Player's Guide to SA Hockey Association Indoor Hockey Senior 2026/27

No. Indoor Rule 9.5: players must not hit the ball. A hit is any swinging stroke at the ball, including a "slap" hit with a long pushing or sweeping movement before contact.

What you can do:

• Push: move the ball along the ground with a pushing movement after placing the stick close to it, with both ball and stick head on the ground.
• Flick or scoop (raising the ball) only for a shot at goal or a penalty stroke, since the ball mustn't otherwise be raised.
• Free pushes, centre passes and restarts are all taken with a push.

Also not allowed:

• playing the ball with the back of the stick (9.6);
• lifting your stick over other players' heads, or using it dangerously (9.2).

Hand protection must fit, uncompressed, into an open-ended box 290 x 180 x 110 mm. Shin, ankle and mouth protection are strongly recommended.

Mostly no. Indoor Rules 9.7, 9.9 and 9.10 (2027):

• Raising: players must not raise the ball off the field except for a shot at goal. It isn't an offence if the ball rises unintentionally by less than 100 mm, unless an opponent is within playing distance.
• Ball in the air: you must not play the ball while it's in the air, but you may stop it. Clarified for 2027: you may bring an airborne ball under control by pressing it down with the flat side of the stick.
• Scoring: a goal only counts if the ball was on the ground at the last touch by an attacker before it went in (clarified for 2027).
• Above the shoulder: no playing the ball with any part of the stick above shoulder height, except that defenders may use the stick to stop or deflect a shot at goal at any height. If the shot would have missed, any use of the stick above the shoulder is a penalty corner, not a stroke.
• Penalty strokes may be pushed, flicked or scooped to any height.
• Penalty corners: shots may be raised to any height as long as they aren't dangerous.

The side-boards form the long (44 m) sides of an indoor field, and the ball stays in play when it rebounds off them.

Trapping (Indoor Rule 9.14):

• Players must not trap or hold the ball against the side-boards.
• A player with the ball must not be trapped in a corner or against the boards by opponents with their sticks flat on the floor. Opponents must leave a reasonable outlet for the ball.
• If the ball gets unintentionally trapped between sticks or against the boards, play restarts with a bully.
• Repeated trapping against the boards is treated as intentional and penalised. So is deliberately trapping the ball between your stick and an opponent's to win a bully.
• FIH asks umpires to step in early when players use the corners or boards to shield the ball, especially late in matches.

Using the boards from a free push (13.2 e): from an attacking free push in your attacking half, the ball may enter the circle off the side-boards, as long as it travelled at least 3 m before rebounding.

Ball over the side-board (7.3): a free push to the other team within 1 m of where it crossed (or 1 m outside the circle and 1 m from the board, if it would otherwise be inside the circle).

Indoor Rule 9.11-9.12 and 9.15:

• No playing the ball while lying on the field, or with a knee, arm or hand on the field (other than the hand holding the stick). This is an indoor-specific rule. Only a goalkeeper inside their own circle may play the ball lying down.
• Body: field players must not stop, kick, propel, pick up, throw or carry the ball with any part of their body. It's only an offence if you gain an advantage or positioned yourself to stop it that way. The ball hitting the hand holding the stick, when it would otherwise have hit the stick, isn't an offence.
• Tackling: only tackle when you can play the ball without body contact. Sliding tackles and overly physical challenges that put an opponent on the ground should get match and personal penalties.
• Dangerous play (9.8): deliberately playing the ball hard into an opponent's stick, feet or hands when they're set or stationary, or turning and trying to play through a defender who is close or trying to play the ball, is dangerous and may also earn a card.
• Obstruction (9.13): no backing into opponents, interfering with their stick or body, or shielding the ball from a legitimate tackle. FIH asks umpires to step in early when players shield the ball in the corners or against the side-boards.

When (Indoor Rule 12.2): a free push goes to the opponents for an offence by an attacker in the half they're attacking, or an unintentional offence by a defender outside the circle in the half they're defending. (Intentional defender offences there are a penalty corner.)

Where (13.1): close to the offence. A defence free push within 9.10 m of the back-line may be taken up to 9.10 m out, in line with the offence. One awarded in the circle may be taken anywhere in the circle.

How (13.2):

• The ball must be stationary. FIH wants a clear, visible attempt to stop it, especially before a self-pass.
• It's moved with a push only. You may keep playing it yourself (self-pass).
• Opponents must be 3 m away. Anyone inside 3 m when it's taken mustn't play or try to play the ball until they're 3 m away, or it has travelled 3 m or been touched by a defender who can legitimately play it.
• Attacking free push in your attacking half: everyone except the taker must be 3 m away.

Getting into the circle: from an attacking free push in the attacking half, the ball mustn't enter the circle until an attacker has played it after it travelled at least 3 m, or a defender has touched it. On a self-pass, it must travel 3 m before you push it in. It may also enter off the side-boards, as long as it travelled 3 m before rebounding.

