Room rules. What about now?

The indoor season is about to start again. But have the rules of the game changed and what is the situation again? Below we will briefly mention the most important points.

The FIH has NOT drawn up any new rules this indoor season. They never actually do this before a World Cup. However, a few interpretations have been changed by the KNHB rules committee. In order of importance:

Mandatory use of the protected pass when trapped in the corner.

In the audience we know the term “trapping” as locking up in the corner. A player in possession of the ball may not be trapped in the corner of the field or on the bar by opponents with their stick flat on the ground. Opponents must leave an opening through which the ball can be played. Attackers who lock up defenders without an opening are given a free push. Defenders who lock attackers in the circle risk a penalty corner if they do not leave an opening. Manage these situations by verbally helping the players by emphasizing that they need to leave enough space. New this season is that the opening must actually be used. The first pass made through this opening is a protected pass. This means that the opponent is not allowed to intercept this pass/ball. After the first pass, the game continues in free play.

Very important with this new interpretation is that the referee guides the situation. The referee guides the players to indicate where the space is. For example: “sidebar is free” or “backline is free”. However, after coaching twice, the player must also act on the instructions. If this does not happen, the player commits a foul. In summary:

• Players who lock up an opponent commit a violation (free push/penalty corner)
• Players who do not use the given space also commit a violation (free push/penalty corner).

Creating false space because opponents keep opening and closing the opening (railway boom effect) is not allowed.

A small example:

If the defenders leave an opening at the back line, the attacker must use this space to play the pass. If the ball is then played into the circle, the pass is protected and may therefore not be intercepted. For the team it seems

Restart of play in the other half and awarding a penalty corner at no distance

If the restart is taken in the other half and the defender does not keep his distance in his own half, it is a penalty corner, just like on the field. We are now extending the changes on the field to the hall. When a free push is awarded just over the halfway line and a defender, who is in his own half, is not 3 meters away and intervenes after the free push has been taken, this means that the referee awards a penalty corner. No direct personal penalty will be imposed (as was the case last season). This is possible if repeated.

Penalty corner management

The new agreement regarding the management of the penalty corner will also be introduced in the room. Be proactive and manage the situation just like on the field. The starting point here is also that you keep track of the 30 seconds yourself. Step-by-step plan: - You whistle for an SC, time continues (so don't stop it!); - Look at the time on your watch; - Add 30 seconds to that, so you know when it is time; - Guide the players verbally; - Enter the times: 15, 10 and 5 seconds left; - Whistle to release the penalty corner. If everyone is ready earlier, they can do so before the 30 seconds have expired. In practice, there are few problems with the management of the penalty corner in the room. If there are players who really take too long to get ready, you have the option to punish the player in question for this. Just like on the field, the warning follows once, the next time a green card follows. ➔ In the event of a re-take, the 30 seconds expire and the penalty corner is taken as quickly as possible. Re-gathering of the attacking team on the front circle is not permitted. Manage this immediately when indicating the new penalty corner.

If time is stopped after a penalty corner has been awarded (for example in the event of an injury or when a personal penalty has been awarded), the 30 seconds expire and the penalty corner is taken as quickly as possible.

Be aware that if a penalty corner is awarded at the end of a half, the match time may end during the penalty corner. However, the penalty corner continues until the penalty corner ends in accordance with rule 13.5. If necessary, you should therefore whistle the match just before the start of the penalty corner. Please note: The match table sounds the horn at the end of playing time, regardless of whether a penalty corner is executed. It is not the intention to hold the penalty corner to allow the match time to expire. So warn the players if you see that the time will have expired during the penalty corner. When this specific case occurs, the match ends when the penalty corner ends according to the rules of the game. - The attacking party is also expected to be ready to take the penalty corner within 30 seconds. When the referee whistles, the referee must take the ball immediately. Unnecessarily delaying the taking of the penalty corner will be punished by sending the referee away. The declarer must take a seat in the other half of the court within 9.10 meters from the end line and the penalty corner is taken again.

