17 Common Field Hockey injuries (Prevention & Treatment)

17 common field hockey injuries: ankle sprains, ACL and meniscus tears, concussions from stick or ball impact, and groin strains.

Stick contact, hard turf and long outdoor matches drive most of them, so the list also covers rib bruises, eye injuries, heat exhaustion and dehydration, each with its own causes and prevention notes.

Injury Rates and Numbers

The figures below come from injury surveillance data and peer reviewed studies. Each row names the population it was measured in, because rates from elite athletes and from recreational players are not comparable.

Finding	Measured in	Source
College field hockey players sustained 6.27 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures in NCAA surveillance.	NCAA women’s field hockey players (all divisions), 2014-2015 through 2018-2019 academic years	Nedimyer AK et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2021), NCAA Injury Surveillance Program
The head and face were the most commonly injured region in NCAA field hockey at 16.0 percent of injuries, followed by the thigh at 12.3 percent.	NCAA women’s field hockey players, 2014-2015 through 2018-2019 academic years	Nedimyer AK et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2021), NCAA Injury Surveillance Program
Concussion was the single most commonly reported injury in NCAA field hockey, making up 8.6 percent of all injuries.	NCAA women’s field hockey players, 2014-2015 through 2018-2019 academic years	Nedimyer AK et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2021), NCAA Injury Surveillance Program
College field hockey players were injured at nearly twice the rate of high school players, 3.25 versus 1.73 time loss injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures.	US high school girls’ field hockey and NCAA women’s field hockey players, 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 academic years	Lynall RC et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2018), High School RIO and NCAA Injury Surveillance Program
Competition roughly doubles field hockey injury risk compared with practice, with injury rate ratios of 2.00 in high school and 1.96 in college.	US high school girls’ field hockey and NCAA women’s field hockey players, 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 (high school) and 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 (college)	Lynall RC et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2018), High School RIO and NCAA Injury Surveillance Program

Overview

Injury	Body area	Typical time out
Ankle Sprains	Ankle	1 to 8 weeks, longer if torn through
Knee Injuries (ACL, Meniscus)	Knee	6 weeks to 12 months by injury
Head Injuries (Concussions, from Stick or Ball Impacts)	Head	2 to 4 weeks, longer if symptoms persist
Shoulder Injuries (Rotator Cuff, Strains)	Shoulder	3 to 8 weeks, 4 to 6 months post surgery
Wrist Injuries (Sprains, Strains)	Hand and wrist	1 to 12 weeks by structure
Hand Injuries (Blisters, Sprains)	Hand and wrist	Days to 12 weeks by injury
Back Injuries (Muscle Strains)	Lower back	1 to 6 weeks, recurrences longer
Groin Strains	Groin	1 to 8 weeks, 3 months or more if torn
Foot Injuries (Sprains, Strains)	Foot	1 week to 3 months by structure
Elbow Injuries (Sprains, Strains)	Elbow	1 to 6 weeks, tendinopathy months
Rib Injuries (Bruises, Fractures)	Chest	2 to 8 weeks, contact last
Hip Injuries (Strains)	Hip	1 to 6 weeks, up to 3 months
Eye Injuries (from Ball Impact)	Eye	Days to 12 weeks, specialist call
Neck Injuries (Muscle Strain)	Neck	1 to 3 weeks, longer with concussion
Dehydration	Whole body	Hours to 3 days
Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke	Whole body	1 to 3 days, weeks after heat stroke
Cuts and Abrasions (from Stick Contact)	Skin	0 to 14 days, longer if infected

Ankle Sprains

A sprain overstretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, usually the anterior talofibular ligament, when the foot rolls inward under body weight. Field hockey loads this exactly: you run in a low crouch, cut hard off the outside foot, and often land on an opponent’s foot or on a seam in the turf. On wet artificial grass the shoe can also grip suddenly while the body keeps turning.

Symptoms

• Sharp pain on the outer ankle at the moment of the twist.
• Swelling over the ankle bone within a few hours, sometimes bruising down into the foot.
• Limping, or feeling unable to push off on that leg.
• A sense that the ankle gives way on uneven ground.
• Stiffness the next morning that eases a little with gentle movement.

How serious it is: Sprains are graded 1 to 3: grade 1 is stretched fibers with mild swelling and near normal walking, grade 2 is a partial tear with clear swelling and a limp, grade 3 is a complete tear with marked instability. Pain over the bone rather than the ligament, or being unable to take four steps, raises the question of a fracture.

Typical time out: A grade 1 sprain usually allows a return to full training in one to three weeks. Grade 2 takes roughly four to eight weeks before hard cutting is safe, and grade 3 or a sprain with a small avulsion fracture can take three months or more. The spread is wide because return depends on regained balance and confidence in cutting, not on the swelling going down.

See a doctor if: See a clinician if you cannot bear weight for four steps, if the pain sits directly on the ankle bone or the outer midfoot, or if the ankle looks deformed.

What helps

• Start walking within pain limits early rather than resting the ankle completely; loaded tissue heals better than unloaded tissue.
• Short cooling in the first hours purely for pain relief, not as a treatment plan.
• Balance and proprioception work, single leg stands progressing to unstable surfaces, which is the part that actually lowers the reinjury rate.
• Calf and peroneal strengthening, then a graded return to cutting, pivoting, and reverse stick play.
• An ankle brace or taping for the first months back, particularly for matches on wet turf.
• Imaging only if the Ottawa ankle rules are met or the swelling and pain do not settle over a week or two.

Knee Injuries (ACL, Meniscus)

The anterior cruciate ligament runs inside the knee joint and stops the shin bone sliding forward and rotating; the menisci are two C shaped cartilage pads that spread load between thigh bone and shin. Field hockey injures both through the same movement pattern: a planted foot, a decelerating knee that falls inward, and an upper body turning the other way while you play the ball. Because much of the game is played in a flexed, crouched stance, the knee is loaded in a bent position for long stretches, which also grinds the meniscus during twisting.

Symptoms

• A pop or tearing sensation at the moment of the twist, often without contact.
• The knee swells within a few hours for a cruciate tear, more slowly over a day for many meniscal tears.
• The knee feels unstable or gives way when you turn on it.
• Pain along the joint line when squatting or twisting.
• Catching, clicking, or the knee locking short of full straightening.

How serious it is: An ACL injury ranges from a partial tear with a stable knee to a complete rupture, which usually leaves the knee unable to handle pivoting sport without reconstruction. Meniscal tears range from a small stable rim tear that settles with rehabilitation to a displaced bucket handle tear that blocks the joint and needs surgery.

Typical time out: A minor meniscal tear treated with rehabilitation can allow a return in six to twelve weeks. After meniscal repair, expect three to six months. After ACL reconstruction, return to competitive field hockey is typically nine to twelve months, and the timing depends on strength symmetry and hop testing rather than on the calendar.

See a doctor if: Get assessed promptly if the knee locks and will not straighten fully, swells within an hour, or gives way when you put weight on it.

What helps

• Early assessment by a clinician; a knee that swells fast after a twist needs a proper examination rather than a wait and see week.
• Restore full extension and quadriceps activation first, because a knee that cannot straighten will not rehabilitate well later.
• Progressive strength work for quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip abductors, continued for months, not weeks.
• Neuromuscular training that retrains landing and cutting so the knee stops collapsing inward, ideally continued as a permanent part of warmup.
• MRI when instability, locking, or persistent joint line pain suggests a structural tear.
• Return to play decided on measured strength and hop symmetry, not on how the knee feels on a good day.

Head Injuries (Concussions, from Stick or Ball Impacts)

A concussion is a functional disturbance of brain tissue after a rapid acceleration of the head, not a structural break, which is why scans are usually normal. In field hockey the head is exposed because everyone plays low over the ball: raised sticks, a lifted ball, and head to head contact during tackles all reach head height. NCAA surveillance found the head and face to be the most commonly injured region at 16.0 percent of injuries, and concussion the single most common injury diagnosis at 8.6 percent.

Symptoms

• Headache or a pressure feeling in the head after the impact.
• Dizziness, feeling slowed down, or a sense of being in a fog.
• Nausea, and light or noise that suddenly feels too intense.
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering the minutes around the hit.
• Sleep that is disturbed or unusually heavy in the following nights.

How serious it is: Concussion is no longer graded on the field; severity is judged by how long symptoms last and how the athlete responds to graded activity. Loss of consciousness, seizure, repeated vomiting, worsening headache, or increasing confusion point to a more serious head injury and are an emergency.

Typical time out: Most athletes recover in two to four weeks and return through a graded stepwise protocol supervised by a clinician. A minority take longer, particularly after previous concussions or when neck pain, migraine, or anxiety are also present, and those cases can run to several months.

See a doctor if: Go to emergency care for loss of consciousness, a seizure, repeated vomiting, one pupil larger than the other, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or a headache that keeps getting worse.

What helps

• Remove the player from the game immediately and do not let them return the same day, whatever they say about feeling fine.
• A short period of relative rest, about 24 to 48 hours, then light activity below the symptom threshold; complete dark room rest for days makes recovery slower.
• A stepwise return to running, then to non contact drills, then to full contact, moving on only if symptoms do not flare.
• Assessment and treatment of the neck and the balance system, which often carry part of the symptoms.
• Return to study or work managed in the same graded way, since cognitive load provokes symptoms too.
• A face mask for short corner defense and a mouthguard, both of which reduce facial and dental damage in the same collisions.

Shoulder Injuries (Rotator Cuff, Strains)

The rotator cuff is four small muscles whose tendons wrap the head of the upper arm bone and hold it centered in the socket. Field hockey stresses them through repeated overhead and across body swings, long reaching tackles, and the drag flick, which loads the leading shoulder near the end of its range. Falls onto an outstretched arm or a direct landing on the point of the shoulder can also sprain the acromioclavicular joint at the top of the shoulder.

Symptoms

• Pain on the outside of the upper arm, often worse when lifting the arm to shoulder height.
• Difficulty sleeping on that side.
• Weakness when reaching out or lifting something at arm’s length.
• Pain when hitting or flicking, which then eases once you are warm and returns afterwards.
• A painful bump on top of the shoulder after a fall onto it.

How serious it is: Cuff problems range from a reactive tendinopathy with normal strength to a partial tear with weakness and on to a full thickness tear. Acromioclavicular injuries are classified type I to III for the common range, where type I is a sprain, type II a partial separation, and type III a visible step at the joint.

Typical time out: A cuff tendinopathy or a mild strain usually settles enough for a return in three to eight weeks with loading work. A type I or II acromioclavicular sprain takes about two to six weeks. A significant tear treated surgically means four to six months, because the repaired tendon has to be protected before it can be loaded.

See a doctor if: See a clinician if you cannot lift the arm at all after a fall, if there is a visible step or deformity at the shoulder, or if the arm feels numb or weak in a way that does not match the pain.

What helps

• Progressive loading of the cuff and the shoulder blade muscles, starting with what is tolerable and adding weight over weeks; the tendon adapts to load, not to rest.
• Modify rather than stop: keep playing with reduced hitting volume where pain allows, since total rest deconditions the shoulder.
• Address thoracic spine mobility and shoulder blade control, both of which change how much room the tendon has.
• Review technique on the drag flick and the reverse hit, where end range load is highest.
• Corticosteroid injection only as an exception; it can reduce pain in the short term but tends to give worse long term outcomes in tendinopathy, so it is not a first choice.
• Imaging when weakness persists beyond a few weeks or a full thickness tear is suspected.

Wrist Injuries (Sprains, Strains)

The wrist is a stack of eight small bones held by short ligaments, with the forearm tendons crossing over them to move the hand. Field hockey loads it through the double handed grip: the lower hand absorbs the shock of every hit and every stick to stick contact, and the wrist is forced into extension when you fall onto the hand. Ball impact on the back of the hand or a mistimed tackle can also drive the wrist beyond its range in one movement.

Symptoms

• Pain on the thumb side or the back of the wrist during hitting.
• Swelling that makes the wrist feel tight rather than obviously puffy.
• Weak grip, dropping the stick or struggling to open a jar.
• Pain when you push up off the hand or take weight through it.
• Clicking or a catching feeling when rotating the forearm.

How serious it is: Simple sprains and strains recover with time and loading. The important distinction is a fracture of the scaphoid, the small bone in the hollow at the base of the thumb, which often produces surprisingly little swelling and is easy to dismiss but heals poorly if missed.

Typical time out: A mild sprain allows a return in one to three weeks with protection. A more significant ligament injury takes six to twelve weeks. A scaphoid fracture usually means six to twelve weeks in a cast or a surgical fixation, and the range depends on where in the bone the break sits.

See a doctor if: Get an x ray if there is tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb after a fall, even if the wrist looks normal and you can still move it.

What helps

• Short term protection with a wrist support for hitting and tackling, removed for daily activity so the joint keeps moving.
• Grip and forearm strengthening, including rotation work, once pain allows.
• Reduce hitting volume in training and keep passing volume up instead, so conditioning is not lost.
• Padded gloves for the lower hand if stick contact is the trigger.
• Early imaging where a scaphoid injury is suspected, and repeat imaging if the first x ray was normal but pain persists.

Hand Injuries (Blisters, Sprains)

Blisters are a separation of skin layers caused by repeated shear between grip and palm, and they form fastest when the hands are damp. Sprains in the hand affect the small collateral ligaments of the fingers and the thumb, most often the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, which is loaded when a ball or a stick forces the thumb away from the hand. Field hockey exposes the hands directly, since the lower hand sits low on the stick and close to the ground.

Symptoms

• A hot spot that turns into a fluid filled bubble on the palm or the base of the fingers.
• Pain on the inner side of the thumb when pinching or gripping the stick.
• Swelling around a single finger joint that makes a ring feel tight.
• A finger that will not fully straighten or bend.
• Bruising over a knuckle after direct ball contact.

How serious it is: Most finger sprains are grade 1 or 2 and settle with taping and movement. A thumb ligament that feels loose when tested, or a finger joint that will not straighten, suggests a complete tear or an avulsion of bone and belongs in clinical hands.

Typical time out: Blisters rarely cost more than a few days of play once padded and covered. A simple finger sprain allows play with buddy taping almost immediately and settles over two to six weeks. A complete thumb ligament tear needs surgery in many cases, with about six to twelve weeks before full stick work.

See a doctor if: See a clinician if the thumb feels unstable when you pinch, if a finger is visibly crooked or rotated, or if you cannot actively straighten a finger joint.

What helps

• Prevent blisters with well fitting gloves, a dry grip, and taping over recurring hot spots before they blister.
• Leave an intact blister roof in place where possible, pad around it, and cover it for play.
• Buddy tape a sprained finger to the neighboring one and keep moving it; immobilizing a finger for weeks leaves it stiff.
• Get thumb ligament injuries assessed early, because a delayed diagnosis makes surgical repair harder.
• Grip strength and finger range work once the acute pain settles.

Back Injuries (Muscle Strains)

The muscles and fascia along the lumbar spine, together with the small facet joints between the vertebrae, take the load when the trunk is held in flexion and then rotated. Field hockey does this more than almost any field sport: the ready position, dribbling, and tackling all happen bent forward, and every hit and push adds rotation on top of that flexed spine. Discs are also loaded more in sustained flexion, which is why the lower back complains after long sessions on the ball.

Symptoms

• A dull ache across the lower back that builds during and after a session.
• Stiffness on straightening up after being bent over the ball.
• A sharp catch on one side when twisting to hit.
• Difficulty finding a comfortable position for the first hour after playing.
• Morning stiffness that eases with movement.

How serious it is: A simple muscular strain is painful but improves week by week and does not affect the leg. Pain that shoots below the knee, numbness, or weakness in the leg suggests nerve involvement rather than a muscle strain and is a different problem.

Typical time out: Most muscular low back strains settle enough for a return to modified training within one to three weeks and to full play in two to six weeks. Recurring back pain in a player who has never changed how they load their spine tends to run in months rather than weeks, since the cause is training volume and position, not the single episode.

See a doctor if: Seek care for numbness in the groin or inner thighs, difficulty controlling bladder or bowel, progressive leg weakness, or back pain that wakes you at night in a resting position.

What helps

• Keep moving within pain limits from day one; extended bed rest makes low back pain last longer.
• Reduce time spent in the deep crouch during training while symptoms are high, and build it back deliberately.
• Strength work for the hips, glutes, and trunk, loaded rather than only stretching, since the back has to tolerate force in rotation.
• Improve hip and thoracic rotation so the lumbar spine does less of the turning during hitting.
• Manage training load: sudden jumps in match minutes and hitting volume are a common trigger.
• Imaging only if there are nerve symptoms, a suspected stress fracture in a young player, or no improvement over about six weeks.

Groin Strains

A groin strain is a tear in the adductor muscles on the inner thigh, most often the adductor longus at its tendon attachment on the pubic bone. Field hockey loads them in two ways: sharp lateral cuts and lunging tackles that stretch the muscle while it is contracting, and the wide, low stance that keeps the adductors working the entire game. Repeated sprint decelerations and reverse stick reaching add to that load.

Symptoms

• A sudden pull or stab high on the inner thigh during a lunge or a change of direction.
• Pain when squeezing the knees together.
• Tenderness that you can pinpoint with a finger near the pubic bone.
• Discomfort on the first sprints of a session that warms up and then returns afterwards.
• Pain getting out of a car or turning over in bed in the more severe cases.

How serious it is: Graded 1 to 3: grade 1 is a minor tear with mild pain and near normal strength, grade 2 a partial tear with clear weakness on squeezing, grade 3 a complete tear or an avulsion with marked bruising and loss of function. Groin pain that has crept in over weeks is usually a chronic adductor related problem rather than an acute tear and is treated differently.

Typical time out: A grade 1 strain typically means one to three weeks out, grade 2 four to eight weeks, and a complete tear or a long standing adductor related groin pain three months or more. The range is wide because returning too early is the main cause of the recurrence that then extends the whole episode.

See a doctor if: See a clinician if there is heavy bruising down the inner thigh, if you cannot walk normally after a few days, or if the pain is centered on the pubic bone and worsens week by week.

What helps

• The Copenhagen adduction exercise, built up progressively, since adductor strength is the single most consistent protective factor.
• Early pain guided movement and isometric adductor squeezes rather than waiting for pain to vanish.
• Restore full strength on side to side testing before returning to cutting and lunging tackles.
• Rebuild change of direction work gradually, starting with wide turns and progressing to sharp cuts.
• Look at hip mobility and abdominal wall strength if the pain is long standing, since groin pain in this sport is often several problems at once.
• Imaging where an avulsion or a hip joint problem is suspected, not for a typical acute strain.

