The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the trial of an updated Video Umpire system at the ABN AMRO Men’s Champions Trophy, which will take place in Melbourne (AUS) from 28 November to 5 December 2009.
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 a trial basis for the ABN AMRO Champions Trophy, each team shall be allowed one Team Referral during any match (i.e. including any extra time periods and penalty stroke competitions). It should be noted however that 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 will 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.
The only person who can request a Team Referral is the captain (or his designated acting captain), who 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.
FIH Competitions Committee Chairman, Ken Read, commented ‘the primary purpose of Video Umpire is to reduce major errors which may impact upon the result of a match. These errors will chiefly occur within the 23 metre areas, and for Team Referrals are not just limited to goal or non-goal decisions. We will review the results of the trial following the Champions Trophy, with a view to having the best Video Umpire system in place that we can for the Men’s and Women’s 2010 World Cups’.
