New Hockey5s event to launch on June long weekend

The Hockey5s carnival is an exciting new Event running over the June long weekend in 2024.

The Event will take place from Saturday 8th June - Monday 10th June, 2024 at Footscray Hockey Centre.

There will be juniors, seniors and masters divisions on offer and this is a great opportunity to sample this exciting new format of Hockey. There are no HV Winter Competition Matches scheduled on this weekend.

Both Metro and Regional teams are welcome to enter, but Regional Associations should prioritise entering teams into the Senior Country Championships which is running on the same weekend. Only if they cannot get a full team together for the SCC should they consider this Event.

What is Hockey 5s?

Hockey5s incorporates all the skills and game principles of Hockey. With fewer players, less space and rebound boards on all 4 sides of the court, Hockey5s also presents a range of different tactical options to other formats. The key information is as follows:

• 4 x field players and 1 x Goalkeeper on the pitch for each team.
• Rebound boards on all 4 sides of the court (approximately 30cm high) to keep the ball in play.
• Field is approximately 40m long and 24m wide, with full sized hockey goals at both ends.
• Goals can be scored from anywhere in your attacking half of the field.

To check out some of the highlights from the Under 12 Hockey5s JSC in 2023, please use the following links.

2023 Under 12 Boys JSC Gold Medal Match Highlights

For some the key rule differences between Hockey5s and 11-a-side hockey, please click here.

How will the Event work?

The Event will be a round robin, with teams participating in multiple matches each day. It will then conclude with a classification match(es) to finalise the standings in each division. The exact number of matches and format will be finalised once team entries are received.

It should be noted that the Event may only run across Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June if team entries are not all that high.

It is anticipated that all teams will play a minimum of 5 matches across the course of the Event.

What age groups/divisions will be offered?

Open Men - A & B Grade

Open Women - A & B Grade

Masters - Men's 35+ & 45+ and Women's 35+ & 45+

Juniors - Under 14 & Under 16 Boys, Under 14 & under 16 Girls (we hope to be able to offer Shield & Pennant levels in all age groups)

Please note that the Junior divisions will be Boys ONLY and Girls ONLY divisions. In Seniors and Masters, Women will be permitted to play in the Men's divisions if they wish to.

How do I enter a team?
Get some team mates together and reach out to your club to encourage them to enter a team. The team entry guide has been released through Hock-e-comms on 7^th December, 2023. Team entries are open through until 6^th May, 2024, but pencil the Event dates into your diary now!

Can I participate if I do not have a team?
There is the opportunity to submit an individual expression of interest to participate in this Event. We will then try to match you to a team that needs further players or form a hybrid team with others that have submitted individual EOIs.

Please click this link if you want to submit an individual EOI - https://www.hockeyvictoria.org.au/events/217320/

Do you have to play for the same club as you do in the Winter Competition?
We are endeavouring to offer as much flexibility as possible for this Event. So, it will be possible to play for a club other than the one that you will play for in the 2024 season without needing to dual register. You will just need to ensure you have a 2024 HV Playing Membership with a club to participate.