HOCKEY NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1075, 23 July 1924, Page 11

HOCKEY NOTES.

(By “Half-back.”)

The Wednesday competition is firmly established and it is many years now since ladies and men played the stick gam,- during the mid-week holiday. The efforts of tho association to revive interest in the Saturday men’s games met with no success though the association is to he congratulated on its strenuous endeavours to keep the competition alive Tho Rongotea match on Saturday played on grounds practically under water was a good exhibition considering the conditions, 1f.5.0.G. played their usual good game, there being no outstanding players. Rongotea girls who showed up conspicuously were Misses Burgess, Sexton, Burns, Smith and Ransom who scored Rongotea’s goal. Tho hospitality of the Rongotea Club was much appreciated by the ladies who made the trip on Saturday. Bunnythorpe are showing considerable improvement and will bear watching. A match between this team and 11.5.0. G. would prove most interesting. Now that the ladies are to make the trip to Nelson, some, hard training will be necessary as the standard of tourney play is almost certain to he high. The Nopera Cup match on August 2 will give the local girls an opportunity to show an improvement.

The school hoys’ competition, which was commenced on Saturday last, shotted that the game has taken a firm hold in the schools. Tho youthful players displayed much enthusiasm and no little skill—one Central school boy. Metcalfe, proving himself a player with a future. His opponents beat him once only during the match. Others who showed promise were Dale, WagstafT, Groucott and Stratton. On Saturday, Miss llnl! played a sound defensive game and made some fine saves for Ramblers. Miss Loveday for Technical and Miss Newth for Rosco played outstanding games and with practice will prove valuable members of their respective clubs. Ramblers’ combination was conspicuous by its absence and Bunnythorpe with well organised attacks simply overwhelmed them. Ramblers can play a much better game as their match with Technical proved. They were certainly oIT colour on Saturday. THE PENALTY BULLY.

On the question of the penalty bully “Circle” writes intei alia ns follows in the Southland Times: Before awarding such a drastic penalty against any player, the referee must be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that, the broach was intentional, and so it is found .that for much more serious breaches, such as obstruction and hooking sticks, referees seldom, if ever, give other than a penalty corner. Cali it he said that any player, who, when falling, lifts the hall, does so wilfully '! 1 think not. Nothing might have been further from his mind, and it is only when the intention is obvious and that a breach is repeated, that the referee should take drastic- action. And so when a player obstructs, unless lie plays roughly and knocks the attacking player atvay from the ball, it cannot be said that the breach was intentional. It may be due to ignorance of the rules or to any one of several other reasons. In applying the rules of the game it is not sufficient that a referee should adhere to their strict literal translation, but to that he must add an appreciation of the spirit of the rules. lie possesses wide discretionary (lowers and in administering the laws of the game his first idea, should be justice, and this entails the necessity for making the penalty tit the offence. It must not be inferred that in awarding the penalty bully the referee bus any idea of benefiting one club, at the expense of another. He is merely interpreting the rules as they appeal io him. Referees should bo chary of awarding such a severe penalty as ihe "penalty bully,” especially when the attacking team is not in a likely position to score.