Watching the Olympic Games 2012: Hockey

How it works There are 12 teams in each of the men's and women's competitions. They are split into two groups of six, with the top two in each qualifying for the semi-finals Who's hot Germany and the Netherlands are reigning men's and women's champions but both were pipped in 2010 World Cup finals by their great rivals, Australia and Argentina. Expect those four to be the teams to beat in their respective competitions Home hopes With three bronzes in 2010 – the Champions' Trophy, World Cup and Commonwealth Games – Britain's women should go close with the home crowd behind them while an experienced men's side, for whom Richard Mantell has 99 caps, will be able to draw on the 2009 EuroHockey Nations Championship victory over Germany for inspiration The road to London Jun–Jul 2011 Rabo FIH Champions Trophy (women), Amsterdam Aug 2011 EuroHockey Nations Championships, Mönchengladbach May 2012 Four Nations Invitational Olympic Test Event, Olympic Park The stage The Hockey Centre, a temporary venue that will also host Paralympic five-a-side football before taking up permanent residence as a 3,000-seat arena in the northernmost part of the Olympic Park What they say "For the first time ever we're training as Team GB not England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, for a whole four-year cycle" Crista Cullen, GB women's full-back Did you know? Men's hockey was adopted as an Olympic sport for the 1908 Games, but the women's debut came 72 years later in the 1980 Moscow Games Competition dates 29 Jul–11 Aug 2012 Ticket prices Preliminary group stages £20-£65 Semi-finals £30-£95, final £45-£150 Tempted to be there? Sign up now You can apply for Olympic tickets until 26 April. Visit www.tickets.london2012.com The application process for tickets for the Paralympic Games will begin on 9 September 2011 and tickets for the London 2012 Festival (part of the Cultural Olympiad) in October 2011.