For the 2012/13 season, the IHA have adopted a series of significant of rule changes that will impact on all levels of hockey throughout the country having previously been used at EuroHockey League and international level. Three main changes will come into effect from September 1.
Firstly, a player will now be allowed to intentionally raise the ball from a restart (a free, 16-metre free out, hit-off, sideline ball etc) but not by a hit. In other words, an aerial can be thrown directly from a dead ball with all the usual rules relating to danger applying.
Next off is the introduction of the ‘own goal’ rule across all levels of hockey. A goal can now be scored if there is any touch in the circle prior to the ball going into the goal, namely from an attacker’s stick or any intervention by a defender’s stick, foot or body or a goalkeeper’s padding. The latter method will be referred to as an ‘own goal’.
These two rules will be fully introduced across the board by the FIH on January 1 with the IHA pre-empting these changes for the new season.
The third change sees an experimental rule applied throughout all hockey in Ireland with a green card resulting in a two-minute suspension. A proposal about the management of this rule in games where a technical table is not available has been put forward to the IHA and is currently under discussion.
** If you have any queries about these rules, we have resident umpiring expert Ray O’Connor on hand to answer your questions. Also, if you have any questions arising from the recent Olympic Games and the umpire’s decision, drop us an email at hookresults@yahoo.com and we will post the answers on The Hook.
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Pembroke | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | • | Monkstown | 18 | 38 |
| 3 | • | TRR | 18 | 35 |
| 4 | • | UCD | 18 | 34 |
| 5 | • | Corinthian | 18 | 29 |
| 6 | • | Railway Union | 18 | 28 |
| 7 | • | YMCA | 18 | 24 |
| 8 | • | Glenanne | 18 | 14 |
| 9 | • | Fingal | 18 | 13 |
| 10 | • | Avoca | 18 | 2 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | UCD | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | • | Loreto | 18 | 42 |
| 3 | • | Railway Union | 18 | 40 |
| 4 | • | Hermes | 18 | 36 |
| 5 | • | Old Alex | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | • | Pembroke | 18 | 16 |
| 7 | ↑ | Glenanne | 18 | 14 |
| 8 | ↓ | Corinthian | 18 | 11 |
| 9 | • | North Kildare | 18 | 11 |
| 10 | • | Trinity College | 18 | 7 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Rathgar | 15 | 37 |
| 2 | • | Clontarf | 15 | 24 |
| 3 | • | Suttonians | 15 | 22 |
| 4 | • | Dublin University | 15 | 19 |
| 5 | • | Kilkenny | 15 | 15 |
| 6 | • | Weston | 15 | 10 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Loreto II | 18 | 44 |
| 2 | • | Pembroke II | 18 | 41 |
| 3 | • | Genesis | 18 | 32 |
| 4 | • | Old Alex II | 18 | 30 |
| 5 | • | Three Rock | 18 | 27 |
| 6 | • | Hermes II | 18 | 25 |
| 7 | • | Railway Union II | 18 | 19 |
| 8 | • | Trinity II | 18 | 13 |
| 9 | • | Bray | 18 | 10 |
| 10 | • | Newbridge | 18 | 7 |
August 22, 2012 4:29 pm
searlait says
Re: Own Goal ruling
If the ball hits an attackers foot within the circle, will a goal be rewarded?
August 22, 2012 7:14 pm
Fox Fanatics says
@ searlait Only if it is from an over head kick. A header is worth 2 goals
August 22, 2012 7:21 pm
Stephen Findlater says
@searlait – re: feet – a goal will only be awarded if it is a defender’s foot that is hit en route to goal. An attacker’s foot will remain a free out.
August 22, 2012 8:41 pm
Worried green says
As a player and an umpire on the ladies side my main worry about the green card rule is aimed here, and mostly at the lower divisions on the Ladies side.
On a weekly basis you see inexperienced and weak umpires across the divisions. Many umpires often do not know or understand many of the rules and often try to impose their power by being verbally aggressive or handing out cards for apparently no reason at all. As it stands this often leaves teams unfairly weakened and in particular in the lower divisions where fouls are more common and less intentional, the side awarded a green card will now automatically be at a disadvantage, and quite likely a lot of the time, unfairly.
Additionally, when dealing with umpires that are not quite ‘up-to-scratch’ with the rules of the game as it is, how are they meant to manage a 2 minute benching ensuring that the player is permitted back on the pitch on time and not hindering the team further?
On the flip side, I do believe the green card rule will help umpires control games once the carding is used correctly and fairly.
August 22, 2012 8:54 pm
Its not that hard says
‘Additionally, when dealing with umpires that are not quite ‘up-to-scratch’ with the rules of the game as it is, how are they meant to manage a 2 minute benching ensuring that the player is permitted back on the pitch on time and not hindering the team further?’
They will use their watch like any other umpire at all Leinster league levels.
