ROURKELA: Penalty corners are one of the most appealing parts of a hockey game. But penalty corners (PC) called drag-flicks, often triggered at speeds over 150 km/h, can also lead to serious injuries for defenders who rush towards the player performing the drag-flick or stay in the line of fire. . The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is looking for ways to add a layer or two of safety to those set pieces.
The new FIH President, Tayab Ikrammet the media in Rourkela on Sunday on the sidelines of the ongoing men’s competition hockey world cup to Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium and shared his perspective on the matter.
Ikram said reviewing player safety during PCs is an ongoing process and the FIH will also “begin experiments”.
“It is currently being studied,” said the FIH boss. “The first thing, which is the priority for us, is the safety of the athletes. “We are working on it. We’re also going to run experiments for that.”
The first of these experiments was tested at the 2021 Junior Men’s World Cup, when players were allowed to keep their penalty corner defensive gear on, as long as the ball was in play and inside the line. of 23 meters.
“Rule 4.2 has been changed to allow defending players using penalty corner protection equipment to continue playing the ball outside the circle after an interception when taking a penalty corner. Players can now continue to run with the ball while keeping their protective equipment on. but they must remove this same equipment immediately afterwards, at the first opportunity to do so, and always within the 23m area”, said the FIH sporting director , Jon Wyatt, in January of last year.
“This was introduced to protect athlete safety so the focus can be on the ball and the game, not the removal of protective gear during a defensive situation under pressure,” added Wyatt. .
In May last year, the FIH also launched a consultation campaign called ‘Future of Penalty Corner’ inviting the various sports stakeholders to participate and give their views on how player safety can be improved during the PCs.
“The main thing is the high intensity and the speed of the ball, mainly the skill developed in drag-flick and the speed it produces,” Ikram told media in Rourkela. “We are not going to reduce the speed but try to coach (methods) to give the defenders a little more time to react.”
In addition to the drag-flick, FIH safety concerns also relate to shots taken in the midst of a crowd of players during a penalty corner routine. But while experiments could take place in the near future, possibly in Pro League games, the rules around penalty corners won’t change until after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The new FIH President, Tayab Ikrammet the media in Rourkela on Sunday on the sidelines of the ongoing men’s competition hockey world cup to Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium and shared his perspective on the matter.
Ikram said reviewing player safety during PCs is an ongoing process and the FIH will also “begin experiments”.
“It is currently being studied,” said the FIH boss. “The first thing, which is the priority for us, is the safety of the athletes. “We are working on it. We’re also going to run experiments for that.”
The first of these experiments was tested at the 2021 Junior Men’s World Cup, when players were allowed to keep their penalty corner defensive gear on, as long as the ball was in play and inside the line. of 23 meters.
“Rule 4.2 has been changed to allow defending players using penalty corner protection equipment to continue playing the ball outside the circle after an interception when taking a penalty corner. Players can now continue to run with the ball while keeping their protective equipment on. but they must remove this same equipment immediately afterwards, at the first opportunity to do so, and always within the 23m area”, said the FIH sporting director , Jon Wyatt, in January of last year.
“This was introduced to protect athlete safety so the focus can be on the ball and the game, not the removal of protective gear during a defensive situation under pressure,” added Wyatt. .
In May last year, the FIH also launched a consultation campaign called ‘Future of Penalty Corner’ inviting the various sports stakeholders to participate and give their views on how player safety can be improved during the PCs.
“The main thing is the high intensity and the speed of the ball, mainly the skill developed in drag-flick and the speed it produces,” Ikram told media in Rourkela. “We are not going to reduce the speed but try to coach (methods) to give the defenders a little more time to react.”
In addition to the drag-flick, FIH safety concerns also relate to shots taken in the midst of a crowd of players during a penalty corner routine. But while experiments could take place in the near future, possibly in Pro League games, the rules around penalty corners won’t change until after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
