Early start for new rules?

Press, 28 March 1981, Page 64

Early start for new rules?

Several experimental hockey rules may be introduced to New Zealand this season, earlier than the recommended date of the Hockey Rules Board. The board met in London on March 7 and set September 1 as the date for the introduction of the experimental rules. However, because one, and perhaps two, New Zealand teams will play in international tournaments later this year, the rules i.<ight be

introduced this season to give the New Zealand players time to adjust to them. The New Zealand Hockey Association’s management committee meets on Monday evening, and its deputy chairman (Mr R. H. Campbell) said yesterday that it would have to consider implementing the rules this season.

“Because we will have one, and possibly two, national teams which might be affected by the rule changes, we will have to consider inl-

plementing the rules this season,” Mr Campbell said.

“Personally, as an administrator and former umpire, 1 think the sooner the rules are implemented the better. They wouldn’t be too difficult to implement. “We will have to decide yes or no to the rules on Monday to give us time to implement them before the start of the season,” Mr Campbell said.

If the rules are not introduced this season, the New Zealand junior team

will have no experience of them when it plays in the Asian qualifying zone of the Junior World Cup at Hong Kong in October.

If New Zealand finishes in the first three at the InterContinental Cup in Kuala Lumpur next week to qualify for the World Cup in Bombay at the end of the year, it would be in the same position as the junior team.

The new rules are outlined on page 22, the sports feature page today.