Essential Hockey Safety Equipment

The Importance of Protective Equipment for Hockey Player Safety

Both field hockey and ice hockey are physically demanding sports. The nature of both games requires hockey players to have a wide range of skills to perform well. The physical demands of the sport can cause a wide range of common hockey injuries, many of which are preventable. Having a well-stocked hockey first aid kit and a good knowledge of how to treat hockey injuries is essential, as well as wearing the right protective equipment for hockey. However, despite the best efforts, hockey injuries can and do still happen.

Field hockey and ice hockey injury statistics show that injuries are almost inevitable, especially at elite, competitive levels. However, kitting out your hockey team with the right hockey protective equipment can significantly improve safety and comfort, protecting players from serious injury. 
In this article, we’ll take you through the official governing body guidelines for protective equipment in hockey for both disciplines and run through the most common pieces of gear that will protect your players from injury and keep the game as safe as possible.

Field Hockey Safety Equipment: Rules and Recommendations

When it comes to field hockey, safety equipment and protective gear for players are essential parts of the rules laid out by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and England’s governing body, England Hockey.  
The official FIH ‘Rules of Hockey’ strongly recommends that field hockey players wear shin, ankle and mouth protection while playing. Particular attention is put on the effectiveness of gum shields as protection against mouth and facial injuries, with Opro being England Hockey’s official supplier.

While wearing protective equipment for hockey players isn’t an essential requirement in field hockey, all relevant governing bodies strongly recommend that all team members wear protective gear as a safety measure to protect from injury. 
Take a look through the recommendations for field hockey protective equipment below.

Essential Field Hockey Protective Equipment

Gloves as Hand Protection

Players’ hockey protective equipment can include hand protection in the form of gloves, as long as they don’t significantly increase the natural size of the wearer’s hands. According to England Hockey, hand protection worn by field hockey players in the UK must be small enough to comfortably fit within the dimensions of 2.9cmx1.8cmx1.1cm.

Gum Shields as Mouth Protection

According to England Hockey, ‘there is lots of evidence to suggest that gum shields prevent several injuries’ and recommend that all field hockey players wear gum shields during play as part of their field hockey safety equipment. England Hockey recommends that gum shields be shock-absorbable, should be fitted by a dentist or a reputable supplier, and are replaced each year to offer maximum protection.

Shin Pads and Ankle Protection

England Hockey and field hockey’s international governing body, FIH, recommend all field hockey players wear shin pads and ankle guards during play. Due to the nature of the game and the high speeds a hockey ball can travel, wearing durable hockey protective equipment around the lower legs can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Knee and Upper Leg Protection

Field Hockey players can wear additional body protection, including knee pads or upper leg guards if they play in a position where they would be defending a penalty corner. Most players choose not to wear these additional pieces of protective equipment in hockey games because of the reduced mobility that their size and weight contribute to.

Face Protection

In the event of a penalty, field hockey players are permitted to wear a minimal face mask that’s either transparent, single-coloured, or a metal grill design as a piece of hockey safety equipment to protect their face from impact with the ball. It can only be worn for the duration of the penalty strike and should be removed immediately afterwards. 

While face masks have become commonplace since the Coronavirus pandemic, England Hockey only permits field hockey players to wear a face mask throughout a match for medical reasons that have been assessed in advance by an appropriate authority. These rules also apply to players wearing protective head coverings or plastic eye goggles for medical reasons. Coaches, umpires, and relevant authorities must also assess the risks of the player being involved in a game due to their medical reasons.
The Rules of Hockey stipulate that players wearing face masks are not permitted ‘to conduct themselves in a manner which is dangerous to other players by taking advantage of the protective equipment they wear.’

Extra Protection for Goalkeepers

At a minimum, goalkeepers must wear field hockey protective equipment comprising leg guards, foot protection (‘kickers’) and head protection. Hand protection is also strongly recommended. Shin guards are permitted to be wider than regular field players’, measuring up to 29cm wide. 

The FIH recommends that goalkeepers’ head protection be a rigid, well-fitting helmet that includes throat and neck protection. Goalkeepers are also permitted to wear additional protective padding to cover their arms, upper body, knees and thighs.

Ice Hockey Safety Equipment: Rules and Recommendations

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) acknowledge that ice hockey’s ‘speed is one of the qualities that makes it so exciting. But this skill and excitement must be balanced with fair play and respect.’ Where rules are not followed, injuries are far more likely to occur. Ice hockey rules cover all aspects of the game, and ice hockey safety equipment is an important feature. 

In the IIHF Official Rule Book, Rule 9.5 stipulates that ice hockey protective equipment ‘must conform to safety standards and be used only to protect players, not to enhance or improve playing ability or to cause injury to an opponent.’

Ice hockey officials must ensure that all players wear their complete protective gear during the pre-game warm-up and throughout the game. All ice hockey protective equipment apart from headgear, mouthguards, neck and throat protections, gloves and leg guards must be worn underneath and be fully covered by the team uniform.