Foot Injuries (Sprains, Strains)

The midfoot joints are bound by short, stiff ligaments, and the plantar fascia runs as a thick band from the heel to the toes to support the arch. Field hockey stresses both because artificial turf is unforgiving and the shoes are flat: sprinting, braking, and pivoting on the forefoot compress and twist the midfoot, and a stick or a ball can strike the top of the foot directly. Long sessions in the low crouch keep the forefoot loaded almost continuously.

Symptoms

• Pain across the middle or top of the foot when pushing off.
• Swelling or bruising on the top of the foot, sometimes into the sole.
• Sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning if the plantar fascia is involved.
• Pain that concentrates on one small spot and gets worse over consecutive sessions.
• Difficulty running on turf while walking on soft ground still feels fine.

How serious it is: A simple sprain or an aggravated plantar fascia improves with load management. Bruising in the arch after a twist, or pain that concentrates on one small bony point and worsens week after week, points to a midfoot ligament injury or a stress fracture, both of which need imaging.

Typical time out: A minor foot sprain means one to three weeks. Plantar fascia pain typically takes six weeks to several months and improves through loading rather than time alone. A midfoot ligament injury or a metatarsal stress fracture usually costs six to twelve weeks, longer if surgery is needed.

See a doctor if: Get imaging if you cannot bear weight, if there is bruising in the arch of the foot after a twist, or if one point on a bone stays tender to touch for more than two weeks.

What helps

• Cut running volume rather than stopping entirely, and keep fitness with cycling or swimming.
• Calf and foot intrinsic strengthening, including slow heel raises with the toes elevated for plantar fascia pain.
• Check shoes: worn turf shoes lose cushioning, and adding a cushioned insole often changes symptoms more than any treatment.
• Progressive return to sprinting and cutting once you can hop pain free on the affected leg.
• Imaging for suspected stress fracture, since these get worse if you keep training through them.

Elbow Injuries (Sprains, Strains)

The common extensor tendon on the outer elbow and the flexor tendon on the inner side anchor the muscles that control the wrist and grip. Field hockey overloads them through repeated gripping and the shock transmitted up the stick on every hit and every stick to stick tackle. The elbow is also exposed to direct contact, since it sits at ball height when you are bent over the stick, and a fall onto the point of the elbow can bruise the bursa there.

Symptoms

• Pain on the bony point of the outer or inner elbow, worse when gripping.
• Weak grip, noticed when carrying a bag or opening a door.
• Ache that starts after training rather than during it.
• Tenderness when you press a single spot on the bone.
• A soft, swollen lump on the tip of the elbow after a fall.

How serious it is: Most cases are a tendinopathy that responds to load management, with severity judged by how much daily grip is affected. Pain with numbness or tingling in the ring and little finger suggests nerve irritation at the elbow, and a swelling with redness and warmth after a fall raises the question of an infected bursa.

Typical time out: Tendinopathy at the elbow rarely stops play entirely but takes six weeks to six months to settle properly, since the tendon has to be reloaded gradually. A simple sprain or a bruised bursa allows a return in one to three weeks. The wide range reflects how long the problem was ignored before loading started.

See a doctor if: Seek care if the elbow will not fully straighten after an impact, if the hand feels numb or tingly, or if a swelling on the elbow becomes red, hot, and painful.

What helps

• Progressive resistance work for the wrist extensors and grip, ideally slow and heavy rather than light and frequent.
• Reduce hitting volume and long slap shots for a few weeks while keeping other training.
• Check grip thickness on the stick; a grip that is too thin forces harder squeezing.
• Shoulder and scapular strengthening, since a weak shoulder pushes more work down to the forearm.
• Corticosteroid injection only as an exception, because it eases pain early but is associated with worse outcomes at a year in elbow tendinopathy.

Rib Injuries (Bruises, Fractures)

A rib injury is either a bruise to the bone and the muscles between the ribs, or a crack in the rib itself, and the cartilage where the rib meets the breastbone can also be sprained. In field hockey these come from a lifted ball striking the chest, a stick to the ribs during a tackle, or a fall onto the flank. Because the ribs move with every breath, the injured tissue is never fully rested, which is why the pain is so persistent.

Symptoms

• Sharp pain at one spot on the ribcage when breathing in deeply.
• Pain when coughing, sneezing, or laughing.
• Difficulty rolling over in bed or getting up from lying.
• Tenderness when you press directly on the spot.
• Shallow breathing because a full breath hurts.

