Is Hockey an Olympic Sport? Ice Hockey and Field Hockey Explained

Yes—hockey is an Olympic sport, but the answer depends on which kind of hockey you mean. Ice hockey is played at the Winter Olympics, while field hockey is part of the Summer Olympics. Other versions, including inline hockey and bandy, do not currently have the same Olympic status.

Is ice hockey an Olympic sport?

Ice hockey is one of the best-known Winter Olympic sports. The competition features men’s and women’s tournaments, with national teams playing on an ice rink under international rules.

Men’s ice hockey first appeared at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, where it was held as part of the Summer Olympics because the Winter Games had not yet been established. When the first Winter Olympics took place in 1924, ice hockey moved to that setting and has remained associated with the Winter Games.

Women’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport much later. The women’s tournament was introduced at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Since then, women’s Olympic ice hockey has become a major international competition alongside the men’s event.

The format is familiar to fans of international ice hockey: teams attempt to score by sending the puck into the opposing goal, with players using sticks, protective equipment and ice skates. Olympic games are governed by the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation, although tournament formats and eligibility rules can change between editions.

Is field hockey an Olympic sport?

Field hockey is also an Olympic sport, but it belongs to the Summer Olympics rather than the Winter Games. It is played on a synthetic outdoor or indoor-style pitch, usually with 11 players per team, and uses a hard ball instead of a puck.

Men’s field hockey appeared at the 1908 London Olympics. After several changes to its Olympic presence, it returned as a regular men’s event at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam. Women’s field hockey was added to the Olympic program at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In field hockey, players use the flat side of a curved stick to control and strike the ball. Goals generally count only when the ball is played from inside the shooting circle, which creates a very different tactical contest from ice hockey. Speed, passing angles, penalty corners and defensive positioning are central to the sport.

Which types of hockey are in the Olympics?

The two Olympic hockey disciplines are:

• Ice hockey: played at the Winter Olympics by men’s and women’s national teams.
• Field hockey: played at the Summer Olympics by men’s and women’s national teams.

Inline hockey is not currently an Olympic medal sport, despite sharing some rules and equipment with ice hockey. Bandy, which uses a ball on a large ice field, is not part of the standard Olympic program either. The word “hockey” therefore needs a little context when someone asks whether it is an Olympic event.

How are Olympic hockey tournaments organized?

Olympic hockey tournaments bring together teams that qualify through international rankings, qualification competitions and host-nation provisions. The exact number of teams, group structure and qualification route can vary by sport and by Games.

Both ice hockey and field hockey award medals in men’s and women’s competitions. The tournaments usually begin with group-stage matches before moving into knockout rounds. A close game can be decided by overtime, a shootout in ice hockey or penalty shootouts in field hockey, depending on the rules of the competition.

Common questions about Olympic hockey

Is hockey played in the Summer Olympics?

Yes. Field hockey is played in the Summer Olympics. Ice hockey is played in the Winter Olympics.

Is women’s hockey in the Olympics?

Yes. Women’s field hockey has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1980, and women’s ice hockey has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1998.

Is NHL hockey the same as Olympic ice hockey?

The basic sport is the same, but Olympic ice hockey uses international competition rules and eligibility policies. NHL players may or may not be available for a particular Olympic tournament, depending on agreements and regulations in force at the time.

Is field hockey the same as ice hockey?

No. They share the word “hockey” and some broad objectives, but they use different playing surfaces, equipment, balls or pucks, team structures and rules.