Hello, and I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today’s focus is a specific rule, self start or self pass. In 2009 the rule of changed, before 2009, once a foul was committed the ball had to come to a complete stop and a pass had to be given in order to restart the play. Self start was implemented in the the FIH rules as an experiment from 2009-2015.
The rule states- after a foul is committed or a ball goes out of bounds ball the player on the non infracting team can restart the play by dribbling or passing once the ball has come to a complete stop. All players (from the opposing team) must be 5 yards from the spot of the foul (or end line) before making an attempt toward the ball. Once any movement of the ball has been taken the game is resumed.
The self start rule was implemented to help keep the game moving. Some fans believe the whistle blows to much in field hockey. The self start rule does not stop the whistle blowing penalties, however it does speed up the game. This was a big change both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and is now a big part of the game. It keeps both teams on their toes and has made the game more dynamic and exciting.
