OPINION: HOCKEY BECOMING A STICK, BALL, AND FOOT GAME

By Bruce Hamilton

BRISBANE, June 14, 1999 --- In 1832 a young man named William Webb Ellis at the Rugby School in England created the new game we now known as Rugby when he picked up the round ball and ran with it for the first time.

On 10 June 1999 in Brisbane the International Hockey Federation at the Champions Trophy for men’s and women’s hockey created a new game which may become known as foothockey or feetball or even SBF (stick ball foot) when they decided to allow the feet to be used in hockey for the first time.

On an experimental basis at this Champions Trophy in Brisbane, umpires have been told to interpret the rules governing foot/ball contact by not giving a penalty "when a ball unintentionally and insignificantly hits a foot or a leg" of a player.

This is the experimental interpretation of the Rule 13.1.2.b which says: "Players shall not intentionally stop, kick, propel, pick up, throw or the ball with any part of their bodies."

The effect of the experimental interpretation on play in the Champions Trophy has favoured defenders. Mere contact with by the ball with the foot or leg of a defender does not result in a free hit against the defender in general play nor a penalty corner where it occurs in the defenders circle

To this point most hockey people will nod sagely and agree the new interpretation is a "good thing".

However the interpretation goes further. In the past 4 days Brisbane has seen 19 games of international hockey using the new interpretation. In each game defenders have been favoured by breaking up attacking moves by with sticks, feet and leg without incurring a penalty.

Let me take you in your minds eye to the game this evening between the women’s teams from Germany and the Netherlands, an important game for both teams. Mijntje Donners of the Netherlands is carrying the ball in midfield from the half way line and is challenged on the 25-yard line of Germany by Marion Rodewald. Rodewald crouches feet apart and stick close to the turf as Donners approaches. Rodewald reaches forward with her stick extended to dispossess Donners. Donners passes through Rodewald’s legs to Karlijn Petri. The ball deflects off the stick of Rodewald on to Rodewald’s shin pads and falls in front of Rodewald and away from Donners. Rodewald controls the ball and starts a counter attack running with ball to the half way line.

No whistle. No infringement. Play on. The umpire was 5 metres away, saw the action clearly and applied the experimental interpretation of the rules exactly as the International Hockey Federation intends.

This is not an isolated incident. It must have been repeated with variations 30 times in the game by both teams.

Let me take you to another important game today between the men’s teams from Australia and the Netherlands. Another game eagerly anticipated by the players and spectators. The Netherlands have a penalty corner awarded. Jacques Brinkman strikes his hit hard, low and into the pads of Australia’s goal keeper Lachlan Dreher who has logged. The rebound comes off the foot of Jason Duff near the goal and falls to the stick of Teun de Nooijer. Mathew Wells reaches in and the ball deflects off the foot of de Nooijer to the foot of Michael York who controls and clears to the side line.

No whistle. No penalty corner to the Netherlands. No 16 yard hit to Australia. The umpire had a clear view of the play and applied the experimental interpretation as the FIH intend.

The incident has occurred in several other games in the past 4 days.

Now you ask - is it hockey or is it a game played by 22 players with 22 sticks, one ball and 44 feet which has derived from hockey.

Coaches of the top 6 men’s and women’s hockey teams in Brisbane have varied in their reactions to the experimental interpretation.

One group have taken a vocal and uncompromising stand against the experiment. Amongst this group are Jan Borren, coach of the New Zetland women’s team. At the end of the first day of competition he said: "The experimental interpretation has been taken to extremes by the umpires. It is a mistake and should be stopped immediately before this tournament continues. It is defeating the purpose of the game. It is a disaster."

Another group believes the process of implementation of the experimental interpretation is flawed. Richard Charlesworth coaches the Australian women’s team. He complained he had not been given enough time to prepare his team to play to the new interpretation of the rule as all coaches had been advised of the experiment a mere 2 days before the tournament games commenced. Charlesworth relies on the thorough preparation of his team for every eventuality and said: "We did not come to this tournament prepared for this change in interpretation of the rule."

Pakistan’s coach Zaka-Ud-Din echoed this complaint when he said: "We did not prepare the team for these new rule interpretations. We should have been informed about the new interpretations sooner."

Terry Walsh coaches the Australian men’s team. He believes it will take time for players and umpires alike to get used to the experimental rule interpretation.

"The general direction of the rule is in the right direction and the thought processes behind the change are the right thought processes", he said.

Dutch men’s coach Maurits Hendriks initially refused to comment on the experiment. He made the point that whatever changes are made are made by people who love the game of hockey. As the tournament has progressed he has said only that he fears for the game which he grew to love as a boy and added his belief administrators would listen to the coaches and players of the game when they talk about the experiment.

A small number of people have found some good in the experiment. Australia’s Michelle Andrews believes she will get out of the bad habit of putting her hand in the air to appeal for a free hit when she sees a ball touch a foot.

Sources close to the Korean men’s team believe the experiment helped their team defeat Pakistan on Sunday as the Koreans play on until they hear a whistle and the Pakistan team does not.

And so the controversy continues into the second half of the Champions Trophy tournament in Brisbane with no official comment from the International Hockey Federation.

If the experiment continues into the second half of the tournament it will be logical to expect the following to occur:

All players will buy wider, longer shin pads; To that add playing footwear with more padding; Fewer goals will be scored as fewer penalty corners will be awarded; Stress levels of umpires will rise as they are required to make more discretional decisions about whether the contact between ball and foot was deliberate and insignificant or unintentional and/or insignificant; Defenders will be advantaged over ball carriers; There is less skill in the game, anyone can kick a ball; Penetration into the circle from a free hit outside the circle will continue to be impossible with up to 20 sticks and 40 feet in the circle; Play will become more dangerous as defenders lunge in head first to make tackles knowing they do not have to worry about protecting the ball from hitting their feet.

Like William Webb Ellis, the International Hockey Federation could not have imagined what their actions have wrought nor the outpouring of emotions their actions have created.


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