OBO Hi-Control Legguard’s Review

hi-control-legguards

When I purchased my Hi-Control legguards (in my first ever Obo spending spree), I wasn’t sure what to expect- apart from I had heard great things about them from other keepers. I find the hi-controls easy to run in and move about in but overall I was impressed by them because rebound is very good and the ball ends up being in a perfect place away from the attackers.

In the women’s league that I play in the shots are very powerful so the rebound comes into use/effect. I am only 14 so I have to play junior hockey as well for my school, where the shots have almost no power in them, the ball just falls to the ground (off the legguard) where I can kick it away. At first I wasn’t sure about how to effectively control the ball away but over the last few months I have learn’t to control the ball away from the attacker(s). The legguards fit onto my legs and over my Hi-Rebound kickers perfectly and they don’t twist when I dive or get up from a dive. When I am landing from a dive they protect my knees and other bones well (especially compared to other brands gear. A year ago I dislocated my knee from a high, dive landing in my old kit!!)

To improve the legguards I would make them in a numerous amount of colours and I would make the part where you put your leg, about 5cm shorter because sometimes it (depending on what shorts you wear) is a tight fit to have the legguards and the shorts in the right pace because they overlap. I can’t really think of anything else to improve them because overall they fulfill my needs. I haven’t tried the Hi-rebound legguards but at the moment so I can  not compare but compared to my previous legguards that I have used (such as: TK GX4, Slazenger school goalie kit, and the Grays G200) they are absolutely brilliant.

Alton Womens Goalie

Tournament Kit Bag Essentials

While at a tournament and a long way from home it can be very off putting to not have equipment that is needed to do the job and perform at your highest level. For some of us (me too) representative duties can be quite a daunting task given that it may well be the first time that you are out of direct contact with your personal trainers/managers/equipment suppliers (Mum and Dad) (Long suffering wife in my case) Your team is relying on you, and your gear lets you, and them down………………….sometimes duct tape just don’t do the job!

To help with this I have come up with a list of contents for an effective “tour bag” for a keeper. (At least it’s what lives in my bag)

1/ Pads and Kickers
2/ Gloves and inners if worn
3/ Body Armour including Arms/Elbows
4/ Helmet
5/ Padded shorts/Girdle
6/ Stick
7/ Groin/Pelvic protector
8/ Spares Kit
9/ Consumables
10/ Tools
11/ Team supplies

bag-wheelie

Preparation of all the gear
1/ Pads and kickers.
Make sure that the foam is in good condition with all seams secure, straps in good nick with stitching/rivets secure and no buckles/clips rusty/broken. A new set of kicker straps is often a good investment if your’re playing schedule is heavy.
2/ Gloves.
Check for any tears holes etc in the foam and that any straps must be in good nick and clean the damned things (unless you really want your hands to smell like feet!) Wash in a powdered borax solution and rinse well if that doesn’t remove all the pong, try a weak bleach solution, again rinse well and allow to dry out of direct sunlight. Inners if you wear them should be washed with your over-shirts and helmet comfort pads.
3/ Body armour including elbows/arms.
If you wear the segmented fabric covered type, do up the straps and place it in the washing machine for a gentle cycle with a little laundry detergent and listen to it cycle. When the machine is on spin make sure that no part of the armour is above the rim of the drum and touching the stationary body of the machine ‘cause this will burn the fabric and embarrass the hell out of you. Place the armour on a coat hanger and allow it to dry out of direct sunlight. If you wear a foam chest-plate, treat it just the same as your pads and kickers.
4/ Helmet.
It doesn’t matter what type/brand or style you wear, the grill must be in good condition and firmly fastened to the shell of the helmet, all screws must be tight and clips in place and unbroken. Just for hygiene’s sake wash the helmet in a weak bleach solution and work the solution into the foam. Rinse well in clean water and allow to dry before packing the helmet away. I shudder when I see the inside of some helmets that are years old and never been washed. Make sure the comfort liner is clean and in place.
5/ Padded shorts or girdle and cover-shorts.
Put them in the washing machine with your body armour, inspect after washing for cuts, tears or broken seams. Replace of reposition missing/moved foam pads and make sure that the pockets that hold them are tight.
6/ Stick.
No chips, cracks or sharp edges. Grip in good condition and secured.
7/ Groin/Pelvic protector.
For gawd’s sake give the poor thing a wash (throw it in with the armour and shorts) then make sure the elastic is good and that any clips/buckles are whole.

