This Youth Olympics marked the debut of Hockey 5s, a 5-a-side tournament that is played on a smaller field size.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter a maximum of 2 teams of 9 athletes, 1 per each gender.

As hosts, China chose to compete in the girls' tournament and therefore took one of the two available Asian spots.

[2] To be eligible to participate at the Youth Olympics, athletes must have been born between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1999.

[2] The schedule was released by the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee.