THE RED/GREEN PROJECT

Ever seen a youth ice hockey game and wonder what that octagon is doing at the yoke of the neck on the rear of the jersey?

In 1996, Kevin Stubbington of Ontario developed a program in hopes of raising awareness of the dangers of checking from behind in the game of ice hockey; the visible red stop signs on the back of player jerseys were a reminder to not hit from the rear.

As part of the Right to Right is Right initiative, we offer the following suggestions for field hockey teams to add visible reminders to their players to not tackle from the left.

1. Owing to Federation rules as to what you can have on your jersey or your person, the following suggestions are recommended only for training or practice situations.

2. Outfit your team in special training jerseys. And, for the purposes of the Right to Right initiative, put visible red stop signs on the left sleeve and visible green signals on the right sleeve to give defenders guidance as to when it is safe to tackle.

3. Manufacturers of mesh training pinnies are encouraged to engineer red and green sleeves or armholes for this initiative.

4. Using red and green rubber bands, silicone charity bracelets, sweatbands, or sleeve ties can serve the same purpose if displayed above the elbow.

5. Red tape or leg bands at the top of the left shinguard can also work.

NOTE: The Right To Right Is Right program is designed to help players, coaches, and administrators in maintaining a safe and injury-free environment for all field hockey participants. However, participants in any sport should be aware of the inherent risk of injury.