Bad Umpiring Can Ruin Hockey

Press, Volume C, Issue 29608, 2 September 1961, Page 9

Bad Umpiring Can Ruin Hockey

ALTHOUGH the basis of skilful hockey is the correct use of the reverse stick in dribbling and eluding tacklers, there has existed in New Zealand one particular school of thought which expresses the viewpoint in its umpiring that such practice automatically constitutes a breach of the obstruction rule. This attitude has always borne harshly upon the most skilful player®, and if it should become widespread women’s hockey would degenerate into a game of hitting and running, an affair devoid of any skill at all, and an occupation equally boring to players of ability and spectators of discrimination. Interpretation It is disturbing to find this reactionary interpretation developing in Canterbury, which has been reasonably free from, its inhibiting influence in the past It is to be hoped that it will find little favour in local hockey and that the young , players of ability in Christahurch will be free to develop the skills of stick-work which alone can lift the game above the level of a badlyplayed round of miniature golf.

Canterbury’s best players have all been adept in the use of the reverse stick when effecting the decisive use of the side-step from left to right, and it is tragic to observe the better players of the present suffering penalty from similar skill. No player can be guilty of obstruction who plays the ball in front of her and who prevents it from straying to the left of her left foot. Moreover, if no opponent is within reach of the ball there can be no obstruction in any circumstances, since the verb, "to obsitruct,” is quite definitely a transitive one.

To underline the confusion which exists in many minds is the tolerance which is accorded to players of lesser ability who bump, crash and barge into better players, usually from the left side. Too often this season young players have been stupidly penalised when skilfully side-stepping and cleverly using correct stick-work and foot-work in doing so, and too often have the same young players received no protection whatsoever from

uninformed umpires when they have been barged, shoved and charged off the ball by people of lesser skill and little conscience.

In these respects the standard of the umpiring has been appalling. If hockey is to develop as a game of skill administrators and umpires wall need to give close attention to the relationship which must exist between the correct execution of its most subtle and cultured practices and the interpretation of the rules which support these and condemn that which is crude and barbaric. Fruitful

If present trends continue the barbarians will have the field to themselves, the players of grace and skill will seek more fruitful pastimes, and the game will be alive' in name only. Imagine such players as Penniger, Dhyan Chand. Sultan Khan, and Babu Singh being denied the use of the reverse stick. This is just as difficult as imagining local umpires achieving the temerity to penalise them. Why is it clever when they use it but illegal when NewZealand youngsters copy them?