Additional stuff that’s gotta be packed
(Spares Kit? Or what lives in my bag for my gear)
A ½ set of kicker straps (2 long 2 short toe straps)
A set of “StrapSecure” (webbing loops that stop the front toe strap riding up over my boot toe)
1 long pad strap with buckle (can be cut to make a kicker ankle strap with buckle)
Small assortment of helmet screws posts and clips to suit my helmet.
Consumables
Stuff that my team-mates can use to solve all their little problems. This lot lives in a “Tupperware” container in a side pocket of my bag.
A roll of duct tape
A roll of strapping tape
A roll of insulation tape
2 spare stick grips
2 small tubes (1ml) of cyano-acetate cement
A small tube (25ml) of contact cement
A bottle of Ibuprofen tablets
A tube of ‘30+’ sunscreen
A bottle of nail-polish
A bottle of acetone (25ml max)
6 heavy duty zip ties at least 18” long
My good lady wife (also a keeper) carries tampons (I don’t, go figure)
Tools. (In the hold only on flights)
A box-cutter
Star and flat blade screw drivers
Pair bull-nose pliers with cable/wire cutters
Team supplies.
1 dozen practice balls in a cage
2 match balls
2 “Face-off” masks

Explanation of “Consumables”
Do I really have to explain the three tapes?
Every “fieldy” decides the fatter the grip the better the control.
Super Glue in 1ml size is a single use, throw away that can stick most stuff to other stuff.
Contact glue is great for shoes, foam, or any porus material.
Hmm… Drugs…. fixes headaches and inflammation (strains and sprains)
Sunscreen: Great stuff if you play in daylight outside.
No. I’m not going soft. Fixes chips in composite sticks (no moisture entry causing delamination). Apply to helmet screws before tightening to act as a thread lock. Great for marking balls. The correct shade goes well with your cocktail dress (?)
An all purpose cleaner, works on balls, foam, fingernails, removes the adhesive that the three tapes may leave behind removes grease before using glue to stick stuff together.
Sooo handy (known as “flexi cuffs” by police) at a pinch can even replace kicker straps. Let your imagination run wild.
I’m just not going there for the last item.
Explanation of “Tools”
Good sharp blade for cutting flexi cuffs, tape and anything else that needs to be shorter than it is
How else are you going to tighten helmet screws and service the team bus?
For the removal of fingernails under questioning (Oops. family forum) holding of small items with force. Just getting a grip on things that need to be gripped.
Explanation of “Team supplies”
Have you ever tried “warming up” to find that the coach left the balls at the hotel? This is a problem you don’t want and your responsibility to avoid by taking action yourself by providing “warm up” balls.
Don’t want to be seen as the poor country cousins by only having a crappy old ball for the match, get a couple of “kookas” and keep them clean using the acetone.
“Post men” have far more confidence when they have a “face off” to hide their fear behind. They have been known to prevent contamination of the playing surface by blood.

OBO PE Helmet Review

I have chosen to write a review on my PE helmet.

To start off, before purchasing this helmet I used to play in a very mediocre lid, Not going to name names : )

I purchased this helmet at the start of this season and from the moment I took it out of the box I loved it. When I first picked it up I was surprised at the weight of it! sooo light compared to my other lid.

First things first, once opening the box I couldn’t wait to try it on, From box to head was almost a perfect fit without adjusting a thing! I tinkered with the straps a little to get it to the right tightness which took no time at all! This was the first time I’d had a helmet fit perfectly directly from the box without a lot of tinkerage.

Next thing to do was add the stickers, I may be 18 but stickers are always fun to play with whatever your age. OBO provide just the right amount of stickers for the lid and even give you a little template to follow if you don’t have an idea on where to stick them. I spent a while customizing until I was happy with the look, here are a few pictures of it : )

photo0384wphoto03822

Once all the tightening and stickering was done I tried the helmet on with my body armour, My previous helmet used to catch on my body armour when lowering my head a little… Not a problem at all with this helmet.. I was soo chuffed as it was soo damn annoying with the previous helmet!

Next thing to note is the vision! Referring to my old helmet first, the vision was unbelievably poor, the bars of the grill were in the totally wrong place and I had to wear the helmet in the un-correct way to be able to get a good line of sight! The new helmet tho.. what an improvement!  No wearing the helmet in a way it isn’t supposed to be worn, no adjusting of the grill.. just a perfect line of vision.. the first time for a few seasons.

