A new penalty corner rule is set to be tested by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) at the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy 2023.
The competition is set to kick-off in Chennai, India on August 3. Six Asian teams including India, Pakistan, Japan and South Korea are taking part in the competition.
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Over the next 10 months starting the Asian Champions Trophy, FIH will try out the new penalty corner, which if implemented permanently will mark the end of drag flicks in Hockey.
The idea behind bringing in the new rule is to reduce the risk of injuries to players who come charging out of their line while a dragflick is taken at roughly 150 kmph.
What is the new penalty corner rule in Hockey?
As per the proposed new rule of the penalty corner, all attackers except the pusher at the backline must start at least 5 metres outside the striking circle (‘D’).
The ball has to travel outside the 5 metre dotted line, beyond the ‘D’, before it can be played back into the ‘D’ for a shot on goal, and give defenders more time to react to situations.
In the new rule, the defenders will not be allowed to wear their protective gear anymore.
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Why are FIH implementing the new rule?
FIH considered the following reasons before deciding to bring the change in rules.
- To ‘reduce the danger by removing the direct shot and therefore no need for defenders to run towards an attacker shooting at goal.
- Putting emphasis on “overload of players… rather than straight strike of goals”, claiming it is “more similar to normal hockey play”.
- Removing the need for protective gear, which it claims has been an entry-level barrier due to cost, while at the same time, ensuring ‘safe appearance’ of hockey.
- Speeding up the game by reducing the time allowed for a team to set up for a penalty corner from 40 seconds to 20.
Will the new rule be implemented permanently?
For the coming 10 months, FIH will urge the various national federations to try out the new rule in domestic as well as small-scale international tournaments.
At the end of the testing period, FIH will evaluate the pros and cons of the rule before taking a call on whether it will be feasible to implement the new rule.
The new rule is unlikely to be permanently implemented before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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