A female field hocker player in Massachusetts suffered “significant” injuries after a ball struck by a male opponent hit her in the face.

The player, whose identity has not been revealed, “sustained significant facial and dental injuries,” said Bill Runey, the superintendent of Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, in a statement obtained by the Sun Chronicle Friday. “The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott field hockey team.”

A senior Swampscott male player, believed to be named Sawyer Groothuis, struck the ball, sending it hurtling into the face of the unnamed female athlete, a senior Dighton-Rehoboth player, the Chronicle reported. After the play, coaches ran out to the field to give medical attention to the girl, who could be heard screaming in pain in video of the incident posted to social media.

Under Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules, the Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment can be applied to allow male participation on female teams.

MIAA’s handbook in section 43 says, according to the Chronicle, that the association “seeks to ensure that underrepresented sexes are given an equal opportunity to participate in athletic programs. Title IX does not require schools to offer identical sports for boys and girls, but an equal opportunity to play. Thus, schools are well-advised to offer sufficient program options to boys and girls with sufficient numbers or roster spots across the various athletic seasons.”

Boys field hockey is not offered in Massachusetts, meaning that boys can compete on women’s teams, per the organization’s policy.

An Instagram account believed to belong to Sawyer Groothuis reads: “24′ SWAMP – MASS,” an abbreviation for Swampscott High School in Massachusetts. The profile also includes a Pride flag and an emoji of two men.

Runey stated that gender differences matter greatly in sports, as men are biologically more powerful and agile, facts that can threaten female competitors they come into contact with.

“Seeing the horror in the eyes of our players and coaches upon greeting their bus last night is evidence to me that there has to be a renewed approach by the MIAA to protect the safety of our athletes,” Runey said. “In years past, there were provisions in girls volleyball that, although boys could participate, they could not play on the front line because their ability to spike the ball created a higher level of risk. I have been told that those restrictions were deemed illegal and no longer exist. Athletics has come so far in the realm of safety, but the equipment and the training that our athletes are receiving in today’s day and age requires us to be more thoughtful about all of our rules and policies regarding safety.”

Runey told the Chronicle that better head protection is necessary in women’s field hockey regardless of whether male players are involved.