Hockey,

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 108, 8 May 1909, Page 14

Hockey,

(By •'Shinty. ") At last the annual meeting of the Wellington Hockey Association is a thing of the past. The next obstacle that has f-o bo surmounted is tho inauguration of j championship matches. If the weather ! permits they will bo in full swing this '; afternoon. Why senior games were not commenced last Saturday is past the comprehension of many. Tho weather was perfect, and the grounds at Day's Bay were in as good order as they will be at any time during tho season. If the question of grounds elsewhere had not - been settled it is contended that it would then have been competent for junior and thirdolass fixtures to hav<? awaited the committee's pleasure. Without doubt the annual meeting was delayed too long. Victoria College, on 6econd thoughts, has decided to enter one senior, two junior, and two third-class teams. Undoubtedly tho students are keen hockey enthusiasts. Five teams in threo grades under one banner is surely unprecedented in local hockey. The lady university student is also an ardent devotee of the game. A sensible suggestion has been received by the Executive Committee of the association from the Referees' Association in the request that the five yards inside line be dotted in such a way as to distinfruish it from the outer boundary. The committee, it may be mentioned, was quite agreeable to the proposition.' Another proposal from, the same quarter was that four corner flags should be provided by tho association for each ground. This idea was approved, and i 9 to bo adopted where practicable. Instead of the aseooiation providing tho flags, why does not each team carry its own couple of corner signals? From the annual repert of the New Zealand Hockey Association it is gleaned that during last season two new associations — Waikato and Southland — were affiliated. The head body's affiliation rollcall now stands at 20. There is a credit balance on the year's operations of £15 0s lOd. The assets amount to £45 15s and the liabilities are nil. The opinion is expressed that tho "shield" competitions in Auckland last season did a great deal to promote tho game and to stimulate interest in players and public alike. It is also mentioned in the renort that no reply has been received relative to tho visit of an English team. ?It will be remembered that a Home club offered to pay \\s a visit, but the overture was discountenanced unless such team was recognised by the English association. Thero has been a good deal of comment on the action of some delegates at tho annual meeting of the New Zealand Ladies' Hockey Association shifting the headquarters of the body from Wellington to Christchurch. Indignation aboxit exprossps the feeling locally. It was only at the end of last year that the association was formed, and at tho conference Wellington was unanimously fixed as tho headquarters. Tho annual meeting the other night was sparsely attended, and it is said that the southern delegates, having ,the set object of removal to cooler climes in their minds, rolled up in full force. Northern associations were caught napping, and some bodies, such as Auckland, for instance, were not represented. It is pointed out that of all tho associations affiliated two-thirds of them are in tho North Island. No wonder they consider that they were hoodwinked. As for the other side of the story, it appears that the southerners are greatly dissatisfied with ihe internal management of tho business affairs. The tournament last year was sadly bungled, and they say that on arrival at the annual meeting last week everything was in disorder and nothing prepared. This condition of things finally decided them to "change the locale. In, short, they desired to put the power or powers that be out of office, or rather to alter the personnel of the Management Committee and secretary. That is the case in a nutshell. Looking at the matter fairly and squarely, "Shinty" is of opinion that the action of the southerners is reprehensible. First of all, the motion was of vital importance, and was only carried on tho casting vote of the chairman. Moreover, if affairs had drifted, as alleged, to such a sad extent, the remody was in the hands of the delegates. What could havo been simpler and easier than to throw out of office the alleged black sheep, and appoint whoever' the delegates approved? It is stated that a special meeting is to be summoned, and "Shinty" advises northern representatives this time to awaken to their resjionsibilities. Ie is understood that there are already two challenges in for the challenge shield this year, one from Thames and one from Taranaki. It is to, bo hoped (remarks "Cleft" in the Christchurch Press) that thero will bo several more challenges in lav this shield, but as there is a likelihood of the Auckland team going on tour this season, there may be some difficulty in arranging the maielres. It is a well-known fact that hockey is growing in popularity in this city, but Wellington is not the only place where such a fact is evident. Tho game has grown to such an extent in Sydney as to interfere with the Rugby contests, and an, Australian weekly says that the university scholars in that city are entering a very poor team for tho Rugby championship, consequent upon the introduction of hockey. A hint to the Wellington Hockey Association: — The Canterbury Hockey Association Executive, it is said by an exchange, is making arrangements for several interprovincial matches. The matter should certainly be pushed on as speedily as possible in order that the matches will be certainties, because tho more matches that are played in Christchurch the more will hockey go ahead. Locally, while they are at it, continues the writer., the association s officers might arrange for the printing of tickets for the different matches to bo sold to tho public at. sixpence each. If arranged systematically and pushed in a businesslike fashion, tho tickets could be easily disposed of to most of the players, of whom there are nearly 500, if not to the general public. The Taianaki Hockey Association has challenged the Auckland Association, tho present holder of the Interprovincial Shield, to play for the championship during tho present season. The new rule providing a penalty corner was quickly called into requisition on Saturday at Christchurch (says the Press), lne justice of the penalty is apparent when one comes to consider the rules, the breaking of which is thus penalised. Hitherto, when a team has been attackingand has had an excellent chance of scoring, one of the defenders, we will say accidentally (explains tho writer), gives sticks, or kicks, or obstructs. Very often such offences were punished by an ordinary bully, sometimes, but not often enough, no notice was taken of them, and on rare occasions a penalty bully decided the transgression. Referees too often took notico of^ small offences in the circle by defenders, and in support of that contention quotes the last paragraph in rule 21 : — ' The umpire shall refrain from putting the provision of any rule into effect in cases where he is satisfied that by enforcing it he would be giving the advantage to the offending team." To revert to the penalty corner, the object of the new rule is apparently to ensure the attackers from suffering through tho transgression of defenders. No amount ot arguing will convince attacking forwards that an ordinary bully is to them a satisfactory award for a breach of rule which robs them of a chance of scoring. Hitherto they have often had to be satisfied with that solution of the difficulty, but the writer predicts that not only will the penalty corner become popular (for the attackers), but it will or should quickly result in somo radical changes in the conducting of corner hitting by attackers. Tho number. of goals scored directly from corner hits, and the possibilities that present themselves in connection with corner hitting aro right out of proportion, and it is up to some of out forwards to go to some troublo in ihis matter. It will add to their score totals by tho end of tho season. ,