Planning Safe Hockey

England Hockey has published an important guide entitled Planning Safe Hockey. The guide is intended to be used as a checklist by anyone delivering or planning hockey activity. England Hockey strongly encourages all clubs/organisations and their members to familiarise themselves with the guide and to address any unsafe practices.

The guide was created in memory of Luke Hobson, a 14-year-old junior player who tragically died on 28 March 2019 having sustained a fatal impact head injury. The guide was created with the co-operation of Luke's parents.

We all have a responsibility to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all those who play hockey; it is therefore important that we take steps to minimise risk to all engaged in hockey, enhancing their experience and reassuring players, parents and guardians.

The rules of hockey are constantly evolving; therefore it is imperative that all those who plan and deliver hockey activity do so in a way that ensures the safety of all involved in our sport.

ESSENTIAL PLANNING FOR SAFE HOCKEY MODULE

England Hockey has released a Safe Hockey Online Module on Hockey Hub. It aims to provide some guidance and ideas on how to deliver fun, safe and engaging sessions, and how we can put the very best practice, policies and procedures in place to make sure that our sport is as safe as it possibly can be

It covers the three key parts of running a safe session - plan, deliver and review.

SAFETY FAQ

Please take the time to view the Safety FAQ’s document. The Safety FAQ covers the following – clothing, equipment, injuries, first aid management, insurance, safeguarding and discipline.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY TEMPLATE

This Health and Safety Policy Template is designed to help clubs and organisations implement best practices to ensure the safety of all participants. It outlines essential procedures for risk management, emergency protocols, and maintaining safe environments during hockey activities. By following these guidelines, clubs can create a safer, more secure setting for players, coaches, officials, and spectators, promoting the wellbeing of all involved.

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST AID

Each club must assess its own First Aid needs. England Hockey recommends a minimum of one First Aid trained individual per match or training session. Having qualified First Aiders ensures quick, effective responses in emergencies, safeguarding the wellbeing of all participants.

Key considerations include the playing location, provision by the facility, home and away fixtures, and how many members need training.

Clubs can obtain First Aid kits from England Hockey’s official supplier, Physique.

REQUIREMENTS OF FIRST AID 

It is vital that those completing training attend a certified Emergency First Aid course lasting at least three hours, which includes practical CPR. Refresher or re-certification is required every three years to ensure skills remain current.

PROVIDERS

British Red Cross - Their first aid training supports their aim to save lives, prevent and reduce suffering and increase the wellbeing and resilience of people in the UK and across the world. To find the right course for you and find out more information on the work they do, please click here to visit their website.  –

St John Ambulance - is the nation’s leading first aid charity. Every year, more than 400,000 people learn how to save a life through their training programmes, including hundreds of thousands of young people. Their volunteers provide first aid in their communities, keeping people safe at events, and working alongside the NHS in response to 999 calls. For information on their courses and the work they do, please click here.

UK COACHING CPR 

UK Coaching, in collaboration with Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance and Joe Humphies Memorial Trust, have produced a free e-learning course around how to prepare for and what to do in the case of someone having a sudden cardiac arrest. The course is around 30 minutes long and can be completed by anyone regardless of previous medical experience. To access this course, please click here.

FIRST AID ADVICE

St Johns Ambulance also provide a wide variety of online guides from – how to apply dressing, how to bandage a hand, and how to treat dehydration https://www.sja.org.uk/

FIRST AID KITS

England Hockey are partnered with PhysiqueOne who supply sports healthcare products specialising in therapy, treatment and wellbeing. England Hockey and PyhsiqueOne have collaborated in producing approved Hockey specific first aid kit bag.

Creating a safe environment for everyone involved in hockey is an essential part of running a club. We want our players, young and old, to be safe while playing hockey. Part of that is ensuring players know their role in making hockey safe. That’s why England Hockey has created some posters, specially designed in line with Planning Safe Hockey, with key messages for players to be aware of their responsibilities.   

These posters are designed to be attached to pitches and could also be used in your club house or dressing rooms and are fully weatherproof. You can make them customized with your club logo and they also include a QR code link to the injury monitoring form, making it quick and easy to keep our sport as safe as possible.  

Posters come in sets of 2 in either A2 or A3 size and cost: 

• £36 for 2 x A3 posters including delivery /excluding VAT.   
• £40 for 2 x A2 posters including delivery / excluding VAT.  

