The EuroHockey Nations Championship is an international men's and women's field hockey

Field hockey

Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

 competition organised by the European Hockey Federation

European Hockey Federation

The European Hockey Federation is an European sports federation for field hockey, based in Dublin, Ireland. It is the umbrella organisation for all European national federations and organises the Euro Hockey League...

 (EHF) for the top eight European

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 national teams. It is the top division of the EuroHockey Nations Championships. The tournament started in 1970 as a competition for national men's teams, then a women's competition was added in 1980, and a junior competition some time after that. The competition is now held once every two years, whereas prior to 2003 it was once every four years. When the tournament is held close to the Summer Olympic games

Field hockey at the Summer Olympics

Field hockey was introduced at the Summer Olympic Games as a men's competition at the 1908 Games in London, with six teams, including four from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....

 or the Hockey World Cup

Hockey World Cup

The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...

, the winner and runner-up of the tournament are awarded a place in those competitions.

The 2011 competition will be held in Mönchengladbach

Mönchengladbach

Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 from August 20–28, 2011.

Format

The tournament is played in Divisions normally consisting of 8 teams. The top division, containing the eight best national teams, is called the EuroHockey Nations Championship, below which there is the EuroHockey Nations Trophy

EuroHockey Nations Trophy

The EuroHockey Nations Trophy is a competition for European field hockey national teams. There exist Trophies for outdoor as well as indoor hockey and for both men and women. In every cases it is a kind of B-European Championship. Underneath the Trophies there exist at least one division of the...

, then the EuroHockey Nations Challenge 1

EuroHockey Nations Challenge

The EuroHockey Nations Challenge is a competition for european field hockey national teams. There exist Challenges for outdoor as well as indoor hockey and for both men and women. In every cases it is a kind of C-European Championship...

, then the EuroHockey Nations Challenge 2, and so on.

Qualification

National teams qualify for a division based on their performance in the previous competition. Each time the competition is held, it is with each division's previous top two teams promoted (assuming there is a higher division), and its previous bottom two teams demoted (assuming there is a lower division).

Summary

Assuming divisions consisting of the standard 8 teams, the teams are separated into two pools of four teams. In each pool (pool A and B) the teams play one match against each of the other teams in their pool (three in total). The teams then go on to play classification matches based on their relative ranking from these pool matches to determine their final tournament position.

Details

In each pool, A and B, all the teams play each other once, with points awarded as follows:

• 3 points for a win
• 1 point for a draw
• 0 points for a loss

Upon completion of these matches, each team in the pool is ranked according to the number of points each has accumulated. If any teams in the pool have the same rank, then these teams are ranked:

• According to the number of matches they won, or else, if equal
• According to respective goal difference ('goals for' less 'goals against'), or else
• According to 'goals for', or else
• If only two teams are involved, according to the result of the match played between those teams, or else
• According to the results of a penalty stroke competition between those teams, or else
• This procedure is repeated using the penalty stroke result until the teams can be ranked

Once the relative ranking of the teams in pools A and B is settled, the semi-finals proceed with two games as follows:

• Second Pool A v first Pool B
• First Pool A v Second Pool B

The winners of these matches then play a match against each other for 1st and 2nd places (the final) and the losing teams play a match against each other for 3rd and 4th places (Bronze medal match).

The third and fourth placed teams in each pool are placed in Pool C (the Relegation Pool) in order to determine fifth to eighth places. Each team plays one match against the two teams that they did not previously play. The results from those games and from the game that was previously played against the other team in their original pool are used to rank each team according to the ranking procedure used in Pool A and B.

Dates

The senior (men's and women's) Nations tournaments are held over seven to eight consecutive days (including rest days) some time during the last two weeks of July and the first four weeks of August every odd numbered year (2009, 2011, etc.).

