College field field hockey is slightly different from “regular” field hockey as we know it in the Netherlands, both in organization and in atmosphere! In America you don’t play for a club, but for your university. Each team consists of an average of 23 ladies who train together about every day. As a team you play in the competition against other universities.
All teams try to qualify for the national tournament. A regular field field hockey game consists of 4 times 15 minutes of playing time. The rules during college field field hockey differ from Dutch field hockey:
- Matches cannot end in a tie, so matches always continue into ‘overtime’
- In “overtime,” both teams have 7 players (with goalie) on the field. The team that scores first wins.
- In the event that neither team scores in “overtime,” the game ends in penalties.
Another big difference is the atmosphere during games. Teammates and fans are generally very loud and will certainly make themselves heard. This is often expressed in encouraging texts and/or university songs. Also, the facilities at American universities cannot be compared to the Dutch field hockey facilities, often field hockey fields have large stands where many fans come to watch your games! In short: there is a mega cool atmosphere!
