Field hockey requires a relatively short list of equipment compared to many team sports: a stick, shin guards, a mouthguard, appropriate footwear, and a ball. Beyond those basics, what you actually need depends on your position, your playing surface, and whether your league mandates specific protective gear like goggles. Here’s a breakdown of every piece of equipment and how to choose the right one.
The Stick: Materials, Bow, and Sizing
Your stick is the single most important purchase, and modern sticks are built from a blend of composite materials rather than a single substance. Carbon fiber provides stiffness and power, making it the primary material in higher-end sticks. But a stick made purely from carbon would vibrate painfully on contact and make the ball nearly impossible to control. That’s why manufacturers mix in fiberglass and sometimes aramid. Fiberglass is softer and more flexible, absorbing the shock of hitting and giving you a better feel for the ball. Entry-level sticks still use wood, which offers excellent touch at a lower price point but generates less power and weighs more than composites.
If you’re just starting out, a stick with a lower carbon percentage (under 30%) and more fiberglass will be more forgiving. Experienced players who want maximum power on hits and drag flicks tend to move toward sticks with 70% carbon or higher, accepting the trade-off in vibration and touch.
Bow Shape
The bow is the curve along the length of the stick, and it directly affects your playing style. A standard (mid) bow has a curvature of 20 to 25mm positioned near the middle of the shaft. It balances power and control well, which is why midfielders gravitate toward it. A low bow places the bend closer to the stick head, typically with a 24 to 25mm curve. This shape is built for offensive players who rely on 3D dribbling, aerials, and drag flicks, since the lower curve point helps lift the ball with more momentum.
Choosing the Right Length
Stick length is matched to your height. A stick that’s too short forces you to hunch over, while one that’s too long reduces your control. Here’s the general sizing guide:
- Under 4’0″: 28″ stick
- 4’0″ to 4’3″: 30″
- 4’3″ to 4’6″: 32″
- 4’6″ to 4’9″: 34″
- 4’9″ to 5’0″: 35″
- 5’0″ to 5’11”: 36.5″
- 5’11” to 6’4″: 37.5″
- Over 6’4″: 38″
Most adult players end up with a 36.5″ stick. When in doubt, hold the stick upright next to your body. The top should reach somewhere between your hip bone and your belly button.
Shin Guards
Field hockey shin guards are not the same as soccer shin guards, and using soccer ones is a common mistake. The ball in field hockey is harder and denser, and raised shots, deflections, and stick contact create impacts that thin soccer guards can’t absorb safely. Field hockey shin guards are thicker, with more padding and often wider coverage around the sides of the lower leg.
Position matters when choosing shin guards. Defenders benefit from wider guards with extra padding, since they face the most direct shots, especially during penalty corners. Forwards and midfielders generally prefer lighter, leaner guards that allow quicker movement. You could technically wear field hockey shin guards to play soccer, though you’d sacrifice some agility. Going the other direction, wearing soccer shin guards for field hockey, leaves you meaningfully underprotected.
Mouthguard
A mouthguard is standard equipment at virtually every organized level of field hockey. High school rules in the U.S. require mouth protectors that serve a clear protective function, with no attachments or additions that could pose a risk to the wearer or other players. Most players use a boil-and-bite mouthguard, which you soften in hot water and then mold to your teeth. Custom-fitted mouthguards from a dentist offer better comfort and protection but cost significantly more. Either way, pick one that lets you breathe and communicate without constantly adjusting it.
Eye Protection
Goggles have a complicated history in field hockey. The NFHS mandated eye protection for high school players starting in 2011 to reduce catastrophic eye injuries, requiring goggles certified to the ASTM F2713 standard for field hockey. That rule was later relaxed: the current wording states that goggles “may be worn” rather than “shall be worn.” However, individual state associations, schools, and parents can still require them.
If you play at the high school level, check your state’s specific rules before assuming goggles are optional. At the youth and club level, requirements vary by league. Even where they’re not mandatory, goggles are worth considering. A raised ball or stick to the face can cause serious eye damage, and the field hockey-specific ASTM F2713 certification ensures the goggles can handle that type of impact.
Footwear for Different Surfaces
Your footwear choice depends entirely on the playing surface. Field hockey is played on natural grass, sand-dressed turf, and water-based artificial turf, and each surface demands a different sole.
For natural grass, cleats with conical or bladed studs work well. They penetrate the ground and give you grip during quick direction changes. Soccer cleats are the most common choice here, since field hockey doesn’t have a widely available sport-specific cleat for grass. For artificial turf, which is now the standard surface for most competitive play, you need turf shoes. These have a flat rubber sole covered in dozens of small, low-profile rubber nubs instead of protruding studs. The design distributes your weight evenly across the harder surface, preventing you from catching a stud and rolling an ankle. Turf shoes also offer better agility on synthetic pitches because the many small contact points grip without digging in.
Wearing grass cleats on artificial turf increases your injury risk and can damage the playing surface. If you only buy one pair and play mostly on turf, get turf shoes.
The Ball
A standard field hockey ball is hard, smooth, and roughly the size of a baseball, weighing between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces with a circumference of about 9 inches. Balls are made of solid plastic, which is why protective gear matters so much. For practice, you can find dimpled balls (similar to a golf ball’s texture) that are slightly softer and easier to control in wet conditions. For games, a smooth, FIH-approved ball is the standard.
Goalkeeper Equipment
If you’re a goalkeeper, the equipment list expands dramatically. Goalkeepers wear a helmet with a full face cage, a throat protector, padded chest and arm guards, padded shorts or leg guards (called kickers), hand protectors that cover the entire hand and wrist, and heavily padded leg guards that extend from the foot to above the knee. Goalkeeper sticks are also different: they’re shorter and have a wider, more curved head for blocking and clearing shots. All of this equipment is position-specific, so standard field player gear won’t give a goalkeeper adequate protection.
Optional but Useful Gear
A few additional items aren’t required but improve comfort and durability. A stick bag protects your stick during transport and often has compartments for shin guards and other small items. Grip tape wears down over time, and replacing it regularly keeps your hands from slipping. Some players also wear gloves, particularly in cold weather or to prevent blisters on their left hand (which sits at the top of the stick and takes the most friction). Ankle braces or sports tape are common among players with a history of ankle injuries, especially on turf where quick lateral cuts are constant.