History Of Field Hockey

Field Hockey is a sport with origins back as far as ancient times. It has remained a popular sport throughout the centuries. Read more to learn about the history of field hockey.

Field Hockey History Key Facts and Timeline

• The earliest version of field hockey was created in ancient Greek times
• The sport reemerges in the 14th century in England before being banned as a “leisure sport”
• Field hockey once again emerges in England in the 18th century quickly being popular across the nation
• The first field hockey club was created in 1849 and was called the Blackheath Hockey Club
• Field hockey spread in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the expansion of the British Empire
• Field hockey was included in the Olympics in 1908 but was removed soon after in the 1924 games
• The main governing body of the sport, the Federation Internationale de Hockey sur Gazon, or the FIH was created in 1924 in response to the disclusion from the Olympics
• It was soon reinstated in the 1928 games and has been a mainstay ever since
• Women's field hockey was included in the Olympics starting in 1980 and has been in ever since