Chile vs. Brazil 2006 ODESUR Games  

The goalkeeper equipment has followed the same trend, becoming more and more able to resist to strength of the balls hit by these new generation sticks. Helmets have become compulsory, padding is thicker and of more shock-absorbing (after reflecting) foam material, and more areas of the body are padded. The new equipment is very expensive and is often a considerable burden for clubs or individual goalkeepers to purchase.

The composition of the hockey ball with a seam similar to a cricket ball, to a seamless, usually dimpled hard plastic ball. These plastic balls are cheaper, more durable, more consistent in their behavior, and are unaffected by water; a key requirement in water-moderated synthetic fields used in elite-level hockey.  
 

      Puerto Rico vs. NAHA 2004 Pan American Cup

Ancillary player equipment has also changed. The studded boots for grass are banned (and were in any case very uncomfortable) on synthetics,

and have been replaced with boots specially designed for synthetic turf.

Shin guards have improved padding. Many players have taken to wearing padded gloves, particularly on their left hand, both to protect against contact and allow them to scrape that hand (while holding the stick) across the synthetic turf without injury. Finally, the wearing of mouth guards to protect the teeth is now compulsory for safety in many countries.

The rules of the hockey game have widely changed. The main issues have been:

• To adapt the game to the new synthetic fields introduced in the 1980’s;
• To enhance comprehension from non-players in order to gain TV coverage.

  Germany vs. The Netherlands 2004 Athens Olympics

Some of these rules changes: 

• The FIH eliminated the offside rule (similar to offside in football) in the mid- 1990’s in order to increase scoring opportunities;
• Constant modifications of the penalty corner rules in order to minimize its importance in the game and its readability;
• Limitation of the bow of sticks in order to limit the increase use and power of drag flicks more commonly used in men’s hockey;

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