NEW DELHI: Veteran Hockey coach and Olympic umpire Gian Singh has suggested that the international hockey federation (FIH) make a few changes in the rules of the game to make it more cooperative.
In a letter to FIH president, E. F. Glitchet and secretary of rules board George Croft, Gian Singh said that the number of substitutes should be raised to five instead of three as has been proposed.
He said, that there should be a time out, while a penalty comer is being taken, Penalty comer should be treated at par with the award of penalty stroke, so that time is not wasted,
The octogenarian coach also said the center of the field of play should be indicated by a suitable mark and a circle with a five year radius should be marked round it. This change, according to Gian Singh would eliminate the undue advantage taken either by the striker for not making a pass back from the proper place or by the opposite team for not maintaining the five yards rule.
If the players and umpire can maintain the five yards rule during the free hits, without any mark of five yards, then why not hit in
Gian Singh bas suggested that there should be no 16 yards mark, but at both the 25 yards lines, there should be marks indithe distance of five yards from the side lines He welcomed the FIH’s decision to goal keepers to raise their sticks above their shoulders for stopping a penalty stroke or play is on, Not only does this give greater to ‘goalkeepers, it also makes the umpires easier, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 26, 1989
