Twelve teams qualified for the women's field hockey at the 2020 Summer Olympics (postponed to 2021[1] due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Each of the Continental Champions from five confederations received an automatic berth. Japan as the host nation qualified automatically. In addition, the remaining six nations will be determined by an Olympic qualification event. As hosts Japan also won the Asian Games title, a seventh quota place was added to the Olympic qualification event.[2]
^1 – Japan qualified both as the hosts and the continental champions, therefore that quota is added to the FIH Olympic Qualifiers rather than going to the runners-up of the tournament.[2]
The champion of the women's field hockey tournament at the 2018 Asian Games qualifies for the Olympics. If Japan is the winner, the quota place is added to the qualification events rather than going to the runner-up.[2]
The following seven teams, shown with pre-tournament FIH World Rankings, were expected to participate in the tournament.[5] Nigeria and Uganda withdrew before the tournament.
Originally, twelve teams were to take part in the Olympic Qualifiers. These teams were to be drawn into six pairs; each pair playing a two-match, aggregate score series. The winner of each series qualified for the Olympics. As Japan won the 2018 Asian Games (thereby qualifying twice, once as host and once as Asian champions), there were 14 teams, seven of whom qualified.[2]
^ abAs two of the four FIH Pro League qualifiers had already qualified for the Olympics through their confederation's tournaments, the two FIH Pro League qualifying spots were added to the (originally four) FIH World Rankings quota.
^ abcArgentina, the Netherlands, and New Zealand already qualified directly for the 2020 Summer Olympics by winning their continental championships, so they were replaced by the highest ranked teams not already qualified.
^Japan finished in the top two and cannot qualify for the Olympic Qualifiers because they are already qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the team that finished third does not automatically qualify for the FIH Olympic qualifiers. Any such additional place is determined by the FIH World Rankings as at the completion of the continental championships.