FOREHAND HITTING

keely 12
Mr Bean 9
NicfromSweden 8
John 6
bigmick 6
johncoxon 6
foozbear 5
redumpire 5
controller 5
Snoody 5

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[originalanimal]

 ???CAN ANYONE SHINE A LIGHT ON THIS NEW RULE AS IT HAS GOT ME LOST AS HOW TO APPLY IT. IF POSS CAN SOMEONE PUT A PHOTO UP OF WHAT THEY MEAN

[keely]

Why don't you have a look through this thread first and let us know if that helps?

[jimdonuts]

hmmmm and this one too while your at it.

[braxer001]

There is a really good Search option on this forum, you  know  
and btw there's no need to shout like that (lose the caps lock) when asking a simple question. :D

[canfan]

Why don't you have a look through this thread first and let us know if that helps?

In the thread referenced, I note that Keely says:
I don't know exactly who was responsible for introducing this technique into Canada but I was dismayed to find in the past year or so many high school players using this on free hits and passes but never on a PC, interestingly enough. In the past few days I've been umpiring some varsity friendlies in the, how shall I say this, less hockey-aware parts of the country and I'm having to call the foul enough times that I've had to communicate with captains to stop it from continuing to occur in a given match. It's strange how fads get popularized within age groups of players - kind of like clothing.

I'd like to follow up by asking what sort of turf the varsity friendlies in less hockey-aware parts of the country were being played. I'd like to suggest that younger players may have adopted this "fad" because it is much, much easier to execute a sweep pass on grass or multi-use turf with the rounded side of the stick sliding along the ground than with the edge of the stick dragging through the carpet pile.

When this forehand edge hit was still permitted, it was much easier to encourage younger, weaker players (girls) to try the sweep when it could be demonstrated that it was actually quite easy to glide the stick over the grass and then make good, solid contact with the ball. It's tough to convince a U12 girl to sweep instead of hit, when the sweep results in a slow, ineffective drag of the stick edge through grass. So, from a coaching perspective, we get girls consistently going back to a hitting style of play that we're trying to discourage.

I'd like to see this rule revisited so as to allow this hit when used as a sweep pass.

[keely]

Well, Canfan, I understand your point, and it's clear you know exactly where I'm talking about. If you have to play on field turf, you have my sympathies as I think it's an absolute abomination and I'd rather be on grass than that stuff - for the very reasons you mention. If you're playing on field turf, I'd think the "hitting style of play" is the least of your worries. The part that annoyed me in the east was that rule was being flouted after its passing on the instructions of an umpire who should know better.

The high school and varsity players around my parts didn't have field turf to blame for the proliferation of the skill - we don't have any of it in our area (at least we didn't until this past season, and the edge hit got trendy two years before that). It was the appeal of the easy power of the edge taught to them by coaches who didn't help the players with the technique or the wrist strength required to execute a proper flat-faced sweep hit, or didn't know how to teach a proper drive for that matter. If you thought I was annoyed at seeing in the east, you should have seen me when I saw it happening in Canada West! I was furious!

You never know, the rule may be changed in the future; it's not like we haven't seen it happen before. But it doesn't change the fact that at this moment, it's not permitted as an injection on a PC, or as a sweep pass, or anywhere else on the field.

The hit is dead; long live the hit!

[canfan]

...If you have to play on field turf, you have my sympathies as I think it's an absolute abomination... If you're playing on field turf, I'd think the "hitting style of play" is the least of your worries....

Keely, given your experience, I'd be interested in an elaboration of "If you're playing on field turf, I'd think the "hitting style of play" is the least of your worries...."

I think the "hitting style" (as opposed to a smart, short passing game) is a very real worry. Every time i see a defender wind up for a big hit that sends the ball careening down the field, only to be picked up by an opposing defender who returns the favour, I just want to tear my hair out! Is that really field hockey?

But enough of my rant, I'm still curious about your take on the worries brought on by multi-use turfs.

[animal]

Orig,
        Back in the days B4 the Argintinians became a force and Tonto was the only one to use a tomahawk I was taught that
Flat side - Good  :D
 Curved side - Bad   (
 Edges - dodgy and may get pulled up. 
 

It's worked for me for 40 years!!

Oh yeh what was your question again?

ANIMAL

[keely]

But enough of my rant, I'm still curious about your take on the worries brought on by multi-use turfs.

Use the search function and find the thread on field turf, I think it's in the USA regional forum. It's not relevant to umpiring so we shouldn't continue the discussion here.