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Shot clock to debut at World League semis
Hockey players who like to take their time in getting ready for penalty corners and use it as a ploy to break the rhythm of rival teams, beware! B Shrikant reports.
Hockey players who like to take their time in getting ready for penalty corners and use it as a ploy to break the rhythm of rival teams, beware!
The international hockey federation (FIH) will on Thursday launch a new shot clock, like in basketball, that will give teams 45 seconds to get ready for a penalty corner.
In case the shot clock runs down, the team that is not ready could be penalised with the captain getting a green card and a temporary suspension.
The shot clock will be used for the first time at the international level at the eight-team FIH Hockey World League semifinals, starting at Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Thursday.
The short clock will be trialed at the event that involves top countries like hosts Netherlands, world champions Australia, Spain, India and New Zealand.
The Hockey World League semifinals is the year's biggest event, from which six teams each in the men's and women's section will qualify for next year's World Cup in Netherlands.
Rotterdam will host the first semifinal for both the men and women while London (women) and Johor, Malaysia (men) will host the other two events later this month.
Considering the importance of the tournament, the FIH has decided to act against time wasting by teams before penalty corners. It will be trialed in the subsequent semis at London (June 22-30) and Johor (June 29-July 7).
The shot clock was approved at the FIH executive board meeting in Lausanne in March this year. The 45-second clock will be visible to spectators and TV audience, and will start ticking as soon as a penalty corner is awarded.
