45 seconds for PC in Johor and Holland...

45 second timer designed to speed up taking of penalty corners

 Note: This regulation will apply only to the initial award of a Penalty Corner and not to any retake, or to any subsequent Penalty Corner awarded before the ball has travelled more than 5 metres outside the circle.

FIH: Ahead of the upcoming Hockey World League Semi Final tournaments in Rotterdam, London and Malaysia, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has revealed that a Penalty Corner Shot Clock will be in use for the very first time.
    The system has been designed specifically with the intention of quickening penalty corner completion times, allowing a maximum of 45 seconds for the set-piece to begin.
    FIH.CH chatted with FIH Competitions Manager Martyn Gallivan to learn more about the thinking behind new system and how it will be implemented.
   FIH.CH: Hi Martyn, thank you for talking to us. Can you us a little bit of background information about the Penalty Corner Shot Clock and how it came about?
Martyn Gallivan: “Initially, it was something that was picked up on during the reviews of the London 2012 Olympics, when we assessed what went well and what could be improved. We felt that one area that we could improve was the management of penalty corners. I think that over recent years, and certainly since the World Cup events in 2006, the time it takes from a corner being awarded to the injection of the ball has, in general, become longer. Some penalty corners were taking well over a minute, so we decided that we needed to do something about it. We talked about it internally and came up with the idea of a shot clock similar to what is used in basketball. That was agreed by the FIH Executive Board in March. Since then that time, all three hosts for the World League Semi Finals – The Netherlands, England and Malaysia – have confirmed that they can do it.”
    FIH.CH: How will it work?
MG: “It will be managed from the technical table, and there will be a display that they will control. So, as soon as the penalty corner is awarded, the 45 second countdown will begin.  At the end of the 45 seconds, both teams have to be ready for the penalty corner to take place. If the teams are not ready, then there is the possibility of personal penalties, such as a Green Card to the captain of the offending team. However if both teams are ready before the 45 seconds is over, the umpires will allow the taking of the penalty corner”
     FIH.CH: Is it similar to the system which is used in the Euro Hockey League (EHL)?
MG:  “Well, the EHL system is actually slightly different to what we are bringing in. In the EHL, penalty corners are not to be taken until the 45 seconds have elapsed, whereas we want the penalty corner to take place within the 45 seconds. The EHL does it for very good reasons, using the 45 seconds for television production purposes which allows them to show recaps of previous penalty corners etc. For us, we are trying to speed things up, so there is definitely a difference between the two systems.”

FIH.CH: So this will be the first time that this particular system has been used at an FIH event?
MG: “Yes. It will first be on show at the World League men’s and women’s competitions in Rotterdam, with the tournaments in London and Johor following suit. After the completion of the Semi Finals, we will sit down and review everything. As well as the Shot Clock we are also using the experimental regulation which allows players to play the ball above the shoulder, which is also going to be tested at the three World League Semi Final events. If we are happy, then we would like to use them at the World League Finals in Argentina and India."
    A full description of the Penalty Corner Shot Clock can be found below. To see the recently updated FIH Tournament Regulations for Outdoor Competitions, which covers both the Shot Clock and the Above The Shoulder regulations, please click here.
 
PENALTY CORNER SHOT CLOCK

Regulation: When a Penalty Corner is awarded, Umpires shall (to permit defenders to put on protective gear etc) allow not more than 45 seconds to pass before allowing the Penalty Corner to commence. The engaged Umpire shall advise both the defence and the attackers as the shot clock approaches zero. If both teams are ready before the 45 seconds has expired, the Umpire shall allow the Penalty Corner to commence. Upon expiry of the 45 seconds the Umpire may allow the taking of the Penalty Corner, provided that both teams are ready.
     Note: This regulation will apply only to the initial award of a Penalty Corner and not to any retake, or to any subsequent Penalty Corner awarded before the ball has traveled more than 5 metres outside the circle.

In case of breaches a personal penalty (i.e. a green card) will be awarded to the captain of the offending team, with an increased personal penalty (i.e. a yellow card) for repeated offenses.
 

This time, its 8-seconds collapse..

