The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to make it mandatory for all players to wear a face mask when defending penalty corners in all events, with immediate effect. As stated on the FIH website, “this measure has been taken in order to further protect players when defending during this very special moment of the game of hockey.”
The decision was made in light of the FIH’s 2022 consultation programme, “The Future of Penalty Corner,” which received 4,000 responses worldwide. The penalty corner has featured in hockey since 1908, its rules have changed multiple times over the years as the FIH tried to make the sport less hazardous.
The FIH’s Health and Safety Committee assessed 295 matches from 11 international events that took place between 2015 and 2016. The findings of the assessment revealed that the penalty corner was the sole reason for 13.9 per cent of injuries, including injuries to the heads of the defenders.
Prior to this policy, it was only the goalkeeper who had sufficient protective gear. However, defenders are also exposed to drag flickers, which can reach speeds of 150kpmh, so the enforcement of face masks will help prevent more head injuries.
The FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed: “Athletes’ welfare is on top of our priorities. Therefore, it goes without saying that their safety cannot be compromised. I’m convinced that this decision, that I’ve strongly encouraged, is the right thing to do! Of course, we respect the fact that this measure might not always be possible to implement in some non-FIH events. Nevertheless, I can only encourage the global hockey community to include this measure in their own competitions or, at least, to implement alternative solutions to protect players during this phase of the game.”
The FIH website also states that: “In addition, and to allow all defending players to be properly protected, the FIH Regulations will be adjusted to provide some flexibility to umpires in applying the 40 seconds between the award of a penalty corner and the taking of it…
The FIH decision applies with immediate effect for all FIH events.”
In addition to ensuring that hockey is less hazardous, the FIH also launched a “Development portal” as part of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement Strategy.
This is now the “centralised hub of resources and information for the global hockey community. It features exhaustive information about the FIH Academy activities, including all courses that are on offer, the FIH Quality Programme and numerous examples of hockey development projects.”
“Empowering and engaging with our National Associations, and fostering the growth of hockey globally, remain at the core of our mission. This new portal will grow over time and represent our commitment to creating and sharing innovative solutions that address the needs of our members while celebrating the incredible work being done across the global hockey community,” Ikram voiced.
You can view the full face mask policy here (see Appendix 1 - Regulation 5) - https://www.fih.hockey/static-assets/pdf/fih-top-tier-tournament-regulations-january-2025.pdf?v=1.3
You can view the Development portal here - Development
