INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 6, 2012) - In an effort to emphasize coaches' responsibilities, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has made ten rule changes in field hockey to reduce gamesmanship and improve sportsmanship.
To help reduce gamesmanship by coaches, two changes in Rule 4 were approved:
Commenting on the second rule change, Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services and staff liaison to the Field Hockey Rules Committee, noted that, "One thing that we have maintained in the history of all of our sports is that you can't question an official's judgment. An official's judgment is just that, and so removing the article eliminates some of that gamesmanship."
In addition, the committee stiffened the penalty for coaches' misconduct. On a third offense, the offending team must play one player short for the remainder of the game. For a flagrant foul, the head coach is removed, and the team plays short.With the changes ready for implementation, Hopkins believes that the sport is in a positive standing moving forward with the 2012-13 season. "The rules are in a good place," Hopkins said. "We're in a good place with a longstanding, tradition-rich sport like field hockey. There shouldn't be that many tweaks to it. These changes just make it better for our level of competition. We want our athletes to enjoy the sport, graduate from high school, and - in some way, form or fashion - give back to the sport."I think all involved - coaches, officials and players - should feel comfortable that the committee always works towards the best interest of the young people we serve."
A complete listing of all rules changes approved by the committee is available on the NFHS Web site [1].
Links:
[1] http://www.nfhs.org/FieldHockey/