Field hockey is one of the oldest sports in the world. It got its name in England in the 14th century when King Edward III issued a proclamation outlawing the practice of leisure sports. It reemerged in the post- Elizabethan British empire and in the 18th century it came to public schools. When the British Empire expanded, British soldiers brought field hockey with them.  The way we play now came  from the way British public schools would play and it expanded so much that it is now more popular than soccer and rugby.

Field hockey reached its most modern form in the 19th century. It consisted of two teams playing against each other with 11 team members on the field.

The Field Hockey association, founded in England, set rules and standards to be observed by all organized field hockey teams.

The first professional field hockey team was formed in London (1849) and called Blackheath HC. It reached its true form a few years later when Teddington HC added the striking circle to the field and changed the ball to a sphere instead of a rubber cube.

In 1908, field hockey was added to the Summer Olympics in London, but was soon dropped in 1924. Because of this, the Federation Internationale de Hockey sur Gazon (FIH) was created. It is the governing body for all international field hockey and is still around today.

Field hockey has come along way since its foundation. It has been changed many times, but change has allowed it to evolve into the popular sport it is today.