Starting in 2024, there will be a standardized process for beginning penalty corners in high school field hockey.

At the January 8-10 meeting in Indianapolis, the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee recommended five changes to the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Book, which includes revisions to two rules. The NFHS Board of Directors has since approved all of the changes.

Julie Cochran, the director of sports and liaison for the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee, stated that the implementation of the new whistle start during penalty corners will guarantee that all players are prepared and in position before the ball is put into play.

Rule 10-2-1 was implemented in order to fulfill one of the committee’s main responsibilities of creating rules and protocols for how the game is played. Under the updated guidelines, the official in charge of administering a penalty corner must use the whistle to signal to the player inserting the ball that play can begin. This adjustment also impacts Rule 2-1-5, which will now specify that either official can use the whistle to initiate a penalty corner.

Another change allows flexibility for officials to make decisions after time expires. New language in Rule 2-1-7 states that “If time expires just before an official would otherwise have made a decision (for example holding for advantage), officials are permitted to make that decision immediately after that quarter.” Similar language will appear in Rules 10-3-3 and 11-2-7.

Rule 1-8 now includes language regarding uniforms in the section on goalkeeper equipment in order to offer direction to referees on how to address instances of illegal uniforms compared to illegal or inappropriate equipment.

According to Cochran, certain teams were giving up matches due to incorrect uniforms worn by goalkeepers. The committee concluded that games should not be surrendered due to illegal uniforms worn by players on the field or goalkeepers and agreed upon the following statement:

If a goalkeeper is wearing an illegal uniform and is unable to fix it or provide proof of approval from the state association, the game will still proceed. The referee will inform the state association after the game.

A recent change was made to Rule 4-2, which addresses the situation where coaches ask for a second time-out. Under the updated rules, if a team requests a second time-out and the official stops play, the time-out will not be granted. Instead, the coach of the requesting team will receive a yellow card and one of their field players will have to sit out for five minutes of playing time. The team can still make substitutions during this time, but they will have to play with one less player on the field.

Rule 3-4-5 now states that stick interference occurs when a player makes contact with an opponent’s stick by hitting, holding, hooking, slashing, or striking it.

The NFHS website, www.nfhs.org, will have a comprehensive list of modifications to field hockey regulations. Simply click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the homepage and choose “Field Hockey.”

The 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey reported that 16 state associations belonging to NFHS hold state championships for field hockey. This sport has 52,962 female participants in 1,726 schools across the country.

Source: highschoolot.com