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Not 'death of drag flick', new PC rule implementation to take years: AHF official

The proposed PC rule change by International Hockey Federation (FIH) has raised many eyebrows. But an official reminds that the actual implementation of the rule will take a lot of time.

Not death of drag flick, new PC rule implementation to take years: AHF official
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Drag flicker Gurjit Kaur of the Indian women's team in action (File Photo)

By

Pritish Raj

Updated: 8 Aug 2023 8:43 PM GMT

Chennai: The newly proposed rule for penalty corners in hockey, which is seen as potential death of drag flicks, is not as imminent as it is made out to be, an Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) official told The Bridge on the sidelines of the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy here.

The proposed rule by International Hockey Federation (FIH) has raised many eyebrows among hockey players, coaches and fans alike.

Elisabeth Fuerst, Event and Sport Director, Asian Hockey Federation explained,“ It is an early stage trial which has no concrete observations at the moment. We are just experimenting with it to see how it will look like in the game.”

“Even if this trial is successful, there will be many more phases. It will take more time to implement it, let’s say years at the moment,” she added.

The rationale behind the new experiment is safety of defenders during the powerful drag flicks. The proposed change mentions that during a penalty corner, all attackers except the pusher at the backline must start at least five metres outside the striking circle - called the 'D'.

READ | Hockey's proposed penalty corner rule: Beginning of the end of the diligent art of drag flick

The ball must travel outside the fiver-metre dotted line - which is beyond the 'D' - before it can be played back into the 'D' for a shot on goal, and give defenders more time to react to situations.

Problem with protective gear

Another reason to contemplate this move is the hindrance caused by protective gear during the game.

“The primary reason is the safety of the defender and the umpires. Another big reason if you ask me, is the problem with the protective gear,” said Elisabeth, who is training technical officials during the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy.

“The gears are lost when the players have to discard them. Sometimes it is lost and sometimes it hits someone. We have seen that in past,” she added.

When asked about what impact it will have on drag flicks, Elisabeth said, “It is a valid concern of the fans as drag flick has been a very important part of the game. But as I mentioned earlier, there is nothing concrete at the moment.”

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