Can the hockey stick be lifted above the shoulders to hit a ball?

Answer 1

Some hits can be a bit like Golf, but golf swings with hockey sticks are dangerous. A swing with a hockey stick like a golf club can easily result in the ball flying up in the air and create danger.

Answer 2

No. Use of the stick above the shoulder is explicitly banned and can be penalised quite harshly. The only exception is that a defender can use the stick above the shoulder only to deflect a shot at goal: actually hitting the ball results in a penalty stroke; using the stick above the shoulder when it is not going in results in a penalty corner.

Answer 3

The ball cannot be played, nor an attempt to play the ball made, above the shoulder's height. However, any use of the stick such as the backswing or followthrough can be any height, provided it is not a dangerous or intimidating action.

Answer 4

In all forms of hockey, the stick may not be raised above shoulder height, except that in Field Hockey it may be used thus by a defender to prevent a goal being scored.