Stephen Hammond MP and Philip Alexander scored for Parliament as they beat Blackheath Hockey Club 2-0 in a game played under the 1861 rules to mark the 150th anniversary of hockey. The game was played on Blackheath Common, the site of the original pitch north of All Saints Church.
1861 Rules (Union)
1. The pitch shall be 180 yards long by 80 yards wide. The Length and Breadth shall be marked off with flags.
2. The goal posts shall be 10 yards apart, 7 feet high with a tape across the top.
3. Sides shall comprise of 15 players: a goalkeeper, 2 backs, 2 three-quarter backs, 3 flagmen, and 7 forwards.
4. The game shall be commenced and renewed by a chop in the centre of the field.
5. The bung shall be of rubber with shaved corners and must be struck with the stick. In the general game it may not be kicked or thrown. The bung may be stopped but not carried or knocked on by any part of the body or stick.
6. No player may raise his stick above his shoulder.
7. The ball shall be played from right to left and no left or back handed play, charging, tripping, collaring, kicking or shinning shall be allowed. There shall be no cross hitting or hacking, particularly during niggling.
8. If a player should hit the bung into touch, a member of the opposite side shall roll the bung in from the touchline at the point where it went out, at right angles to the touchline. It must go 10 yards and touch the ground before it is in play. The player rolling in may not touch the bung until it has been touched by another player, every player then being behind the bung.
9. When the bung is hit over the goal line by a member of the attacking team, other than when a goal is scored, it shall be brought out straight 15 yards and started again with a chop.
10. If hit behind by a player whose goal line it is, it shall be hit out by a member of the opposing side from within 1 yard of the nearest corner post, and no player shall be allowed nearer than 20 yards until hit out.
11. No player shall be allowed to loiter within 40 yards of the goal of the opposite side unless the ball is between him and his opponents’ goal.
12. The Umpire shall blow a whistle to halt play in the event of an offence. A chop shall take place at the point of the infringement. If, in the opinion of the umpire, the offence is serious or in cases of persistent transgression, a hit will be awarded.
13. The punishment for a dangerous breach of the sticks rule, or persistent foul play, will be a shinning. The offender will be struck on the shins with a stick by a member of the opposing team. Any player proved wilfully to have struck another is at once excluded from the game.
Dil Bahra, May 2012
