Video Umpiring in hockey World Cup

Monchengladbach, Sep 6 (UNI) Taking a cue from cricket and in a bid to ensure error-free umpiring, the International Hockey Federation(FIH) today announced that video umpires will be used in the World Cup, using the TV camera coverage and supplemented by in-goal cameras.

The location of the video umpire will be in a separate section with a clear view of the pitch, tournament techincal director Ken Read told mediapersons an hour before the start of the World Cup.

The video umpire will be appointed by the tournament director from the match umpires at the tournament.

He said the only three main decision which can be referred to the video umpire are whether the ball has crossed the goal line when attempting to score a goal, whether the ball is played inside or outside the circle when attempting to score a goal and, following a defelection, whether the ball has been touched inside the circle by the stick of an attacker before the ball crosses the goal line.

All other decision will remain with the match umpires only.

Read said the only umpires will have the right to refer decisions to video umpire adding referrals cannot be made as a result of protests, queries or pressure from players, team managers and coaches.

The video umpire or technical table official will have no right to stop the match for a referral.

He said umpires have been advised that in cases where referral needs to be made to the video umpire play and time should be stopped before referring.

Umpire should signal making rectangular hand signal for video reference. The video umpire will have to make decision within 30 seconds. However, in case more replays are needed, this time can be exceeded. The decision of video umpire will be final and no protest against this decision will be entertained.

Though this will be the first time that video umpire is being useed in World Cup, it was earlier applied in women's Champions Trophy at Amstelveen and at domestic level in the PHL in Chandigarh.

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