Radical new tournament changes game

PERTH (Australia): Australia will host an innovative international nine-a-side field hockey competition with bigger goals and shorter halves this week in an ambitious bid to revamp the sport.

Leading figures in the game have welcomed the radical rule changes which are being introduced for the International Super Series, commencing in Perth on Thursday.

Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand are due to take part in the men’s section of the four-day tournament, while Malaysia and India will join the host nation in the women’s event.

Teams have been reduced from 11 players to nine while the bench has been extended to 16 from 18. The goals, meanwhile, have been widened by one metre, or 50 percent, but their height remains the same.

The halves have been shortened from 35 minutes to 15 minutes in a bid to give the matches a higher tempo and make them more exciting for spectators.

Penalty corners have also been simplified and penalty strokes have been replaced with a “face-off” between player and goalkeeper.

The rule changes are as revolutionary as some of those seen in cricket over the last 30 years with the development of limited overs and Twenty20 cricket.

Australian men’s field hockey coach Ric Charlesworth said he was happy to experiment with the new rules that if popular could be introduced into other international competitions in the future.

“I think there’s a place for some expansion of the sorts of things we do in the rules,” he said.

“If you trial the rules then the rules board gets to look at them.

“They’ve been pretty progressive in the way in which they’ve changed the game over the last 20 years and I think that will continue.”

It is unlikely, however, that any new rules of the sort seen in the International Super Series would be introduced in time for the London Olympics next year.

Australian women’s goalkeeper Rachael Lynch admitted the new wider goals would make her life harder, but said overall she was in favour of the new rules.

The tournament opens with Australia playing Pakistan and New Zealand facing India in the men’s matches, while Malaysia plays both India and Australia in the women’s event.

The finals are on Sunday.