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Hockey
- Hockey is a game where two teams compete by passing a ball or puck using a hockey stick and trying to score in the opponents' net or goal, past a goalkeeper
- There are several different kinds of hockey including field hockey, ice hockey and roller hockey
- Both ice hockey and field hockey are played professionally and by amateurs in the UK
- There are 11 players on a team
Field hockey
- Field hockey is a version of hockey played on gravel, grass, sand or artificial turf
- It is most widely played in Western Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand
- Field hockey sticks are smaller than ice hockey sticks - modern ones have a hooked blade, whereas ice hockey sticks have a long blade that can lie flat on the playing surface when the stick is held upright
- Field hockey is played in most comprehensive schools in Britain and in leagues and academies in Britain and the rest of Europe
Hockey in Wales
- There are many professional men's and ladies’ professional hockey teams in Wales, affiliated to the Welsh Hockey Union
- Most Welsh primary and secondary schools are affiliated to the Welsh Hockey Union
- If your school doesn't have a hockey team, contact your local sports centre to find out about the local hockey team
Ice hockey
- Ice hockey is hockey played on ice, with a small 7-8 ounce rubber puck
- Ice hockey is played mainly in Canada, Russia, the United States and the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Scandinavia
- It is played less in Britain, although there is a British Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the UK's top professional ice hockey league
- The Cardiff Devils is a well-known Welsh ice hockey club which is a member of the Elite League
Roller hockey
- As roller hockey uses quad skates, it is sometimes called quad hockey
- Roller hockey at international level is referred to as Rink Hockey
- Roller hockey is a fast-paced game played on quad roller skates in an indoor rink with a ball
- Rink hockey sticks have a curled 'L' shape and they are roughly the same size as those in field hockey
- Rink hockey is popular in southern European countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, and certain South American countries, such as Brazil and Argentina
Inline hockey
- There are a number of variations of inline hockey, all played on inline skates using ice hockey sticks.
- Inline hockey is a type of hockey which is similar to ice hockey - the game is played by two teams, consisting of four skaters and one goalie on each, on a dry rink
- The game is played in two 20-minute periods
- Inline hockey has similarities to roller hockey and is often also called roller hockey, but it's different because it has a different type of skate and different game rules