A day after the Indian girls’s hockey crew held China to a 2-2 draw of their World Cup opener at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, coach Sjoerd Marijne questioned the interpretation of the penalty-stroke rule by the Worldwide Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Guidelines Committee.Marijne took to social media to share footage of China’s Ying Zhang taking the penalty stroke from three totally different angles, questioning whether or not the motion constituted a “dragging” motion, which isn’t permitted below the foundations.“Good to know, that is apparently NOT dragging. The response of the foundations committee from the FIH after asking clarification is that this clip of the penalty stroke will not be dragging. I’ve simply requested it for clarification what to inform my gamers,” Marijne wrote.Zhang’s penalty stroke got here within the dying seconds of the primary half and helped China draw stage after India had taken the lead by Navneet Kaur. China ultimately held on for a 2-2 draw.In keeping with Article 13.7(i) of the FIH Guidelines of Hockey, “The participant taking the penalty stroke should push, flick or scoop the ball and is permitted to boost it to any top. Utilizing a ‘dragging’ motion to play the ball at a penalty stroke will not be permitted.”The excellence between a flick and a drag, nevertheless, seemed to be on the coronary heart of Marijne’s concern. By sharing the footage and looking for clarification from the foundations committee, the Dutchman had raised questions over how the rule is interpreted and communicated to groups and gamers.
Former Netherlands worldwide goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann, who was current on the stadium, felt the motion did seem to resemble a drag. “Certainly, it regarded like a brief drag. I used to be within the stadium and that’s the very first thing I assumed,” Stockmann instructed TOI.Chris Ciriello, former Australian worldwide and one of many world’s main drag-flickers, additionally felt the motion “regarded like a drag”.“Technically, the ball has to maneuver in a single course and it should be one motion. We had a objective disallowed within the semifinal towards Germany at London Olympics as a result of one in every of our gamers dragged the ball,” Ciriello instructed TOI.“It’s unlucky, however my rule to my gamers is that there’s sufficient time and alternative throughout the entire match to not focus solely on one resolution. Be disciplined, take management of your probabilities and don’t depart it to the umpires.”He did, nevertheless, add: “They (India) performed properly. Thrilling to see what they will obtain.”Marijne later deleted the posts from each Instagram and X.FIH, nevertheless, responded to TOI’s request for clarification on what constitutes a dragging motion throughout. “A dragging motion happens when the participant strikes the ball alongside the bottom with the stick for a discernible distance earlier than releasing it. That is attribute of the drag part of a drag-flick and isn’t permitted when taking a penalty stroke,” FIH mentioned in a reply to TOI.“The excellence will not be decided solely by the size or form of the stick motion. Umpires contemplate whether or not the ball is propelled from its stationary place as a part of the push or flick, or whether or not it’s first moved alongside the bottom with the stick by a discernible a part of the motion earlier than being launched. The motion of the ball in relation to the participant’s stance and physique may additionally help in making that judgement.”FIH clarification means that the important thing consideration will not be merely the obvious motion of the stick, however whether or not the ball itself is moved alongside the bottom for a discernible distance earlier than being launched.
