The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Executive Board decided at its recent meeting in Lausanne a number of pioneering changes to Indoor Hockey that will come into force on 1 September 2013.
The most significant of the forthcoming modifications to the Rules of Indoor Hockey is a move which will reduce the number of players on the field of play from six to five per team. The decision to decrease the number of players is another bold step forward by the FIH, and is in line with the FIH’s strategic vision of enhancing and evolving rules and formats to maintain hockey’s position as one of the most progressive sports on the Olympic Programme. The move is certain to create more space on the field of play, ensuring even more exciting action for the spectators and television audiences around the world.
A critical factor in the decision-making process of the FIH Executive Board was the desire to align Indoor Hockey to a future standardized complementary format of the game: Hockey5s. This new version of Hockey is already proving to be something of a hit, and will be showcased globally for the first time at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 in Nanjing. The FIH will be promoting the game worldwide in the build up to the YOG, encouraging more nations to take up this format.
An FIH Task Force containing representatives from all five continents has been given the responsibility of developing the concept to include Hockey5s, ParaHockey and BeachHockey. Their objective will be to find one overarching Hockey5s product which will continue to grow the game on a truly global level.
For details of all of the other Indoor Hockey Rules changes which will come into effect on 1 September 2013, please click here.
