It has been announced that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) will continue the use of Video Umpire Team Referrals at the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, which will take place in New Delhi, India from 28 February to 13 March 2010.
Under the current procedures, Match Umpires may refer decisions to the Video Umpire when they are not convinced that they have taken, or are able to take, the correct decision relating to the awarding or disallowing of goals.
In addition, and on the basis of the trial that was undertaken at the ABN AMRO Champions Trophy in Melbourne, Australia at the end of last year, each team will be allowed one Team Referral during any match (i.e. including any extra time periods and penalty stroke competitions). In the event that a Team Referral is upheld, the referring team will retain its right of referral (i.e. they will be able to make another referral).
The Team Referrals trial provide for a wider range of referral possibilities than for the Umpire Referrals, but are restricted to decisions within the 23 meter areas relating to the award (or non-award) of:
- Goals
- Penalty Strokes
- Penalty Corners
The award of personal penalty cards may not be the subject of a Team Referral.
There is one slight change to the Video Umpire procedures following the Melbourne trials. Now any team player, who is on the pitch at the time of the incident (rather than just the captain), can request a Team Referral. This player must indicate to the Umpire that he wishes to use his Team Referral. He must do so immediately after the incident or decision which is to be referred as well as confirming this verbally to the Umpire. The player requesting the Team Referral must inform the Umpire of the exact nature of the decision (or non-decision) that his team wishes to be reviewed. The Umpire will then request Video Umpire assistance and relay the necessary information by radio to the Video Umpire. The normal Video Umpire procedures will then be followed.
Ken Read, FIH Competitions Committee Chairman and Hero Honda FIH World Cup Tournament Director, commented ‘we learned a lot about the Team Referral procedures in Melbourne. As a result we are confident that our experience from the Champions Trophy will help ensure that the system will be of real assistance in reducing any major umpiring errors which may impact upon the result of matches’.