Summaries

Year	Host	Final			Third Place Playoff
		Winner	Score	Runner-up	Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
1970	Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...		3–1			2–1
1974	Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...		1–0			4–1
1978	Hannover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... , West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....		3–2			2–0
1983	Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...		2–2 (8–6) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			3–1
1987	Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....		1–1 (3–0) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			3–2 after extra time
1991	Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...		3–1			1–1 (3–2) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
1995	Dublin, Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...		2–2 (9–8) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			2–1
1999	Padua, Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...		3–3 (8–7) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			7–2
2003	Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...		1–1 (5–4) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			1–1 (6–5) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
2005	Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...		4–2			9–1
2007 Details 2007 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2007 EuroHockey Nations Championship for men is the 11th edition of EuroHockey Nations Championship. It was held in Manchester, England from August 19 to August 26, 2007...	Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...		3–2			4–3
2009 Details 2009 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship -Semifinals:-----Third and fourth place:-Final:...	Amstelveen Amstelveen ' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...		5–3			6–1
2011 Details 2011 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2011 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the 13th edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for men. It was held from August 20 to August 28, 2011 in Mönchengladbach, Germany....	Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...		4–2			2–1

Top four statistics

Team	Champions	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place
#	7 (1970, 1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011*)	2 (1974, 2009)	3 (1983, 1987, 2005)	1 (2007)
	3 (1983, 1987, 2007)	7 (1970, 1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2011)	2 (1974, 2009)	1 (2003)
	2 (1974, 2005)	2 (2003, 2007)	1 (1970)	3 (1978, 1983, 2009)
	1 (2009)	1 (1987)	6 (1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011)	1 (1974)
		1 (1983)		2 (1987, 1991)
			1 (2007)	4 (1995, 1999, 2005, 2011)
				1 (1970)

# = include West Germany

Summaries

Year	Host	Final			Third Place
		Winner	Score	Runner-up	Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
1984 Details 1984 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 1984 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the first edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women, organised by the European Hockey Federation. It was held in Lille, France from May 3 to May 13, 1984...	Lille Lille Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...		2–0			1–0
1987 Details 1987 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 1987 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the second edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held at the Picketts Lock Centre in London, United Kingdom from 3 to 13 September 1987...	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...		2–2 (3–1) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			2–1
1991 Details 1991 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 1991 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the third edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held in Brussels, Belgium from May 1 to May 10, 1991...	Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...		2–1			3–2
1995 Details 1995 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 1995 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the fourth edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held in Amstelveen, Netherlands from June 14 to June 25, 1995...	Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...		2–2 (4–1) on penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...			1–0
1999 Details 1999 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 1999 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the fifth edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held in Cologne, Germany from August 18 to August 29, 1999...	Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...		2–1			5–0
2003 Details	Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...		5–0			3–1
2005 Details	Dublin, Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...		2–1			4–0
2007 Details 2007 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2007 EuroHockey Nations Championship for women is the 8th edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held in Manchester, England from August 18 to August 25, 2007.In the final, Germany upset Netherlands to clinch the first title...	Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...		2–0			3–2
2009 Details 2009 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2009 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship is the 9th edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It will be held from August 22 to August 29, 2009 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-Pool A:---------------------Pool B:----...	Amstelveen Amstelveen ' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...		3–2			2–1
2011 Details 2011 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2011 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the 10th edition of the EuroHockey Nations Championship for women. It was held from August 20 to August 27, 2011 in Mönchengladbach, Germany....	Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...		3–0			2–1

Top four statistics

Team	Champions	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place
	8 (1984, 1987, 1995*, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009*, 2011)	1 (2007)		1 (1991)
#	1 (2007)	5 (1991, 1999*, 2005, 2009, 2011*)	3 (1984, 1995, 2003)	1 (1987)
	1 (1991)	1 (1987*)	5 (1999, 2005, 2007*, 2009, 2011)	3 (1984, 1995, 2003)
		2 (1995, 2003*)		4 (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011)
		1 (1984)	2 (1987, 1991)
				1 (1999)

# = include West Germany

* = host

Further reading

• European Hockey Federation – Regulations for EuroHockey Nations Championships