How serious it is: A contusion is painful but improves steadily. A fracture is more sharply localized and takes longer. The serious concern is not the rib itself but the lung or spleen underneath, especially with multiple ribs involved or an impact to the lower left ribs.

Typical time out: A rib contusion usually allows a return in two to four weeks. A single rib fracture typically takes four to eight weeks before contact is safe. Contact sport is delayed longer than running, so light training often restarts well before match play.

See a doctor if: Go to emergency care for shortness of breath, coughing blood, pain in the left shoulder tip, or a chest wall segment that moves oddly with breathing.

What helps

• Enough pain control to allow deep breaths, because shallow breathing for days raises the risk of a chest infection.
• Regular deep breathing exercises, taking ten slow full breaths several times a day.
• Avoid tight strapping around the chest, which limits lung expansion.
• Keep light aerobic work going where it does not provoke pain, and delay contact and hitting until the spot is no longer tender to press.
• A chest x ray or further imaging if breathlessness, high impact, or multiple rib involvement is suspected.

Hip Injuries (Strains)

Hip strains involve the flexors at the front, mainly rectus femoris and iliopsoas, or the gluteal tendons on the outer hip. Field hockey loads them through repeated sprint starts, hard braking, and the sustained forward lean of the ready position, which keeps the hip flexors shortened and working. Deep hip flexion combined with rotation can also irritate the labrum, the cartilage rim around the socket, in players whose hip shape restricts that range.

Symptoms

• Pain at the front of the hip or in the crease when lifting the knee or sprinting.
• Ache on the outside of the hip when lying on that side at night.
• Stiffness after sitting, easing after the first minutes of walking.
• A pinching feeling deep in the front of the hip when you squat or crouch low.
• Reduced stride length on that side when running fast.

How serious it is: Muscular strains follow the usual grade 1 to 3 pattern based on how much strength and function is lost. Deep pinching pain in the front of the hip with clicking or locking suggests a joint or labral problem rather than a muscle strain, and that follows a different course.

Typical time out: A grade 1 hip flexor strain means one to three weeks, grade 2 three to six weeks, and an avulsion at the bone in a young athlete can take three months or more. Gluteal tendon pain is often a slow burner that takes two to three months of loading to settle.

See a doctor if: See a clinician if you felt a pop with immediate inability to lift the leg, if the hip locks or catches, or if pain sits in the groin and gets worse despite reducing training.

What helps

• Progressive hip flexor and gluteal strengthening through full range, not stretching alone.
• Reduce sprint and acceleration volume while symptoms are high, then build it back in steps.
• Break up long periods in the deep crouch during training with upright work.
• Address running mechanics and trunk control, since a poorly controlled pelvis loads the hip flexors more.
• Imaging if a labral tear or a bony avulsion is suspected, particularly in adolescents.

Eye Injuries (from Ball Impact)

The hard ball travels fast and low, and the eye socket offers only partial protection to a direct hit. Impact can bruise the globe, tear the iris, cause bleeding in the front chamber of the eye, or fracture the thin floor of the orbit, which lets the eye sit lower and traps the muscle that moves it. Lifted balls, raised sticks at short corners, and close range deflections are the usual mechanisms.

Symptoms

• Pain in and around the eye immediately after impact.
• Blurred vision, double vision, or a shadow across part of the field of view.
• Light suddenly feeling painfully bright.
• Visible blood in the colored part of the eye or an irregular pupil.
• Numbness of the cheek or upper lip on that side.

How serious it is: A simple lid bruise settles on its own. Any change in vision, blood inside the eye, or an irregular pupil indicates injury to the globe itself and is an emergency. Double vision or a numb cheek after impact suggests an orbital fracture.

Typical time out: A superficial bruise means a few days to two weeks. An injury inside the eye needs specialist clearance before any return, often four to six weeks or more. An orbital fracture requiring surgery keeps a player out for six to twelve weeks and demands eye protection afterwards.

See a doctor if: Go to emergency eye care immediately for any change in vision, blood inside the eye, an irregular pupil, or double vision after a ball impact.

What helps

• Shield the eye without pressing on it and get it assessed the same day if vision changed at all.
• Do not attempt to rinse or examine a possibly penetrated eye; cover and transport.
• Wear certified eye protection for short corner defense, where the risk is concentrated.
• Follow the specialist’s restriction on straining and lifting after an injury inside the eye, since pressure matters there.
• Use protective eyewear permanently after a serious eye injury, because a second injury to the same eye carries much higher stakes.

Neck Injuries (Muscle Strain)

A neck strain is a tear or irritation of the muscles and small joints of the cervical spine, most often from a rapid whip of the head during a collision or a fall. Field hockey adds a slower source: the head is held forward and down for long periods to watch the ball, which loads the muscles at the back of the neck continuously. Neck pain frequently accompanies concussion, since the same impact that shakes the brain also strains the neck.