Just a refresher on the rules of the game:

Duration of the competition:

The duration of the matches is 2 x 20 minutes with a rest of maximum 3 minutes. Time is NOT stopped during a match.

Time may only be stopped when a penalty ball is awarded. So not for a penalty corner!!

Change ends

After the end of the first half, the teams switch halves. Just like on the field. The referees therefore remain where they are.

Use protective clothing at penalty corners:

For safety reasons, defenders are allowed to wear a mask when defending a penalty corner. When using the mask, it must be removed at the first opportunity that it can be removed safely (with the exception of the restart of play immediately after the penalty corner). In addition, the following applies: • Players must remove their masks as soon as the penalty corner has ended. If there is no suitable option at that time to safely remove the mask, the player may keep the mask on as long as he is in his own half. The player must remove the mask before entering the other half of the court or when requested to remove the mask by the referee. • Defenders wearing a mask may complete their defensive action up to the halfway line. If they cross the center line with a mask on, the attacking team gets a free push at the spot just over the center line, in their own defensive half.

If, after taking the penalty corner, the ball immediately shoots from the back line to more than 3 meters outside the circle (the penalty corner is now officially over), defenders may keep their masks on for safety reasons. The mask should be removed immediately at the first opportunity to remove it safely.

a. In practice, players remove all protective clothing immediately after the penalty corner. As a referee, focus on the mask. You do not have to penalize players if they are still wearing a glove or knee protection after the penalty corner.

b. A restart of play by the defending team immediately after a penalty corner may be taken while wearing a mask. This is not allowed using a self-pass. If the defender does this in the circle, that party will be awarded a penalty corner. When this happens outside the circle you give a free push to the attacking team. It is a self-pass when the defender starts running with the ball. A tap   a pass is allowed.

c. A restart of play by the defending team immediately after a penalty corner may be taken while wearing a mask. However, a new game situation arises when the defender wearing a mask makes a defensive action (in his own half) against an attacker in possession of the ball after the restart. This is not allowed, then you give a penalty corner, regardless of whether this happens inside or outside the circle. So we don't give a penalty ball for this in the circle. In both cases, a personal punishment will only follow if the nature of the violation gives reason to do so.

d. Protective clothing in the playing field during the match. During the game: If the ball touches protective clothing in the playing field, play continues. An exception to this is if this prevents the likelihood of a goal being scored, then a penalty stroke may be awarded. During a penalty corner: When the ball touches a loose piece of protective clothing of a defender (e.g. a knee pad or a mask) lying in the playing field, play is restarted with a free push if this occurs outside the circle and with a penalty corner if this happens within the circle. If the likelihood of a goal being scored is prevented, a penalty stroke may be awarded.

Playing the ball in the air is not allowed!

According to rule 9.10, players are not allowed to play the ball while it is in the air. Players from the team that did not raise the ball may stop the ball. In the past, it was tolerated when a player brought the ball to the ground in a fluid motion. This is no longer allowed and will be blown off. Stopping the ball means holding the ball without forward (or downward, etc.) movement.

Playing in the block:

'Playing in the block' only occurs when an opponent is already sitting low with the stick in front of his feet and the player plays the ball hard/dangerously against the stick. If this is the case, you must give a personal punishment. If the stick is not on the ground or the player goes to the ball with the stick, then there is no 'playing in the block'. It is therefore not a violation if the ball is played past a player or is played without danger into a lying stick (e.g. a softly rolling ball against the stick). When a defender plays the ball in the circle 'in the block', you give a penalty corner, not a penalty ball. If a defender plays the ball 'into the block' from outside the circle but in his own half, then it is always a free push and not a penalty corner. The personal punishment is the 'aggravated punishment'.

