HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 520, 29 May 1909, Page 12

HOCKEY.

* ' '. ' ■; a ; V(Bt Djiiveu.) ;,; ■ . •. ■■'•.•■'. Twice in succession have there been postponements of hockey matches. Last. Saturdaj. all. the fixtures were off owing to the heavy ram prevailing about midday, and, on, the nre- £<*»■■ Saturday,, the; junior and' thirdXss matches were postponed as some of the grounds were not available, and it wds thou K ht inadvisable to interferoVwith the day's fixtures. Last Saturday afternoon -broke clear and find shortly after one o'clock, and some annoyance was expressed at the postponement, which was regardod as very ill-judged and unwarrantable eepeciallynn new of the fact that the season ■was late in opening, and it might thus bo unduly lengthened. It is'to bo hoped that the Postponement Committee will give no, reason for further criticism. . ■ ■•■ , ■ - So far the Ladies' Assooiatipn' have not vet maclo a start, but,_if the weather permits' it to-day, the.girls will be out. Tho subject of a .conference of referees has again,oropped up, and tho Wnngamii Eeforeos: Association surest that it should beheld in their town. This, does not meet with the .approval of- the ■ Wellington Association, wlio vmnli that,'if a conference is to be held if should take place here. . , ■ .: . Tluv'secretary/ of the Wellington Association, Mr K. L. Jones, has.forwarded the following letter, to-Iμ wanganui Association in connection with the matter:—..:..' . ; Although my association has not received any communication from your association I take this opportunity of piecing a lew facts before you, and shall bo glad of vour " early reply. Tho Wellington Referees'" Association at a recent meeting decided that' they did not think it necessary for a conference!,to bo held. ■■ The matter hns lieen talked of for some considerable time, past, and the Auckland Association were questioning my association oiv tho matter. Tho Wellington Association thought that any differ-": encea existing as to tho interpretation of ' the rules could be satisfactorily ovorcomo • by ■ concsponding; and wo formed a spe- ; cial committee • to deal with the matter. ■ However, we shall bo glad ftr know if you ' fall in with this suggestion,, or if you 'are doelrout of holding a conference. If tho

latter, we suggest holding it at ■ Wellington, eay, at the end of '.nrie, and all arrangements could satisfactorily be made for that purpose. It would not take; more than a day to decide all matters when the conference mceta. If you deoide on a conference being held, please submit dates far approval. , Thot "Canterbury Times" makes some pertinent remarks on a subject under constant.discussion:—With the increasing popularity of the Came, it is surprising what an unenlightened numbpr.of persons.are to bo found officiating as referees,' who are blissfully ignorant of the common laws of the game. It is a common oopurronoo.to see flagrant breaohes 'of the rules in nearly every match. Aβ a rule , teams hare always some friend who professes to hare a smattering of the game, and too frequently this is the sort of referee who aots, Tho new rules, under which the games are played.'this seaeon, are foreign to a large number of players, owing to there nofc being a .sufficient ■ eupply of rule-books available, and ;f players do not know tho game and how to play it, it is certain that many of the referees are no help to unenlightened teams. '.'■'■■■■■■. A very successful tournament has been held at Hastings, and results were published on Wednesday. .■ ■• ■-.■ ■ ■ ■ ■ •Hookey is a strenuous game and tournament play can , be made so fast as to become furious. At, Cornwall Park, . Hastinge; on Tuesday, there wore not wanting, limping gladiators who. . probably exultod in many a glorious twinge of pain. ' Cabs had to bo utilised for some of the. crippled playors who received stinging smacks on the ankles and shins, and wore, unable to walk home. ■ These minor fortunes of athletic war were confined to.'- the male; players, but one or two of the ladies reoeived disconcerting blows in, the face which probably made them see dazzling stars., " '. • ■

Taranaki propose asking for a sbiold match with Auckland during July. ••■■•■ , . Of all the.rules of hockey the leaet understood is the off-side rule, : both by refereuoes and players. The whole point of this most important rule is whether the player, is on-side or not : when the ball was hit. There are sovoral referees 1 at present ■ aoting in- Christohnroh whose knowledge- of the offside-rule-is very meagre, and will persist in ruling that a player is offside if an opponent moves up the field after the ball has been hit, and leaving only two men between the aforesaid player and the goal he is trying to reach. It is understood among players who necessarily have to abido by the'referee's decision, that the official in' chargo of the game should have a thorough knowledge of the rules, and it is wholly, unfair to players on both sides if the rcfereeii incompetent... ;,:..; '■.•■■ .. ~ >..,■,■., : "Another rule : which, to giro mo6t of .the referees their due, is being dealt; with Sn a most effioient. manner, is the rule for obstruction, j This style of play all tends, to make the ,th« game very rough and dangerous, and the Btnctcrtho referees are in putting it down the better it will be for the interests of hookey. There are many players who persist in this style of play, butj think it is only, a matter of time when they, will give it up as, a bad ■job—that ie, of course; if the referee penalises them every time; they offend.' ,".../ V.. ,? ; Those who assert thati-hockey, to the Bpeotator, has very, little attraction will, ho doubt, bo surprised to learn that nearly 1000 persons paid for admission to Cornwall Park, Hastings, on Tuesday, saye the "Napier Telegraph." With •the members'of the forty playing-teams, referoea, officials, etc., it is estimated that 1500 persons were on; the ground, The arrangements for the teams were very complete, special ;marquees; being reserved in one portion of. the ground, for dressing'purposes 1 for- the ladies, ■whilst a of tents were;erected for the men's teams.'' \\ '.-■;■■ •-':■■',; v ! '■';■'. ■';■..:■■ '.• ■'-'„■-