Symptoms

• Stiffness and pain when turning the head to one side.
• A pulling ache at the base of the skull or between the shoulder blades.
• Headache starting at the back of the head after training.
• Pain that worsens the day after the incident rather than immediately.
• Discomfort finding a comfortable sleeping position.

How serious it is: A simple strain is painful and stiff but leaves the arms normal, and improves week by week. Pain radiating into an arm, weakness, numbness, or pins and needles points to nerve involvement, and midline bony tenderness after a collision means a spinal injury must be excluded first.

Typical time out: Most muscular neck strains improve enough for full training in one to three weeks, and residual stiffness may last four to six weeks. Where the neck injury occurred alongside a concussion, the return follows the concussion protocol, which is the longer of the two.

See a doctor if: Stop and get assessed immediately for numbness, tingling, or weakness in an arm or leg, or for pain directly over the bones in the midline of the neck after a collision.

What helps

• Gentle active movement in all directions from the first days, since a neck kept still stiffens quickly.
• Avoid a soft collar beyond the first day or two; prolonged collar use slows recovery.
• Deep neck flexor and shoulder blade strengthening, which is the part that reduces recurrence.
• Break up the sustained head down posture in training and vary tasks.
• Manual therapy and physiotherapy where stiffness persists past a couple of weeks, particularly after a head impact.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a loss of body water and electrolytes through sweat that is not replaced, which reduces blood volume and makes the heart work harder to cool the body and supply muscle. Field hockey drives high sweat rates because play is nearly continuous, artificial turf radiates heat, and matches are often played in the middle of the day. Rolling substitutions keep the intensity high, which means most players are working hard for most of their time on the field.

Symptoms

• Thirst, a dry mouth, and dark urine.
• Headache and a heavy, sluggish feeling in the second half.
• Dizziness when standing up quickly.
• Cramping in the calves or hamstrings late in a match.
• Concentration and decision making dropping off noticeably.

How serious it is: Mild dehydration causes thirst and reduced performance and resolves with drinking. Severe dehydration brings confusion, a rapid weak pulse, no urine output, and fainting, and needs urgent medical care rather than self management.

Typical time out: Mild dehydration resolves within hours of drinking normally, and a player is usually fine the next day. Significant dehydration or an episode with cramping and dizziness warrants sitting out the rest of that day and a cautious return over the following one to three days.

See a doctor if: Get medical help for confusion, fainting, an inability to keep fluids down, or a player who stops sweating in the heat.

What helps

• Drink to a plan rather than to thirst on hot match days, using the quarter breaks deliberately.
• Add sodium through a sports drink or electrolyte tablets when sessions run long or sweat is heavy and salty.
• Weigh before and after a hard session occasionally to learn your own sweat rate, then replace accordingly.
• Start hydrated: check that morning urine is pale before a midday match.
• Move to shade and cool actively between quarters, since heat and fluid loss compound each other.

Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke

Heat exhaustion occurs when the circulation cannot support both cooling the skin and supplying working muscle, and core temperature rises while the brain still functions normally. Heat stroke is the point at which core temperature rises far enough to disturb the central nervous system, and it is a life threatening emergency. Field hockey raises the risk because artificial turf surfaces get considerably hotter than natural grass, protective equipment traps heat, and play is continuous.

Symptoms

• Heavy sweating with clammy pale skin, weakness, and nausea in heat exhaustion.
• Headache, dizziness, and a rapid pulse.
• Muscle cramps and a sense that the legs will not respond.
• Confusion, aggression, slurred speech, or stumbling, which mark heat stroke.
• Collapse, with skin that may be hot and either wet or dry.

How serious it is: The dividing line is the central nervous system: a player who is uncomfortable but thinking clearly has heat exhaustion, and a player who is confused, aggressive, or unconscious has heat stroke until proven otherwise. Heat stroke is an emergency where minutes matter.

Typical time out: Heat exhaustion usually means no more play that day and a return over one to three days once fluid balance and energy are back. Heat stroke requires hospital care and a medically supervised return that runs weeks, because heat tolerance stays reduced for a period afterwards.

See a doctor if: Any confusion, disorientation, slurred speech, or collapse in the heat is a medical emergency: call for help and start cooling immediately.

What helps

• Move the player into shade, remove equipment, and start active cooling at once; cold water immersion is the fastest method when suspected heat stroke is on the field.
• Cool first and transport second in suspected heat stroke, since the time at high core temperature drives the outcome.
• Acclimatize over ten to fourteen days before playing hard in unaccustomed heat.
• Schedule sessions away from midday on hot days and use extra breaks with fluid and shade.
• Watch players who are unwell, sleep deprived, or returning from illness more closely, since their tolerance is lower.