Pierre de Voux (far left) scores SA's third goal in the 4-4 draw at University of North West Sunday. Photo: MARIO VAN DE WALL


JONATHAN COOK
in Potchefstroom

The South Africa men’s hockey team came back from a 3-0 deficit to draw 4-4 with Malaysia in the third Test at University of North West Hockey Centre in Potchefstroom Sunday and clinched the series 2-0 with one to play.
   SA had won the first Test 2-1 and the second Test 3-1 at UNWHC, while Malaysia desperately needed a win to give themselves a chance of levelling the series in the fourth and final clash at 7 pm Tuesday at Randburg Hockey Stadium.
   Julian Hykes made the all-important equaliser for 4-4 with just eight seconds left in the match.
   South Africa’s penalty corners were poor – just one of the six brought success - while a host of great combination plays were undone in field play when the final pass went astray just metres from goal.
  In the first half Malaysia made the most of what came their way and went into the half-time break with a 2-0 lead. Against the run of play Fitri Saari worked some magic up the left-hand baseline with exquisite stickwork to set up Izwan Firdaus for the opening goal in the 27th minute, Malaysia having scored first in all three Test matches.
  Two minutes later Malaysia stole away again and Faiz Helmi conjured up a fine piece of skill to open the way for Chua Boon Huat and it was 2-0 by the 29th minute.
  In the first half, two of South Africa’s three penalty corners were botched at the stage of trapping the injection pass, while the only one on target saw captain Austin Smith’s effort glanced safely away by goalkeeper Rozlan Jamaluddin.
  Three minutes after the break SA won a fourth PC but again it was fluffed and five minutes later Razie Abdul Rahim went on an unchallenged solo run to smash the ball from the top of the strike zone into the net for 3-0 after 43 minutes. Two minutes later, in the 45th, SA midfielder Taine Paton showed presence of mind to catch the Malaysian defenders unawares and finished with a cracking shot into the backboard for 3-1.
  However, SA continued to miss gilt-edged chances in the goal zone, but they got it right in the 59th minute when Matt Botha’s assist was buried by Pierre de Voux for 3-2. SA’s fifth PC followed soon after and Ricky West’s effort was blocked by keeper Jamaluddin. Then in the 63rd minute Smith sent a stunning drag-flick from SA’s sixth PC high into the net for 3-3 with seven minutes left. Two minutes later (65th) Tengku Ahmad Tajudin dived for a fine deflection goal and Malaysia were 4-3 up.
  Three minutes from full-time Smith made a courageous run-in from the left channel and Hykes’ reverse-stick snapshot cannoned into the near post and stayed out. Then with eight seconds left Taine Paton made a courageous incursion from the same channel and got off a shot, which Hykes deflected into the net for a 4-4 draw and a series win for SA with one to play.
  SA went into the match with Jacques le Roux the starting keeper, number one goalkeeper Rassie Pieterse on the bench and Gowan Jones sitting this one out. Vice-captain Rhett Halkett and fellow defender Ashlin Freddy, who both missed the first two Test matches due to injury, returned; Tim Drummond was still injured; Clint Panther was back after writing university exams on Saturday and his older brother, Brandon Panther, a new cap on Saturday, was rested, as was Nick Gonsalves. The Malaysia line-up remained much the same.

TEAMS

SOUTH AFRICA – Goalkeepers: Jacque le Roux (Western Province), Rassie Pieterse (Southern Gauteng). Defenders: Francois Pretorius (Northern Blues), Ricky West (SG), Austin Smith (WP, capt), Rhett Halkett (WP, vice-capt), Jethro Eustice (SG), Ashwin Freddy (WP). Midfielders: Jonty Robinson (NB), Wade Paton (KZN Coastal Raiders), Taine Paton (KCR), Clinton Panther (SG), Taylor Dart (SG). Strikers: Julian Hykes (SG), Craig Haley (WP), Matt Botha (WP), Pierre de Voux (WP), Miguel da Graca (SG).
  MALAYSIA (from) - Goalkeepers: Kairulnizam Ibrahim, Roslan Jamaluddin. Defenders: Ahmad Kazamirul, Azlan Misron, Baljit Singh, Sukri Mutalib, Izad Hakimi, Razie Rahim. Midfielders: Faiz Helmi, Meor Muhamad Azuan, Fitri Saari, Shahrun Nabil, Azammi Adabi, Marhan Jalil, Nabil Fiqri Mohamed Noor. Strikers: Chua Boon Huat, Faizal Saari, Izwan Firdaus, Firhan Ashaari, Tengku Ahmad Tajudin.