Field Hockey

The interest in has dramatically increased in America. There are more than 5,000 women competing at the collegiate level each year. The has become faster paced and more physical. Although, field hockey is classified as a non- the number of injuries and the severity of injuries has increased. The most common injuries are: • Injuries and Fractures- Hand & Wrist • Facial Injuries- Contusion, Fractures, and Broken Teeth • Ankle - Sprains account for 15% of all Field Hockey injuries • Injury- Including ACL Tears ( 2.3% of all Field Hockey injuries) • - 7% of all Field Hockey injuries • Overuse Injuries- lower back, hip, knees and ankles • Stress Fractures- Leg and Foot In April 2011, the National Federation of High School State Associations issued a mandate requiring that all high school players must wear protective eyewear on the field of play. The overall injury rate is 6.3 per 1,000 athlete exposures, and there are greater than 10,000 injuries a year. There are twice the number of injuries occur during a game than in practice. Injury Percentage Breakdown: • Lower Limb 53.3% • Torso & Pelvis 13.6% • Upper Limb 13.3% • Head, Neck, Face 9.3% • Concussions 6.3% • Other 4.3% Muscle strains and contusion are the most common types of injuries in NCAA Field Hockey. Field Hockey players sustain hand or finger injuries, such as a fracture, more often than other stick handling . Catastrophic Injuries: During 22 years that the Center for Catastrophic Research (NCCSIR) has collected collegiate Field Hockey data, there have been no deaths related to direct mechanisms (collisions) and one nonfatal . The incidence of sudden cardiac death in the NCAA is roughly one in every 40,000 student athletes per year. Playing Rules & Safety • NCAA requires all players to have a pre-participation medical examination • NCAA mandates that all institutions have a Management Plan • All Field Hockey Players are required to wear a mouth at all times • Goalkeepers are required to wear appropriate headgear, throat protector, chest protector, and strongly recommend wearing a mouth guard • Field Hockey players are permitted to wear only smooth, preferably transparent, white or single colored, facemasks that fit flush with the face, soft protective head covering or eye protection in the form or plastic goggles, throughout the game • Players have the option of wearing a soft headgear • Players can not wear anything that may be dangerous to another player • Referees will suspend the game and stop the clock because of a player injury • If a player incurs a wound that causes bleeding the umpire will stop the game and the player will be cared for by the athletic trainer or medical personnel • Play will be stopped and the field cleared based on lightening safety standards Michael A. Kennedy, DO, FACEP Sports Medicine Physician- Board Certified Expert Medical Care