Ball too high

Basically, the ball must be played across the ground in the hall (with the exception of a shot on goal), but the ball may be raised a maximum of 10 cm, provided that it does not bother the opponent. • If the ball jumps up when stopped, play can continue if it does not affect the game and/or does not inconvenience the opponent. If when stopping the ball outside the circle at a penalty corner, the ball goes up or if the ball rolls over the stick (convex side), then we blow the whistle for a free push for the defense.

The goalkeeper:

• When the ball is in the circle, the goalkeeper may play the ball standing or lying down. If the ball or the goalkeeper is outside the circle, the goalkeeper may not play the ball lying down. If this does happen, the violation will be punished with a penalty corner. Ball towards the goalkeeper:
• Ball goes low to the goalkeeper, ball goes low away from the goalkeeper → play on.
• Ball goes low to the goalkeeper, ball goes high away from the goalkeeper → play on if it does not affect the game and/ whether the opponent is not inconvenienced by this, otherwise a penalty corner.
• Ball goes high to the goalkeeper, ball goes high away from the goalkeeper → assess for danger, if there is no danger then we continue playing, if there is danger then you give a penalty corner .

Other rules:

• Playing lying down is not allowed! Playing lying down, or having 3 or more support points, is not allowed in the hall. Examples of an extra support point are: a knee on the ground, hand on the ground (other than the stick hand).
• Players are allowed to move the ball by pushing the ball, hitting is not allowed in the hall. If there is more than 50cm between the ball and the stick during the preceding movement, we see this as hitting and therefore as a violation.
• Before the ball can be played into the circle by an attacker, it must have moved 3m or been hit by an opponent. The ball may enter the circle via the beam, but the ball must first have rolled 3 m before it hits the beam.
• A defender who clearly closes a pass or running line near the beam with his stick and/or body must be protected when an attacker wants to push or play the ball through here. The attacker will have to choose a different path, because the path along the beam is legally closed by the defender. If a situation arises where players keep clamping the ball between their two sticks, we will give a bully if this takes too long. However, a proactive guiding role of referees can help to keep the game alive.
• A pirouette that is properly executed by a player is beautiful indoor hockey and is allowed. However, the pirouette in which the player makes a half or full turn and then plays hard on his opponent (in the block) from close range is potentially dangerous and must be blown off (free push   personal penalty)! However, if the ball lands harmlessly on the defender's foot, this is a "normal" shoot.
• The match will not be stopped for substitutions. Please note: this means that we do not stop time for a goalkeeper change.
• A team may exchange its fully equipped goalkeeper ('keeper') from the playing field for an indoor player a maximum of twice per match. The goalkeeper leaving the field of play counts as a substitution moment. It is therefore also a change moment when a dressed goalkeeper enters the playing field to defend the penalty shot and leaves the playing field again after the penalty shot, despite the fact that time stands still here. Swapping a goalkeeper for another goalkeeper does not count as a substitution. If a team has already used its number of substitutions and a goalkeeper in the field of play is injured or sent out of the match, the solution is to replace him with another goalkeeper. If he is not on the bench, an indoor player is first brought in, while a replacement goalkeeper is 'dressed' outside the playing field. As soon as this is finished, the indoor player is removed from the playing field and the goalkeeper enters the match permanently. Please note that the team plays with one player less when it comes to a personal penalty.
• The hall is ideal for a lot of interaction before, during and after the match with both players and coaching staff. Continue to invest in the 'relationship' with the teams and share each other's vision about the (hall) game. Be open to other opinions! You can make excellent use of your verbal management skills in the room. You're close to the players and close to the game, so use that to your advantage. If you want to intervene during a restart, make sure you do this before it has been taken. This will prevent delays and annoyance for the players, so watch your timing!

Would you like to watch some game situations on Youtube? Then use this link

Would you like some further explanation? If you have any questions, please ask the referee committee

Finally, below you will find an overview of violations and possible penalties.

Make it a fun indoor season for everyone.