As per the rules of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), what is the total playing time of a hockey match?

Under the rules of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), a field hockey match lasts 60 minutes of playing time, divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each.

Match structure:

• Four quarters of 15 minutes each.
• A 2-minute break after the first and third quarters.
• A half-time break of 10 minutes after the second quarter.
• The clock is stopped for some events, such as when a penalty corner is awarded, so that time is not wasted while it is being set up.

History of match duration:

• For many decades, hockey matches were played as two halves of 35 minutes each (70 minutes in total).
• In 2014, the FIH changed the format to four quarters of 15 minutes (60 minutes) to make the game faster and more suitable for television.

Deciding drawn matches:

In knockout matches, if the scores are level after 60 minutes, the result is decided by a penalty shoot-out. In a hockey shoot-out, a player starts from the 23-metre line and has 8 seconds to score against the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.

Other basic hockey rules:

• Each team has 11 players on the field, and unlimited rolling substitutions are allowed.
• Only the flat side of the stick may be used to play the ball.
• Goals can be scored only from inside the shooting circle (the "D").
• Cards: green (2-minute suspension), yellow (at least 5 minutes) and red (permanent).
• The pitch measures 91.4 m x 55 m.

Why not the other options?

• ✗70 minutes was the old match duration (two halves of 35 minutes) before 2014.
• ✗80 minutes is the length of a rugby union match.
• ✗90 minutes is the length of a football match.