Next The comfort of the helmet. The thickness of the foam could be improved (made a little thicker) But apart from that it was the most comfortable helmet I’d tried on. The velcro tabs that hold the sweat band on are a good idea but after a few uses (and a lot of sweat) the velcro lost its stickiness and fell off. Not really an issue to me as I was considering changing it from two squares of velcro to one long strip anyway. Previous helmets have given me really bad headaches as they were too tight in certain places, such as the temple. This is not an issue with the PE helmet, its really comfortable.

Protection.

I have taken many hits to this helmet, a few to the temple and a few to the front of the grill and not felt a thing.. the only thing I would say is be prepared for the ringing in your ears when you get hit as it makes a really loud noise, I think this is due to the materials used. In the previous helmet I was scared to chase down shots where I knew an undercut could be possible as the helmet didn’t fit properly, when I ran out because of the way I had to wear it, it used to slide down and my vision was severely impaired, I used to close my eyes and turn my head when a ball was coming towards me at head height as I was afraid I would get injured. Since I bought this helmet, the eye closing and head turning problem has ceased and I now try an actively charge down shots without worry.

On the protection issue, 6 games before the end of the season at a training session a ball was undercut from 6-8 foot away from me and hit me square on the left side of my face ( where the grill attaches to the helmet ) I did fall to the ground as the shot took me by surprise and I did feel the shot thru the helmet. Saying this if I hadn’t of been wearing the helmet I would have a very mashed face, the helmet did a brilliant job of protecting me and where the ball made contact with my cheek/grill it left a nasty dent but I am going to say that’s what the helmet is designed to do? it kind of reminded me of crumple zones in a car.

All in all OBO have done a great job in designing this helmet and I would totally recommend it to any player (whatever your level) and personally would buy another one tommorow!

Review Your Kit Competition

Guys and Gals,

its time for the Keepers Resources 2.0 site to host its first competition.

The Review Your Kit competition!

We want you to create a new post / article reviewing 1 item of kit for the world to see.

So tell us straight what you think – tell us what you love about your piece of kit (and also any improvements you would like to see us make – we listen!)

You can enter as many reviews as you want on as many pieces of kit as you like – but each article must only review 1 product. Be creative on how you tell us – you can write text, add pictures and embed youtube videos.

Deadline is 5pm Friday 5th June 2009.

So what’s the prize for the winners?

The top 5 reviews will have a choice between a set of our new ROBO Elbow Guards or CLOUD Knees up knee protectors delivered to your doorstep!

robo-elbow-guard

Elbow Guard

Knees Up

Knees Up Knee Protector

How to add your review

Make sure you have registered with the site or logged in.

Next go to your dashboard to add a new post. Quick link to it here: add a new post.

You may want to check out this demo on “How to add a new post/ article”

If you have any questions please e-mail resources@obo.co.nz

Robo HI CONTROL hand protectors

I am a goalkeeper playing in South Africa and am looking to upgrade my Cloud 9 hand protectors as they aren’t standing up to my current level of hockey. One of my concerns with the RHP is that it tends to fold in on itself when saving faster shots either logging or in the air and has trapped myfingers between the stick face and inner surface of the hand protector. Is this a problem with the Robo hi-control protector?

qnaQuestion:

I am a goalkeeper playing in South Africa and am looking to upgrade my Cloud 9 hand protectors as they aren’t standing up to my current level of hockey.  One of my concerns with the RHP is that it tends to fold in on itself when saving faster shots either logging or in the air and has trapped my fingers between the stick face and inner surface of the hand protector.  Is this a problem with the Robo hi-control protector?
Regards
Ryan

Answer:

Hi Ryan,

The Robo High Control RHP is made from a thicker foam so there isn’t the problem of “folding” that you may have encountered with the Cloud 9’s,

good luck,

Jon

ROBO Elbowguards Review

Here is a couple of stills and a couple of vids that are a bit tongue in cheek.


My comments are as follows…

1. Great adjustability and wearability c/o the amount and placement of the velcro strips.

2. very minor impediment to full movement.

3. Courtesy of my immense bodyweight I regularly end up with burstitis (deep haematoma around the joint) on my right elbow c/o heavy/poor landings on my elbow when diving….I know it is a technique problem but I have not been practising enough to address the poor technique. These elbow guards have negated the problem so far this season.

4. Inner elbow protection when logging is far far superior to anything I have come across before. I dont wear or buy/sell crap and I wear as well as sell these. I cant give any higher recommendation than that. I know what Mrs Animal is getting for Christmas.

