As you know, hockey has many varieties and if for us in the first place will always be the usual Canadian hockey, in countries such as the Netherlands or Australia it is field hockey is the most popular.
A little history
Many people tend to think that field hockey is a young sport, but it is not. Back in the late 19th century, the first international field hockey match took place, and already in 1908 the sport was included in the Olympic program. Field hockey world championships have been held for men since 1971, and for women since 1974.
Prior to the early 1990s, field hockey was dominated by field hockey players from Pakistan and India, but later these teams were replaced by Germany, Australia, Argentina and the Netherlands.
Useful resources
fih.ch is the website of the International Field Hockey Federation. The site has the rules and schedule of all important international tournaments, the latest news from the national teams, team rankings, as well as a lot of static data and archives of international tournaments.
fieldhockey.com – This resource can be used as a news feed. Dozens of fresh and relevant news items are posted on the site daily.
The main rates
On the main outcome. Unlike Canadian hockey, there is no extra period after a draw. Only in playoff matches of individual tournaments, the rules may provide for extra time after the tie and a shootout, if the winner is not identified.
Goal total. In field hockey the matches are longer than in Canadian variant (70 minutes vs. 60 minutes); in spite of this, the teams’ productivity is lower in general.
With a handicap. This bet is particularly relevant in major international tournaments of national teams, where teams of different classes meet. For example, the men’s national team of Australia during the last World Cup passed the group stage with the goal difference 19-1, and the national team of South Africa in five games of the group stage scored only 2 goals and missed 21.
Other bets. Not every office generally accepts bets on field hockey, and a spreadsheet on it is given in very rare cases. At best, you can bet on the outcomes and total periods.
Long-term bets. In tournaments such as the World Cup or the World League, the shops usually give the line bets on the winners.
Analysis
Unlike ice hockey, in ice hockey the team does not have 6 players, but 11, with only 2 substitutes. In these scenarios, the team’s chemistry, form and functional state, rather than the skill of individual hockey players, are of great importance.
The role of the coach is very important here, because the success of the team will largely depend on the scheme he chooses for the game. Field hockey underdogs have a lot of chances and games often end with a 2-1, 2-0 score, so you don’t need a big attacking potential in this sport. The main thing is how the team knows how to line up their defense.
Always pay attention to the style of play of the teams. For example, the Dutch team always tries to perform at number one, always building up a little excitement at the gates of opponents. In matches involving these teams, it makes sense to bet.
Features of field hockey betting
Very few bookmakers that give a good line on this sport, in addition, the betting limits on field hockey are quite small. If you play professionally and for large sums, you have to place bets in several BKs at once.
In this sport, draws happen much more often than in Canadian hockey. This is due to the low performance of the teams. In national tournaments, teams can have a streak of 4-5 draws in a row.
The growing popularity of field hockey is proven by the fact that in 2010 field hockey captain Luciana Aymar was named Argentina’s best field hockey player, while Lionel Messi himself was relegated to second place. In some European countries, field hockey is even among the top five most popular sports.