Ice hockey referees are entitled to penalise individual players and collective teams if protective equipment and uniform rules are broken repeatedly.

Take a look through the requirements for ice hockey protective equipment below.

Essential Ice Hockey Protective Equipment

Head Gear including Helmets and Facial Protection 

Protective helmets are the most important piece of ice hockey safety equipment and must be rigid and secure enough to protect players from head injuries, including concussions. All team members must wear an approved ice hockey helmet with a properly fastened chin strap at all times. This includes when they are on the playing surface (during warm-up and play) and when they’re sat on the Players’ Bench. An ice hockey helmet must be secured safely over the wearer’s head and be attached well enough that it cannot fall off at any point.

The IIHF permits three different types of facial protection attached to the front of an ice hockey helmet. These include:

• A full-face protective visor
• A protective visor over the eyes and nose 
• A metal cage over the face

All forms of additional face protection must be attached to the helmet securely along the sides so that it can’t be flipped up. The wearer must leave the ice immediately if a protective visor becomes cracked or damaged during a game.

Mouthguards

Similarly to field hockey, ice hockey governing bodies, including the IIHF, strongly recommend that all players wear a mouthguard, preferably custom-made, for optimal protection. Mouthguards are particularly important for ice hockey players. Due to the high-contact nature of the game, players’ jaws and teeth are at significant risk of impact with the puck or other players.

Neck and Throat Protection

The IIHF recommends that all ice hockey players wear a certified ‘neck and throat protection’ collar or guard that’s ‘made of a material that will not cause injury’. In particular, goalkeepers should wear this additional piece of ice hockey protective equipment because it’s been designed to protect the wearer’s throat from impact, including cuts from skates, hockey sticks, and the puck itself. Popular neck and throat protectors attach to the chin of the wearer’s face mask or have velcro attachments to hold it securely in position.

Shin Pads

Ice hockey players are permitted to wear shin pads to protect their legs and ankles from inevitable impact during play. Shin pads must fit inside standard-sized ice hockey socks with no additions or parts protruding from the area.

Footwear

Of course, all ice hockey players must wear skates to play on the ice safely. The IIHF stipulates that: 

Skates must consist of only four parts: boot, blade, blade holder, and laces. The boot must conform to the foot of the Skater and not be unduly wide or long or have any attachments to it. The blade must be smooth from front to back and secured in the blade holder at all times. It cannot have a pick in the manner of figure skates.

In addition, the front and back of the blade must not extend past the top or heel of the boot, and the blade holder must fully cover the blade with no part protruding.

Extra Protection for Goal Keepers

A goalkeeper’s skates must have a flat blade that is no longer than the length of the boot, and the front of the blade must have a protective cowling at the front to reduce the risk of injury. Any additions to the boot that would give the goalkeeper additional contact with the surface of the ice, sometimes called ‘cheaters’ are not allowed.

Goalkeepers are required to wear additional protective equipment than the rest of the team. Additional ice hockey protective equipment worn by goalkeepers include:

• Leg Guards
• Chest Pads
• Arm Pads
• Knee Pads

Goalkeepers are permitted to wear catching gloves and blocking gloves depending on the demands of the game. These provide protection for the goalkeepers’ fingers, hands and wrists and improve the wearer’s grip. The IIHF has strict guidelines on the measurements and styles of both gloves, and game officials must assess these before a game commences.

Ice Hockey Referee Protective Equipment

Many reputable ice hockey protective equipment suppliers cater to referees and officials with products that include elbow pads, shin guards and armbands. Ice hockey officials and referees are closer to the action than field hockey and are more at risk of impact or falls on the ice. However, the IIHF does not explicitly require officials to wear hockey referee protective equipment; instead, they should be ‘dressed in black pants, IIHF Officials’ jerseys, an IIHF approved black helmet with visor, and approved whistles.’

Your Hockey First Aid Kit is a Vital Piece of Hockey Safety Equipment

It’s clear that all field hockey and ice hockey players need to wear hockey protective equipment to reduce the risk of injury during play. It’s also essential that sports facilities, coaches, schools, and anyone organising a hockey game do their due diligence to keep players safe. At a minimum, this means ensuring that a qualified first aider is present at all times and that a fully-stocked first aid kit is available in the event of injury.

As a leading sports first aid supplier, we’ve worked with industry professionals to develop a specialised hockey first aid kit that includes all the essentials to treat hockey-related injuries. Its premium-quality contents complies with guidance from England Hockey and GB Hockey governing bodies and is a vital piece of hockey safety equipment to keep on hand during training and home and away games. We cover everything you need to know about its content on our blog’s handy hockey first aid kit checklist article. 

Additionally, for hockey clubs that have a defibrillator (AED) on-site, England Hockey recommends that the club communicates ‘the location of this to its members. People should know how to use it, and it should be checked regularly for battery life.’ While England Hockey does not require hockey clubs to have an AED available, providing easy access to one in the event of cardiac arrest could help save a life.