, which will be held in 2007.