ANIMAL

Common Injuries And Treatments

The problem with injuries, other than actually having to deal with the suffering of sitting out when you feel you should be playing, and then putting up with the pain involved, is that being sporting injuries, they are more of a specialist subject that are hard to deal with, and are not very well understood. We don’t all have access to sports therapists, so how can you tell what’s wrong? How many times have you gone to A & E only to be told that there isn’t anything really wrong with you, and there’s little you can do about it?

The misdiagnosis and waste of precious time in itself, is more than annoying. Therefore, I’ve put together a useful guide to injuries you’re likely to suffer during your careering, and their respective treatments, which you’ll hopefully be able to make use of, without having to rely on an ignorant doctor (that is, one who doesn’t have the sporting knowledge to be of any help!).

Treating swelling

Swelling is the most common form of punishment that your body will come across when enduring the vigour of the game. As it becomes a regularity, you will need to know the best means of dealing with it.

Icing the wound

Ice is the best way of dealing with swelling; holding an ice pack or a packet of frozen peas over the swelling, for a length of time, will reduce the actual swelling. If you’ve got the balls (no pun intended), then you can make use of an ice bath: simply fill your bath up with freezing cold water, and then slowly immerse yourself into it, spending enough time in the cold to help alleviate the pain and reduce the swelling bump. The cold temperature will help to alleviate the pressure on the muscle area.

Dealing with severe bruising

Severe bruising is obviously far worse than your average bruise, but is actually not as bad as it sounds; your skin will be tender than usual, and more vulnerable to further damage. If not treated properly, they can lead to a contusion, which is both painful and annoying; medication for the pain and rest will speed up the recovery, needing a few weeks off the game to let it heal properly.

Contusions

Unlike bruises, contusions need time to rest and then reworked; the bunched muscle needs rehabilitation to remove the ‘lump’ that has formed in the cartilage. Physiotherapy can be found from a hospital appointment; the necessary stretches needed to help it.

Muscular injuries

Muscle injuries are easy to come across in any sport and any position; whilst you may bruise or batter yourself during the game, for whatever reason, it is so easy to forget how the rest of your body can be affected. By not stretching properly, you are begging for an injury, and that is not to mention the possibility of unfair and unfortunate time out of playing as a result.

Strains

It is easy enough to strain any muscle, especially if you have not stretched enough, let alone done any. If you are late to a game, or want to skip warm ups (so you don’t have to face any of those nasty stingers), you’re not doing yourself any favours by not properly warning, in fact you’re making the situation worse. By not stretching, you are putting yourself at easy risk of muscle injury.

In my experience the most common areas of strains are in the leg area (mainly your groin), which can be caused by over extending your body in a desperate attempt to make the save, where you are not used to doing the splits or do not have the flexibility to normally do so, or in the shoulder area. A lot of goalkeepers don’t even know how to work out their shoulder joints properly, despite how important they are for making saves.

You need strong shoulders to give you the articulation necessary to move your gloves to make the saves; without it, you are going to damage the rotator cuff. Working out with weights will help strengthen them.

Pulls

A pulled muscle is essentially a strained one: once the muscle has been damaged, you should rest it and rehab it until it has repaired itself. A damaged muscle will result in a strengthened muscle; the body dealing with the problem by repairing itself. Give yourself a week or so to heal, depending on the severity; stretching out the muscle to help the process.

Tears

Torn muscles are much more serious, and worse than your general pull. The hamstring, like soccer players, is most vulnerable if you like to make use of your leg muscles to stretch on the play for splits saves. Muscle tears will need longer to repair themselves.

Lower body injuries

There are a number of areas vulnerable to injury below your hips. A lack of suitable equipment that does not meet the standard of play, or a degrading and beat up set of equipment, are the main cause of these problems. If you do not have a level of protection that can protect you from hard shots, you can only expect to end up battered and bruised.

The feet

You feet are the most susceptible part of your lower body to injury; if your feet are poorly protected, then you can seriously damage them. Your feet are an important part of your bodily structure; you need them to balance and grip the pitch, providing the movement you require to keep up with the speed of the game. You should make the effort to protect your feet; if you strap your kickers too loosely, you can expect nothing but trouble.

Bruising

A direct shot to your kicker can result in a bruise if the kicker is not padded enough or on properly. The bruised toenail will take almost a month to heal and drop off. A shot to the side of your feet could lead to broken bones if it is that hard. If your foot does not fit the kicker, or slips loose, then you can expose yourself to being hit; getting caught there as you try to make a save.