Cuts and Abrasions (from Stick Contact)

Cuts are full thickness breaks in the skin from a stick edge or a stud, while abrasions are friction burns where the skin is scraped away against artificial turf. The turf burn is the more common of the two in field hockey, because sliding tackles and falls happen on an abrasive synthetic surface. Both open a route for bacteria, and the shins, knees, hips, and forearms take most of it.

Symptoms

• Bleeding from a defined line where the stick made contact.
• A raw, stinging patch of skin after sliding on turf.
• Throbbing that increases over the following days rather than easing.
• Redness spreading outward from the wound edge.
• Yellow discharge, increasing warmth, or fever, which suggest infection.

How serious it is: Superficial abrasions heal within days without a scar. Cuts that gape, expose fat, or sit over a joint need closure, and any wound with spreading redness, warmth, or fever has become an infection rather than a healing wound.

Typical time out: Most abrasions and small cuts cost no time off beyond dressing them for play. A cut needing stitches typically means seven to fourteen days before contact, and an infected wound extends that until it is fully treated.

See a doctor if: See a clinician for a wound that gapes open, will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of pressure, has redness spreading from the edges, or comes with fever.

What helps

• Clean the wound with running water or saline; avoid hydrogen peroxide and iodine on healing tissue, since they damage the new cells.
• Cover with a moist dressing rather than letting a scab dry out, which heals faster and scars less.
• Use a non stick dressing for turf burns and change it when it soaks through.
• Check tetanus vaccination status after a dirty or deep wound.
• Watch for the infection signs daily for the first week, and wear shin guards and sleeves in positions where turf contact is frequent.

First Aid for Soft Tissue Injuries: PEACE and LOVE

Sports medicine has moved on from RICE. The current guidance, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2019, splits care into the first days after the injury and everything that follows.

PEACE, the first two to three days

• Protect: unload the area and limit movement that hurts, but only briefly.
• Elevate: keep the limb above heart level when you can.
• Avoid anti-inflammatories: they may blunt the healing you need.
• Compress: a bandage or taping limits swelling.
• Educate: your body heals this on its own; passive treatments rarely speed it up.

LOVE, from day three onward

• Load: return to movement as pain allows, early loading builds tissue.
• Optimism: expectations shape recovery more than most people assume.
• Vascularization: easy cardio that does not hurt brings blood to the area.
• Exercise: restore strength, mobility and balance before returning to play.

Ice still helps with pain in the first hours. What changed is the evidence that long icing and routine anti-inflammatory drugs slow tissue repair.

How to Lower Your Risk in Field Hockey

• Wear a face mask when defending short corners and a fitted mouthguard at all times. The head and face are the most commonly injured region in college field hockey, and the short corner is where the ball reaches head height at close range.
• Build adductor strength deliberately with the Copenhagen adduction exercise. The lunging tackle and the wide low stance load the inner thigh constantly, and adductor strength is the factor that most reliably reduces groin strains.
• Include neuromuscular landing and cutting drills in every warmup, working on stopping with the knee tracking over the foot instead of collapsing inward. This is the pattern that protects the knee during the pivots the sport is built on, and the same single leg balance work protects the ankle, which is worth bracing or taping for the first months after a sprain.
• Break up the deep crouch. Alternate ball work with upright running and conditioning in training so the lower back and hip flexors are not held in flexion for the whole session.
• Progress hitting volume and match minutes in steps, especially at the start of a season and after a break. Injury risk roughly doubles in competition compared with practice, so a player who has trained lightly and then plays a full match weekend is carrying an unaccustomed load.
• Plan for heat: acclimatize over about two weeks before hard play in unfamiliar heat, drink to a plan rather than to thirst, and use every break for shade and fluid. Artificial turf runs much hotter than grass.

When to Stop and Get Medical Help

Most of the injuries on this page are treated at home. These signs are not.

• Any confusion, memory loss, loss of consciousness, seizure, repeated vomiting, or a headache that keeps getting worse after a blow to the head.
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in an arm or a leg, or bony tenderness in the midline of the neck or back after a collision.
• A change in vision, double vision, blood in the colored part of the eye, or an irregular pupil after ball contact.
• A joint that will not move, locks in position, or looks visibly deformed, or an inability to bear weight for four steps.
• Shortness of breath, coughing blood, or chest pain that increases with each breath after an impact to the ribs.
• Confusion, aggression, slurred speech, or collapse in the heat, which is treated as heat stroke until proven otherwise.

Sources

• Nedimyer AK et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2021), NCAA Injury Surveillance Program
• Lynall RC et al., Journal of Athletic Training (2018), High School RIO and NCAA Injury Surveillance Program

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are hurt, a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you is worth more than any web page. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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