Within 3 m of the circle, taken immediately: defenders inside the circle within 3 m may shadow the self-passer around the inside of the circle without playing the ball until it has travelled 3 m or been touched by a defender. If you don't take it immediately, everyone must be 3 m away first.

Indoor Rule 7. Play restarts with a free push to the team that didn't touch the ball last.

Other restarts:

• Centre pass: at the centre, in any direction, with everyone else in their own half. Time isn't stopped after a goal indoors.
• Bully (after a stoppage with no penalty): not within 9 m of the back-line or 3 m of the circle, with everyone else 3 m away.
• After a penalty stroke with no goal: a defence free push 9.10 m in front of the centre of the goal-line.

Indoor Rule 10 (2027):

• Where: a goalkeeper must not take part in play outside the half of the field they're defending (except to take a penalty stroke), and must wear headgear at all times except when taking a stroke.
• Inside their own circle, stick in hand:
  • may propel the ball with stick, feet, kickers, legs or leg guards only when it's on the ground (clarified for 2027);
  • may stop or deflect it in any direction, including in the air and over the back-line, with stick, feet, kickers, legs, leg guards or any other part of the body;
  • may push the ball away with arms, hands or body when it's on the ground, but only as part of a save or to clear it from a scoring chance, not to propel it forcefully a long way;
  • may play the ball while lying on the field inside the circle.
• Must not lie on the ball, or use their protective kit to play dangerously.
• Outside their circle: stick only.

Kit: a shirt of a different colour from both teams, worn over any upper-body protection, and at least headgear, leg guards and kickers. The maximum length of the left-hand protector is now 365 mm (was 355 mm).

A team may instead play with six field players. Then nobody has goalkeeping privileges or wears a different shirt.

Team (Indoor Terminology and Rule 2): up to 12 people: 6 on the field and up to 6 substitutes. You play with a goalkeeper or with six field players.

Substitutions (Rule 2.3):

• Unlimited, any number at once, at any time, except from the award of a penalty corner until it's completed (then only an injured or suspended defending goalkeeper may be replaced).
• The player coming off must be off the field first. Leave and enter within 3 m of the centre-line on the bench side.
• Time is never stopped for substitutions, including for putting on or taking off goalkeeping kit.
• New for 2027: the old limit on swapping a fully kitted goalkeeper for an extra field player has been removed.
• No substitute for a suspended player during the suspension.
• Players leaving for treatment or kit changes (not as a substitution) re-enter within 3 m of the centre-line on the substitution side.

Too many players (Rule 2.1 and 3.4): time is stopped to fix it. If it materially affected the match, a penalty corner is awarded against the team that substituted wrongly, and the captain may get a personal penalty. Decisions made before it was fixed stand once play has restarted.

Injured or bleeding players must leave the field and can't return until wounds are covered and blood-stained clothing is changed.

Penalty corner (Indoor Rule 13.3):

• Time stops. Get into position and put on kit without delay, as a guide within 30 seconds.
• The ball goes on the back-line inside the circle, at least 6 m from the goal-post, on the side the attack chooses.
• The injector has at least one foot outside the field and pushes the ball (no intentional raising) immediately after the start, then can't play it again or come within playing distance until someone else has.
• Other attackers: on the field, outside the circle. Only the injector may be within 3 m of the ball.
• Defenders: the goalkeeper (if there is one) in the goal, plus up to five others behind the back-line on the far side of the goal from the injector. Everyone else must be beyond the top of the circle at the other end, within 9.1 m of the far back-line. (A team with only field players may put up to six behind the back-line, outside the goal.)
• The ball must leave the circle before a goal can be scored. Shots may be raised to any height if not dangerous, but a goal only counts if the ball was on the ground at the last attacking touch.
• A defender within 3 m hit below the knee by the first shot: another corner. On or above the knee in a normal stance: free push to the defence.
• Penalty corner kit must come off before you play outside the half you're defending.

Penalty stroke (13.7): taken from the penalty spot 7 m from the goal-line. Everyone else stands outside the half where it's being taken. The defender keeps both feet on the goal-line until the ball is played. The taker pushes, flicks or scoops once, without feinting.

FIH Rules of Indoor Hockey, Rule 14 (2027). Suspensions indoors are shorter than outdoors. A player or team official may be:

Under the 2027 rules:

• You shouldn't get two green or two yellow cards in the same match, even for different offences. After any personal penalty, your next carded offence must get a higher card. Cards for a team offence given to the captain don't count.
• Team officials can be carded too, and the team then plays a player short.
• Misconduct while suspended earns a higher card.

While suspended: sit in the designated place, and don't coach, shout or do team duties. The suspension starts when you're seated. You may rejoin the team at a quarter or half-time interval, then go back to finish it. Your team plays one player short throughout. A red card means leaving the field and its surrounds, and your team is a player short for the rest of the match.