August 22, 2012 9:16 pm
umpire says
I thought there was another rule, that of the defender breaking the line on the short corner, that they would be sent to the half way line
August 22, 2012 9:19 pm
Stephen Findlater says
@umpire – possibly, will check this in due course.
August 22, 2012 11:48 pm
player says
Is the rule of the maximum bow of a stick coming into play this year in Ireland
August 23, 2012 12:06 am
Shocked says
Will the new indoor rules also be introduced for that format… some big changes there.
August 23, 2012 8:40 am
Queso says
I guess the days of being able to “press” the defending team directly from a hit-out/sideline ball will pretty much disappear now with the entitlement to aerial directly.
I’d also expect to see a huge increase in the amount of crash balls into the D as a “hit ‘n hope” looking for any sort of deflection…
August 23, 2012 11:24 am
Confused says
Who decides which rules come in? The start of the league is only 3 weeks away for Div 1. How can the umpires and the players practice the new rules when no one can say which rules are in or not!!!!!!!
August 23, 2012 11:48 am
@Confused says
This stuff has been on the Ulster facebook page for the past couple of weeks so surely its been distributed to the umpires a while ago. As it also says “ALL Irish hockey”, surely this means “ALL Irish hockey”. Are different groups picking and choosing certain rules?
August 23, 2012 12:10 pm
Stephen Findlater says
@confused among others – The IHA have subsequently posted this which should clarify a few things: http://www.hockey.ie/news/159651/ul_p_m_t_l_ul_t_odu_t_o
August 23, 2012 1:00 pm
Fair play says
the photo seems to suggest that it will be MONKSTOWN PLAYERS ONLY who will receive the 2 minute suspension for a green card. Seems fair enough to me, but can you clarify that this indeed will be the case?
August 23, 2012 1:27 pm
mark t says
i agree with @queso. what will the situation be for a defending team when an aerial is lifted from the attacking teams 25 directly into the defending teams D. does the keeper have any rights in jumping for the ball? 5 yard rule apply?
August 23, 2012 1:36 pm
@mark t says
5 yard rule will still apply. Ball can be lifted as long as no danger. Generally if a ball is lifted into the D and there are a number of players in the area it will be dangerous as they will more than likely be less than 5 yards away.
August 23, 2012 3:15 pm
AG says
Really wish people would stop saying yards when they mean metres, they are two different measurements! So frustrating as an umpire to constantly have players claiming they were “the full five yards away”…
@confused: The new stick requirements have been in place internationally since the 2011/12 season and will apply to all levels come January 2013. As such, all sticks put on the market either this season or last season should be compliant but if you have one from the previous year with a severe bend – say, the Adidas TT10 – you might have to get a new one!
August 23, 2012 10:30 pm
Darcinator says
@AG – “So frustrating as an umpire to constantly have players claiming they were “the full five yards away”…”
Less than 45cm in the difference between 5 yards and 5 metres. Sorry to have you so upset about such small measures!
August 24, 2012 7:16 am
taboos says
If a player is awarded a green card, where the suspension is exactly 2 minutes (rather than at the discretion of the umpire, as with a yellow), is it within the power of the umpire that did not award the card to bring the player back on?
This might help to ensure the rule is administered efficiently.
August 24, 2012 7:44 am
Taking the Mike says
The problem with 5 yards and 5 metres is that some umpires think that 5 metres equates to about 9 yards.
August 24, 2012 12:19 pm
AG says
@Darcinator
Touché! Still, in practical, in-game terms, this usually results in lads standing three metres from a free hit thinking they’re far enough away. But yeah, petty enough out of me in fairness.
August 25, 2012 8:33 pm
head scratch says
Madness – can we confirm that the minimum requirement to score a goal is a defenders foot touching the ball in the circle? Terrible rule if so…
August 26, 2012 6:41 am
@headscratch says
The odds of a goal being deflected in off a defenders foot in the circle (especially if the ball is hit outside the d) are minimal.
Personally I think its a good rule change. Makes the game a little more exciting
August 26, 2012 6:45 pm
AH says
I think the own goal rule is ridiculous – why have the D at all now if a goal can be scored without an attacker touching the ball inside that area. What is it’s purpose now?
August 26, 2012 7:49 pm
secret admirer says
Great deflected own-goal scored in Monkstown pre season friendly….credit the town player for an excellent ball into the D
August 27, 2012 11:54 am
Monty says
@ AH – it still has to be touched by someone in the D, so that’s one reason to have the D there… that and short-corners
September 9, 2012 1:13 am
Ailleacht says
I umpire a lot at schoolgirls level and I think it is going to cause chaos in some/many games, especially at minor level. I only umpire girls and have noticed over the years that some schools/teams just cannot understand the touch in the circle rule. It will require some very good teacing/coaching!
The 5 metre rule is still not understood properly umpires are going to have to be very good at explaining.
Dont like the rule myself.
Some goals are going to be bombarded as a tactic especially as the game comes to a finish. The hockey equivalent of the hail mary!
Why was it introduced? Who is behind it? What is the rationale?