With every purchase, a donation will be made to Luke Hobson’s chosen charity, Air Ambulance. Luke Hobson was a young hockey player that sadly died as a result of a hockey accident. 

To place your order simply complete the following form including your club logo. The printing company, Appleton Signs, will then be in touch to process the order.  

Thank you for helping make hockey as safe as possible.  

It is essential that hockey clubs assess the risks associated with activity prior to the delivery of any hockey related activity. Regardless of whether your club/organisation owns its facilities or hires from a local provider, it is your responsibility to ensure that the facilities used are as safe as possible for you and your members.

Risk assessments for your playing facilities should be completed at the start of each season and should be reviewed regularly to assess any potential risks to individuals. A template risk assessment is available for both clubs and coaches to use prior to the delivery of hockey activity and can be found here. England Hockey strongly recommends that a risk assessment is carried out and recorded prior to all hockey activity.

Please view the attached England Hockey Risk Assessment Documents, to gain more guidance and examples of how to complete risk assessment for outdoor and indoor hockey activities.

In 2023, the UK Government and Sport and Recreation Alliance published UK-wide Concussion Guidance for Grassroots Sport which sets out steps to improve understanding and awareness of the prevention and treatment of concussion in grassroots sport where trained medical professionals are less likely to be routinely present. It is targeted at people of all ages.

The UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport can be viewed here.

England Hockey have endorse the guidance which now applies to all clubs.

‘If in doubt, sit them out’ is the strapline, making clear no-one should return to sport within 24 hours of a suspected concussion.

Players, parents, coaches, teachers and administrators are now asked to read the guidance and familiarise themselves with the necessary steps to:

• RECOGNISE the signs of concussion.
• REMOVE anyone suspected of being concussed immediately and;
• RETURN safely to daily activity, education/work and, ultimately, sport.

CONCUSSION AWARENESS (UK COACHING)

UK Coaching have produced an e-learning course to give you an essential understanding of concussion and its impact on a participant. The course will help you understand what concussion is and how to recognise signs and symptoms, and how to a participant’s safe and sustainable return to play, and can be accessed here.

CONCUSSION POLICY

England Hockey concussion policy can be found here

England Hockey concussion policy is under review currently and will be updated to align to the DCMS guidance.

CONCUSSION RECOGNITION TOOLS

The CRT 6 (Concussion Recognition Tool) can be used by anyone (i.e. non Health Care Professionals) for the identification and immediate management of a suspected concussion. It is not designed to diagnose concussion.

The SCAT6 Child (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) is a standardised tool for evaluating concussions designed for use by appropriately trained Health Care Professionals (HCPs). The SCAT6  Child is used for evaluating athletes aged 8 – 12 years old.

The SCAT6 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) is a standardised tool for evaluating concussions designed for use by appropriately trained Health Care Professionals (HCPs). The SCAT6 is used for evaluating athletes aged 13 years and older.

Both SCAT6 versions cannot be performed correctly in less than 10-15 minutes. Except for the symptoms scale, the SCAT6 is intended to be used in the acute phase, ideally within 72 hours (3 days), and up to 7 days, following injury.

Download CRT 6 (Everyone) .PDF

Download SCAT 6 child (HCP only) .PDF

Download SCAT 6 adult (HCP only) .PDF

England Hockey advises that all hockey players, coaches, umpires and physios are advised to consult with their GP as soon as pregnancy is confirmed to ensure that they are fit to play up to 12 week and that no player, coach, umpire or physio should participate in Hockey beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy.

CURRENT PREGNANCY POLICY

England Hockey pregnancy policy can be found here

England Hockey pregnancy policy is under review currently and will be updated accordingly.

What to do

What not to 

Warm Up

Beware of Hockey Balls 

Under certain conditions approval to wear head, face or eye (HFE) protection, during a hockey match, may be granted by England Hockey.

Players wishing to wear HFE protection may receive approval from England Hockey if they are able to meet the following criteria:

• The player has a genuine medical reason for needing HFE protection;
• The player can provide a letter of confirmation from an appropriate medical practitioner

Wearing the HFE protection:

• Should not substantially restrict the player’s normal field of vision;
• Poses no obvious hazard to themselves (the player) or other players;
• Is within the FIH Rules

Please utilise the guidance provided here and the Docusign form to submit a request to England Hockey.