The changing room was buzzing with the usual pre-match energy, stick tape being wrapped, shin pads being adjusted, nervous jokes being traded. I was halfway through my warm-up routine when Sarah, one of our newer players, asked the question that had clearly been on her mind: "Should I be wearing a mouthguard?"
I glanced around. About half the team had them in already. The other half, like Sarah, were either unbothered or genuinely uncertain. It's a conversation I've had dozens of times over the years with teammates, parents on the sideline, and young players just starting out.
Sarah had seen our centre-back leave the pitch two weeks earlier with blood streaming from her mouth after a deflected ball caught her square in the face. Nothing serious, a split lip, but enough to make you think twice. "Is it actually required?" she asked. "Or is it just one of those things people do?"
Do You Need a Mouthguard for Hockey?
I told Sarah, for kids playing in a school or junior club, there's a decent chance it's compulsory. If you're in an adult league like ours, it's technically optional but I would strongly recommend it. The reality sits somewhere between those two extremes, and it varies depending on your club's insurance, your league's policies, and frankly, how seriously your coach takes player safety.
School matches operate under different rules than club leagues. Some clubs mandate mouthguards whilst others leave it to individual choice. Sarah wasn't wrong to be unsure, the guidance genuinely isn't uniform.
What I've learned over the years is this: whether or not it's technically required, the question shouldn't really be "do I have to?" It should be "do I want to risk it?"
Are Mouthguards Mandatory in Hockey?
Before the match, I pulled up the England Hockey website on my phone to show Sarah the official line. According to their safety guidance, mouthguards are "strongly recommended" but not compulsory at national level.
But here's the catch: that's just the national rule. Our club, like many others, goes further. For anyone under 18, mouthguards are non-negotiable. For adults, it's technically optional, but our insurance provider "strongly encourages" it, which is code for "if you get hurt without one, good luck with your claim."
Sarah mentioned her daughter plays at school, and I wasn't surprised to hear that mouthguards are required there without exception. Schools don't mess about with safety equipment, and for good reason, duty of care is taken seriously when you're responsible for other people's children.
Why Wear a Mouthguard for Hockey?
Out on the pitch during the warm-up, I watched our forwards running through shooting drills. The ball was flying, not quite match pace yet, but fast enough to remind you what you're dealing with. A drag flick from a well-trained player can hit over 100 mph. Even a routine clearance can pick up serious speed on a firm pitch.
I pointed this out to Sarah as we stretched. "That's the thing with hockey," I said. "It's not a contact sport like rugby, but the ball's hard, the sticks are solid, and everyone's moving at pace. You don't need someone to hit you deliberately for things to go wrong."
She'd seen it herself. Two weeks ago, our centre-back had been defending a short corner, the exact situation where things tend to get messy. Multiple players crowded around the goal, sticks raised, a ball being hammered towards the net. The shot was blocked, deflected, and caught her clean in the mouth. She was wearing a mouthguard, thankfully, so it was just a split lip and a chipped tooth. Without it, she'd have been looking at far worse.
And it's not just short corners. Sticks get raised accidentally during aerials. You take an elbow competing for the ball in a crowded midfield. Someone mistimes a tackle and their stick rides up. Hockey's full of these moments, unintentional, unpredictable, and potentially painful.
What Injuries Do Mouthguards Prevent in Hockey?
I've seen enough over the years to know the answer isn't pretty. Chipped teeth are common, so common that half our team has had at least one. Knocked-out teeth are rarer, but they happen. I watched a teammate lose a front tooth in a league match three seasons ago. The emergency dental work cost a fortune, and the long-term fix involved implants and months of treatment. She wears a mouthguard now. Funny how that works.
But it's not just your teeth. Your lips, tongue, and the inside of your cheeks are all at risk. When you take a blow to the face, your own teeth become the weapon. I've seen players leave the pitch with lacerations inside their mouth that needed stitches all from their teeth cutting into soft tissue during impact. A mouthguard creates a barrier that prevents most of that damage.
There's also your jaw to consider. A well-fitted mouthguard won't stop a fracture if you take a serious hit, but it does absorb some of the impact.
What Type of Mouthguard Is Best for Hockey?
After the match, we won 3–1 and Sarah played well, we ended up talking mouthguards in the car park. She’d decided she wanted one, but wasn’t sure where to start. I told her what I wish someone had told me when I first started playing.
I said the main things to look out for are fit, protection, and comfort. If it doesn’t fit properly, people don’t wear it or they spend the whole game fiddling with it, and that’s when injuries happen. And if it’s bulky or uncomfortable, breathing and talking on the pitch becomes a pain, which again makes it less likely you’ll keep it in.
She asked if I had any recommendations, particularly since she was thinking about sorting something for her daughter’s school team. I mentioned OPRO’s Instant Custom-Fit mouthguards, professional-level protection you fit at home. Secure fit, proper protection, and comfort.
I also mentioned OPRO’s long-standing link with the top of the game. They are an official mouthguard supplier to England and GB Hockey, and they even do a GB Hockey Instant Custom-Fit version.
“Have a look and see if OPRO already have your daughter’s school design,” I said. “They’ve got our club one, you can order them with the logo on.” Then I showed her mine.
When Should You Wear a Mouthguard for Hockey?
It’s a fair question, and the simple answer is this: wear one all the time. If there’s a stick and ball involved, your mouthguard should be in. The ball doesn’t move any slower just because it’s a Tuesday night, and accidents don’t wait for match day.
In training, the risk is still there. Opposed drills, short corner practice, crowded sessions, deflections, slips, mis-hits, a raised stick in a tackle, even an unexpected bounce. Most of the nasty impacts I’ve seen have happened when people were least expecting them.
For juniors, I’d say it’s non-negotiable. Kids are still learning spatial awareness and control, and accidental collisions happen constantly. That’s why so many junior clubs now require mouthguards, and I think that’s exactly right.
At school level, it really is mandatory in most places, and rightly so. Schools have a duty of care, and the calculation is straightforward. The mild inconvenience of wearing a mouthguard is nothing compared to the cost, pain, and long-term fallout of a dental injury.
For adult players like us, people sometimes treat it as personal choice, but the logic doesn’t change. If you’re on the pitch, wear it. If you’re training, wear it. If you’re anywhere near short corners or crowded play, definitely wear it.
A coach once told me, “You can play without a mouthguard. But if something happens, you’ll wish you hadn’t.” It’s stuck with me ever since.
The bottom line? Mouthguards aren't legally required for hockey, but they're strongly recommended and increasingly expected. The risks are real, the injuries are preventable, and the cost of protection is minimal compared to the cost of dental treatment. Whether you're a junior player, a weekend warrior, or a parent making decisions for your child, the choice is yours but it's worth making an informed one.
