GKs being dangerous and protective equipment

 The Field Hockey Forum is the resource for players, coaches and umpires of Field Hockey. Join FHF now to have full access to all that we have to offer! Don't be satisfied with lurking when you can interact with thousands of other FHF’rs, take part in Competitions, win Prizes, download Coaching Papers, discover our vast Photo library and get rid of this message - Register Now!

[Spunko]

Anybody else getting deja vu?

Try Goalkeeper's slide tackle - legal?, Block slide, Sliding GK, Goalkeeper Slide Tackle... all in the PS and Goalkeeping sub-board (part of the Archives that no one is looking at any more).

My bad. Guess I just entered the wrong words in the search box. Good points you raise there though Keely.

[mosley59]

I agree with Keely (especially she quoted her reply to my question in another thread!). I haven't had any big slides taking out a player this season, all I've seen is a couple of players running into the circle and straight into an upright keeper, who stands his ground - it's quite something to see a high-speed player literally bounce off a keeper onto their butt.
I'm not sure if I'd have the guts yet to PS and card a goalie for a slide that takes out a player yet, but I'm now at least aware that that's supposed to be the result of this action. What card should we award for this? YC and force the team to defend the stroke with a player in head-gear, or GC and leave the goalie on to potentially do it again?

[Neo]

Anybody else getting deja vu?
..................
Both the GK and attacker are responsible for controlling their body. I've seen many attackers fly at the GK, put the ball straight at the GK when she's supine and then make no effort whatsoever to stop their momentum and basically flip themselves right over the GK in expectations of "earning" a PS and a yellow card for the GK... there is no difference between that and the situation where a field defender makes a perfectly legal tackle and the dispossessed attacker runs straight ahead and tries to bowl over or tumbles over the defender.

At the same time, the GK is not permitted to slide in an uncontrolled manner and take out an attacker who cannot protect themselves. There is no difference between that and a defender who runs madly at a player in possession of the ball, makes a legal tackle but does nothing to stop their momentum from barging into the attacker.
.................

Keely, maybe the "who got the ball first" is a tool used by umpires to make a decision in the 50-50 circumstances, where the attacker and defender (either the GK & attacker) or (attacker and "bridge tackler") are both making legitimate attempts to play the ball and gain possession within the passage of play that is taking place. I'm sure we have all seen collisions or incidents on the field where we are asked to make a call, and it is not so clear cut as the examples you cite.

[keely]

That may be so, but in that case they only have themselves to blame when the players complain "but I got the ball first!".

Just as with all obstruction decisions, the key is not to be looking at the ball and the attacker, but at the defender. Watch what they do as the attacker is moving towards them. Are they in their space already, or are they moving in order to get into position? Are they swinging their stick through the tackle, or is it relatively motionless?

This makes it far easier to see who is plowing into whom.

[Neo]

And the other one where the tackler / goalie has made position, often low (& you see this much more in indoor) and the ball bounces off the defending stick / goalie and you have the defender occupying space from which they can't easily move, right in front of the attacker {and the ball which may be between or heading off in another direction}...  is the argument about retaining control of the ball relevant, or just simply physical obstruction... this one seems to have variable interpretations, from my observation.  Any thoughts?

[Diligent]

Wasn't it thought to a standstill after Birchall's question about bridge tackling?