In an outdoor field hockey shootout, an attacker starts near the 23 metre line and has eight seconds from the starting signal to score against a goalkeeper or defending player. Five nominated players from each team take alternate attempts. If the scores remain level, further attempts decide the winner once one side leads after both teams have taken an equal number.
| Part of the shootout | FIH procedure |
|---|---|
| Opening series | Five attackers per team |
| Ball at the start | Nearest 23 metre line, opposite the goal centre |
| Time limit | Eight seconds from the starting signal |
| Unintentional defending offence | Retake by the same attacker against the same defender |
This guide uses Appendix 12 of the FIH Outdoor Tournament Regulations, November 2026, listed on the federation's official documents page when checked on 10 November. These are outdoor hockey procedures. A particular tournament's regulations determine when a shootout is needed, so a drawn match does not by itself establish that one must follow.
How does a hockey shootout start?
The team managers nominate five takers and one defending player from those listed on the Match Report, subject to eligibility restrictions. The nominated defender may also be a taker. The Technical Delegate specifies the goal and the timing method. A coin toss gives the winning team the choice of attacking first or defending first.
At the start of an attempt, the goalkeeper or defender must be on or behind the goal line between the posts. The ball is opposite the centre of the goal on the nearest 23 metre line. The attacker waits outside the 23 metre area near the ball. Those positions create the starting conditions for the contest; they are not restrictions on the direction either player may move afterwards.
The umpire starts the attempt with a whistle or signals the technical table to sound an automatic whistle linked to the stadium public address system and the clock. An official at the table starts the timing. Both players may then move in any direction. Importantly, the eight seconds run from that starting signal, rather than from the attacker's first touch.
When does the eight second attempt end?
A goal ends the attempt, as does the expiry of eight seconds. An attacking offence also ends it. The attempt finishes if the ball crosses a back line or side line, including when the defending goalkeeper intentionally plays it over the back line. There is no continuation into an ordinary attacking restart simply because time remains on the shootout clock.
An initial save that leaves the ball in play is not listed as an automatic ending. The attacker can therefore continue within the remaining time, provided no other ending condition has occurred. This follows from the regulation's list of completion events. Watch the ball, the clock and the umpire together when judging whether a second effort remains possible.
Why is a hockey shootout retaken?
An unintentional offence by the defending player, inside or outside the circle, leads to a retake by the same attacker against the same defender. An intentional defending offence, again inside or outside the circle, produces a penalty stroke. That stroke may be taken and defended by any eligible player on the Match Report, subject to the appendix's restrictions.
If play is stopped for another reason without one of the listed completion events occurring, the shootout is retaken. A retake and a penalty stroke are therefore different responses. Readers comparing the procedures can consult our penalty stroke guide and penalty corner explainer.
How does sudden death work in hockey?
The opening series need not reach all ten attempts if one team leads by more goals than its opponent has attempts remaining. If both teams finish five attempts level, the same nominated players take another series, subject to permitted replacements. Their order may change. The team that attacked first in the previous series defends first in the next.
In those later series, the winner is established as soon as one team has an extra goal after both have taken the same number of attempts. A single successful opening attempt cannot settle sudden death before the opponent has its corresponding chance. If another complete series ends level, the process continues with alternating starting teams. This differs in detail from football penalty shootouts.
Eligibility and discipline still apply. A player permanently excluded by a red card in the preceding match cannot participate. A player with a match green card or temporary yellow suspension may participate even if that period was unfinished at full time. During the shootout itself, yellow and red cards exclude a player from its remainder, while green cards are not used. Specific replacement provisions cover incapacitated attackers and defenders, and a replaced player cannot return.