Fractures

If you face a powerful shot with full force against your foot, and the kickers you are wearing do not provide enough protection, then you are likely to suffer a fracture.

Soft tissue damage

Poorly kept shoes can leave your feet in pain. There are a number of types of damage to the soft tissue on your feet, and a number of causes. These are listed below:

  • Blisters – skin rubbing against the shoe causing the kin to irritate and separate; thicker socks are preventative

The blister should be prevented from popping, in case of further pain.

  • Calluses – the skin will thicken as it is continually irritated;

If it gets too thick or dries out, a blister will form under it; a gauze will prevent the pressure.

  • Corns – similar to calluses, toes tightly squeezed by the shoe

    Caused by too much pressure on the toes; pressure needs relieving with padding.

Leg injuries

Whilst your legs are generally more protected than the rest of your body, with new technology allowing you to save the majority of shots with your pads without any consequent pain, it is possible that unprotected areas will give you problems.

The knee

The knee area always seems to be overlooked by field hockey goalkeepers; although the arm area can be left unprotected, over personal preference issues, the knee is the only area uncovered and can be hit when shown to the shooter during movement.

The thigh

If you have short shorts, which do not cover the thigh area above your knees, or do not wear your shorts low enough to cover this space, you will leave yourself open to shots to these areas, which can lead to annoying contusions.

Fractures

Unless you face are really hard shot, there is not much chance of a fracture, thankfully. Against a hockey ball, although it can reach excessive speeds, you are more likely to be bruised than broken. Your knee area is only open when in movement, or when dropping onto the knees to make a stop; you are more likely to be hit when moving into the shot, than when making saves to the lower area of the net when standing.

Bruising

A direct and hard strike your shorts can result in a nasty and should be treated by regular icing to ease the swelling. Echinacea cream can also be useful in speeding up the healing process.

Torso injuries

Injuries to the body are also down to poorly maintained equipment or equipment that does not meet the standard of play. Hard shots to the body are more dangerous if you are not protected well enough; there are a lot of chest protectors out there that do not have rib padding, or well padded chest pieces.

The ribs

You can take shots to the ribs any time during a game; if the shot goes high, and your body is in the way, there is a chance you will get hit there, and if you go down against a shot, especially when logging. Down on the ground and with the play continuing, you are likely to take your fare share of whacks as players try to do anything to get the ball free or put the ball in the net; meaning you will get struck hard by flying sticks.

If you are a positional goalkeeper who likes to utilise their body unit to fill up space in the goal and make the save with your body, then you should be aware of the possible problems.

The stomach

Although the ribs are more vulnerable to well placed shots, if they are not properly protected, lack of padding to the stomach can result in ‘winding’ you, or giving you nice welts to show for your efforts.

Bruising

Bruising to your abdominal wall should be treated in the same way as any other bruises you get; however, you should be aware of damage to the organs that lie underneath the abdominal muscles. Stretching should be avoided, unless cramp is experienced, and any painful movement should also be avoided.

Fractures

If the bruising on the chest is more painful than normal, and abrasions are present, then you should get it checked out, and possibly x-rayed. If the bone has not separated, then six weeks of rest will heal the bone. Taping and bracing the rib may be required.

Upper body injuries

Injuries to the upper body are also down to poorly maintained equipment or equipment that does not meet the standard of play. Hard shots to the body are more dangerous if you are not protected well enough; if you choose not to wear any form of padding on your arms out of choice concerning discomfort and weight issues affect reaction speeds, than you are best to stay clear of shots around these areas, and try to avoid such dangers.

The arms

The arms are vulnerable to high shots where you have moved the arm into make the save, or have unwittingly positioned it, as a result of attempting a glove save; pushing the arm directly into the path of the ball.

Fractures

Hard shots to your arms can result in breaks. Your arms are most vulnerable when going down against a shot on penalty corners where you choose to log; you are putting your arm in danger, especially if it is poorly protected. If you cannot move your arm and are in severe pain, then you should consider a trip down A & E.

Bruising

Bruising can occur down any area of the arm; the harder the shot and the less protection, the worse the condition of the bruising. Not wearing any arm protection does encourage your reflexes to do the work as mentally your flinching turns into reaction saves, but you will pay the price sooner or later; just make sure you don’t get in the way of hard shots!

