Small, hard and faster than it looks \u2013 the ball is one of the cheapest pieces of hockey equipment, yet it has a big influence on the quality of training. Here is how a match ball differs from a training one, what the dimples are for and which colour to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A field hockey ball weighs 156\u2013163 g and has a circumference of 224\u2013235 mm \u2013 the range set by the FIH rules, the same for outdoor and indoor hockey. The internal construction varies between manufacturers, so when buying, compliance with these parameters and any FIH approval matter more than the core material itself. The hard plastic shell lets the ball withstand hits from a stick swung at high speed \u2013 which is exactly why hockey is played in shin guards<\/a>, and the goalkeeper wears full protective gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern pitches are artificial turf \u2013 water-based or sand-dressed. On a wet surface a smooth ball rolls less predictably. Surface dimples (like on a golf ball) are common on outdoor balls and are meant to support consistent rolling and a stable flight on wet turf \u2013 the effect, however, depends on the specific model and the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The names \u201ctraining\u201d and \u201cmatch\u201d are manufacturers' categories, not classes defined by the rules. Match balls<\/strong> are the higher-end models in manufacturers' ranges, described as more consistent across the whole batch, which is why they tend to cost more. Training balls<\/strong> have the same size and weight, and for daily technique work, shooting and drills they are perfectly sufficient \u2013 they are bought in larger quantities. For official competition, check the organiser's requirements and the model's current FIH approval. It is worth having a few balls for training so you do not keep interrupting drills to chase a single one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The classic is white \u2013 clearly visible on green and blue turf. Orange, yellow or pink come in handy when visibility drops: in winter, at dusk or when players wear white kits. Indoors, smooth balls are common, but the FIH rules allow both finishes \u2013 dimpled and smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our range of balls at Field Hockey Zone is in preparation. Right now you can pick up a stick<\/a> and protection<\/a>, and our full range, which we keep expanding, is in our shop<\/a>. If you are just starting out in hockey, read our guide: how to choose a stick<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Need balls for a club or academy? Email us at sklep@fieldhockeyzone.com \u2013 we will check availability and prepare a quote.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A field hockey ball weighs 156\u2013163 g. What the dimples are for, how match balls differ from training balls and which colour works on turf and indoors.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poradniki"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fhz.idea4me.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are the dimples for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Training or match?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Which colour?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balls at Field Hockey Zone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n