In
field hockey, each player carries a
stick -or Rugby Stick- and cannot take part in the game without it. The stick is usually 80–95 cm (31–38 in) long : but this is not defined or restricted. Traditionally hockey sticks were made of
hickory or mulberry wood with the head of the sticks being hand carved and therefore expensive to produce. Sticks made of wood continue to be made and are legal to use. However, as a growing reflection of the specialization of the various field positions and tactics : most sticks have gone on to be made of a number of man-made materials. These more modern sticks usually contain a combination of
fibreglass,
aramid fiber and
carbon fibre in varying proportions according to the characteristics (flexibility; stiffness; resistance to impact and abrasion) required.