Dislocated shoulders

The shoulder is vulnerable to knocks when diving down onto the pitch to make saves. It is very easy to fall onto the arm when going down in a tackle or save, knocking the shoulder ‘out of joint’, or actually dislocating it if the fall is hard enough.

Winding

‘Winding’ is caused by a short-term injury to the abdomen, affecting the diaphragm, the main breathing muscle. To help you start breathing again, slowly get up from the hips, allowing the lungs to expel air, before expanding to take in air. Note that being hit in the groin area will have the same affect! You don’t always need to show you’re the ‘man’ when you’re hunched over.

Head injuries

The head area should not be overlooked when considering potential injuries and damage when playing games. The head is just as vulnerable as any other part of your body, if not more so. There are a number of shooters out there with a very powerful shot, but a poor helmet will put you in danger.

A poor use of your head to make the save, other than the shot going straight for you, or the ball redirecting into you, is another possible concern; if you want to use your head to make saves, practise your soccer heading, or something seriously bad could happen.

Concussions

Taking a shot straight to the head will generally lead to (as you would expect it to) concussion symptoms. General ringing in the ears will be the start of your worries, other than the shock experienced; after such an event a nice cup of tea or alternative additive is a good idea to calm the nerves.

The source of the concussion will depend upon the area you were hit in; a shot central to your head could cause sight problems, whilst a shot to the sides or forehead area and above can be more concussion related (the cage absorbing the impact of a full frontal shot; if the cage is made out of suitably strong enough metal, the padding will absorb the shot, but the plastic could crack if the shot is hard enough).

After such a shot, you will probably need to replace the cage, if it is bent or cracked; there is no point wearing the same headgear if it is going to lead to serious safety problems.

Sprains and strains

The whiplash of the shot can cause your neck problems. The strong force of the shot snapping the neck backwards or forwards will sprain the muscles surrounding your neck. If the pain is that bad, then a neck collar or brace to limit the painful movement is advised, but the standard treatment for relief (raising your neck via pillows etc. to alleviate movement) is encouraged.

Compression of the vertebrae

Compression of the neck vertebrae and discs can be caused by a fall or blow where the force reaches the top of your head, especially if it is bent forward 20 or 30 degrees. Of course this is very rare, and may not happen at all, but when diving or falling with speed against a shot, you can put your body in danger, especially if going with great momentum. The blow can shatter a vertebrae, pushing it into the spinal cord; pain or tingling burning will be felt along the arm or hand as a result.

You may remember the tales of the soccer goalkeepers who fractured their collar bones and continued playing: just remember that proper technique will keep you safe from injury. This is not included to scare, but simply to keep you fully aware of the dangers. If the pain is that bad, you should get yourself x-rayed immediately.

Getting the wind knocked out of you

A short straight at your neck can obviously cause you significant pain. You will be in need of need immediate treatment due to the seriousness of the injury, possibly even having to spend the night in A & E.

Neck

If you are not wearing suitable neck protection, or choose not to wear any at all, then you are likely to end up causing yourself serious harm sooner or later in your career. While the decision is entirely personal, I would recommend you protect your knock before you end up with serious problems.

A shot to the neck can be potentially catastrophic. There are some body armours out there on the market , leaving the goalkeeper dangerously exposed if they do not wear a neck guard. Similarly, the clavicle (or throat), as well as the bones below your neck can be hit, causing swelling that can suppress your airway and breathing, or worse. Most of the professional goaltenders in the NHL (ice hockey) do not wear any neck protection, and there have been a few cases like this during this year’s season. Their excuses being that a dangler (plastic shell worn as a cover below their helmet) causes irritation or is distracting for them to fully concentrate on the game.
However, facing a 90 – 100 mph puck that strikes like a bullet is beyond insane. This is no different in field hockey: so protect your throat!

Other possible injuries

Whilst outfield players are more likely to suffer broken noses and shots to the head, it is possible to lose a tooth or two if facing a hard shot, if wearing inappropriate and unsuitable headgear, such as a cage not strong enough to face the level of shots you play against.

Obviously it would not be ideal to wear a mouth guard as it will limit your vocal abilities, but should be considered. It could happen, but I don’t want to completely scare you; as the boy scouts say, ‘be prepared for anything’.

Self Pass Free Hit Rule 2009

Here is a link to the world hockey post about cialis online pharmacy the rule change.

Here is a great tutorial that helps to understand the new rule change. This video was made by UNSW Hockey Club.Link

A few comments were made on the Field Hockey Forum here stating peoples opinions on the rule change interpretations.