A submerged team sport in which snorkellers push a heavy puck across a pool floor using short curved hockey sticks.
Origin and rules
Underwater hockey was invented in 1954 by Alan Blake of the British Sub-Aqua Club to keep divers fit through winter. Originally called Octopush, it spread to Australia, South Africa, and the Americas through the 1960s.
How it plays
Two teams of six push a 1.3-kilogram lead puck along the bottom of a 2- to 4-metre-deep pool, trying to score in a long trough goal at the opposing end. Players breath-hold dive and surface to snorkel for air, with substitutes constantly cycling on.
Competition
The CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championships, the Asia Pacific Tournament, and the European Championship anchor the calendar. Australia, New Zealand, France, Colombia, and Turkey are leading nations. Underwater hockey features at the World Aquatic Games but not the Olympic Games.
Find more sports by letter
Underwater Hockey starts with U and ends with Y. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Underwater Hockey":