Parent's Guide to USA Field Hockey Under 14 Club Field Hockey 2026

Under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 4.6 and the stick specifications), a legal stick:

• Has the traditional shape: a handle and a curved head that is flat on its left side. There are no left-handed sticks; everyone plays with the flat side.
• Is smooth, with no rough or sharp parts.
• Fits, including any tape or grip, through a ring with an inside diameter of 51 mm.
• Has a bow (rake) along its length of no more than 25 mm, as a smooth curve on either the face side or the back, not both.
• Weighs no more than 737 grams and is no longer than 105 cm from the top of the handle to the bottom of the head.

Players may only play the ball with the flat side, not the rounded back of the stick. Within those limits, choose a length that suits your child's height.

Under the 2026 USA Field Hockey Regulations:

• Matching shirts and socks, with a number on at least the back of the shirt. Shorts, skirts or kilts must be the same color (the FIH Rules also allow skorts).
• Shirts and socks must be at least 75% one color.
• Each team needs two sets: one distinctly light, one distinctly dark. Both sets are checked at team check-in.
• Pinnies aren't accepted as cover-ups and can lead to a forfeit. Reversible shirts are fine if numbered on both sides.
• The team listed first on the schedule wears light; the team listed second wears dark.
• A team that can't fix a color clash may have its game cancelled and counted as a forfeit.
• Goalkeepers need at least two shirts that contrast with their team's uniform, numbered on the back. Black and dark blue, or yellow and gold, don't count as contrasting.
• The captain wears an armband (upper arm or over a sock).

It depends on where your child is playing:

Standard 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 5.1):

• Four 15-minute quarters
• 2-minute breaks after quarters 1 and 3
• 10-minute halftime (new for 2026)
• Time stops after a goal is awarded (new for 2026 Rule 8.2)

Both teams can agree to different period lengths unless a competition's regulations set them.

USA Field Hockey events (2026 Regulations), unless the event says otherwise:

• Two 25-minute halves with a running clock (no time stoppages)
• 5-minute halftime, never longer than 10 minutes
• Teams must be on the field with enough players within 5 minutes of the scheduled start, or they forfeit (scored 3-0).

USA Field Hockey describes 7v7 as its common outdoor half-field format for athletes under 14. It gives players more touches and is the step between the GAME ON program and full-field 11v11. USA Field Hockey uses 7v7 at events such as the Summer Bash series, the National Hockey Festival and its showcase events.

Key 7v7 rules at USA Field Hockey events (2026 Regulations):

• Roster: up to 12 athletes, minimum 7 on the roster, plus up to 3 guest players at showcase events.
• Minimum to play: at least 4 players in proper uniform on the field within 5 minutes of the start time, or the team forfeits.
• Mixed (co-ed) divisions: no more than 3 male field players on the field at once. Goalkeepers don't count.

Program leaders may change the number of players per side for local play, and games can be played without goalkeepers if none are available. Game length is set per event. For example, U14 7v7 at the 2026 Summer Bash used two 20-minute halves with a 3-minute halftime.

Under the 2026 USA Field Hockey Regulations:

• Age groups are determined using an August 1 to July 31 year.
• A player may play up in an older age division if the coach thinks it's appropriate.
• A player may not play down an age division.
• USA Field Hockey recommends playing up only one age division, in line with its American Development Model.
• A player can play for only one club and can't play for more than one team in the same age group at an event.

Under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 2.3), substitution is unlimited and rolling:

• There's no limit on how many players can be substituted at once or how many times a player can go off and come back on.
• Substitutes can come on at any time except from the award of a penalty corner until it's completed. During that time, only an injured or suspended defending goalkeeper can be replaced.
• At USA Field Hockey events, players go on and off on the bench side, within 3 meters of the center of the field.

The Rules of Hockey don't set a minimum playing time, so how minutes are shared is the coach's decision.

Under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 13.2), on a free hit:

• The ball must be stationary, and opponents must be at least 5 meters away. An opponent who is closer must not interfere or try to play the ball.
• The ball can be moved with a hit, push, flick or scoop. It can be raised straight away with a push, flick or scoop, but not intentionally with a hit.
• Self-pass: the player taking the free hit can simply dribble off with the ball themselves instead of passing it.
• Attacking free hit inside the 23 m area: everyone else must be 5 meters away, and the ball can't be played into the circle until it has traveled at least 5 meters or been touched by a defender.

Under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 9):

• Stick: players must hold their stick and not use it dangerously, and must not lift it over other players' heads.
• Hitting the ball up: a player must not intentionally raise the ball from a hit, except for a shot at goal. An unintentional raised hit isn't an offense unless it's dangerous.
• Flicks and scoops: allowed if not dangerous, but a flick or scoop toward an opponent within 5 meters is dangerous.
• Dangerous ball: a ball is dangerous if it causes an opponent to take legitimate evasive action.
• Aerial balls (changed for 2026): opponents must stay at least 5 meters from a player receiving a falling raised ball until the receiver has touched it. After that first touch, they can challenge. If it isn't clear who the receiver is, the team that raised the ball must let the opponent receive it.
• Players must not play the ball with the back (rounded side) of the stick, or hit it hard on the forehand with the edge.

Cards are personal penalties under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 14.1):

A repeated offense can't get the same card again; it must get a more severe one.

Extra rules at USA Field Hockey events:

• Suspended players sit at the technical bench chairs (or stand at the midfield line if there are no chairs). Umpires time suspensions.
• If a suspension ends after a penalty corner is awarded, the player waits off the field until the corner is completed.
• A red-carded player also misses the team's next game in that division (the team doesn't play short in that next game). Players 19 or younger stay with their team until the match ends. Two red cards in one tournament means suspension for the rest of the tournament.

Under the 2026 FIH Rules of Hockey (Rule 2.7):

• A player who is injured or bleeding must leave the field, unless medical reasons prevent them from being moved.
• They can't return until the wound has been covered, and they can't play in blood-stained clothing.
• Substitutes are unlimited, so the team can replace them straight away (except during a penalty corner, when only an injured or suspended defending goalkeeper can be replaced).
• A player who left for treatment and comes back without being substituted must re-enter on the substitution side of the field, between the two 23 m lines.

No. At USA Field Hockey events:

• Up to four coaches are allowed in each team area, which is the space 5 yards back from the sideline between the 23 m line and the midfield line in front of the team's bench.
• No other people or equipment are allowed in the team area. Substitutes sit on the bench.
• Under the Rules of Hockey, nobody other than players and umpires may go onto the field during a match without an umpire's permission. If your child is hurt, wait for the umpire to allow team staff or medical help on.

Calls: no. There is no appeal process for calls made during a match, and game protests are not allowed at any USA Field Hockey event.

Scores: only a posted score can be appealed, and only by a team contact or coach. Parents, athletes, fans and umpires can't start an appeal.

• After each game, the umpires write the score on the Result Card and both coaches check and sign it. Once coaches and umpires have signed, the score is official.
• Any dispute about the final score must be settled with the umpires when the cards are signed.
• Each team gets one score appeal per tournament. If the posted result was wrong, it's corrected and the team keeps its appeal. If the posting matches the signed card, the team loses its right to appeal for the rest of the event.
• Falsifying a Result Card is a Code of Conduct violation.