Here is information regarding hockey events in Beijing Olympics 2008. Learn about the schedule of hockey matches in Olympics, and rules on composition of teams, method of scoring and matches.

Hockey in Olympics

Hockey events of the Olympics 2008 will be held at the Olympic Green Hockey Field in Beijing from August 10 to August 23, 2008.


Men’s Pools
Group A Group B
Germany Neitherlands
Spain Australia
Korea Pakistan
New Zealand Great Britain
Belgium Canada
China South Africa


Women's Pools
Group A Group B
Netherlands Argentina
Australia Germany
China Japan
Spain New Zealand
Korea Great Britain
South Africa USA


Schedule of Events

10 August 2008 Sunday
Women's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

11 August 2008 Monday
Men's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

12 August 2008 Tuesday
Women's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B
Men's Preliminary Rounds

13 August 2008 Wednesday
Men's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

14 August 2008 Thursday
Women's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

15 August 2008 Friday
Men's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

16 August 2008 Saturday
Women's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

17 August 2008 Sunday
Men's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

18 August 2008 Monday
Women's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

19 August 2008 Tuesday
Men's Preliminaries - Pool A and Pool B

20 August 2008 Wednesday
Women’s classifications and semifinals

21 August 2008 Thursday
Men’s classifications and semifinals

22 August 2008 Friday
Women’s Classifications, Women's Bronze Medal Match, Women's Gold Medal Match, Women’s Medal Ceremony

23 August Saturday
Men’s Classifications, Men's Bronze Medal Match, Men's Gold Medal Match, Men’s Medal Ceremony

Composition of Teams
A hockey team consists of eleven players at any given time. Every team also has a goalkeeper on the field. Field players who go out of the field for injury treatment, refreshment, to change equipment or for any other reason except substitution are allowed to re-enter the field only between the pre-defined region of the field.

Matches
Every match will consist of two periods of 35 minutes and an intermission of five minutes. The team which has scored the most goals will be declared the winner. In case no goals are scored, or if the teams score an equal number of goals, the match is a draw.

Method of Scoring
If an attacker plays the ball within the circle, the goal is scored. However, the ball should not travel outside the circle before passing completely over the goal-line. A penalty stroke also results in goal.