BOMBAY, 21 May 2004 — Ever since the coming of the artificial surface in international hockey, the Asian domination, as much as the game’s artistic value, have gone into decline. The European ascendancy in major world tournaments has been halted occasionally by Australia which plays a rare mix of the Indian and the continental style. India and Pakistan have won the Olympic titles only once each from 1972 to date. And to think that India had won the hockey gold seven times before that and Pakistan twice in three Olympics before Munich 1972.
It would, however, be incorrect to say that this shift in the balance of power has come about entirely due to the change in the playing surface.
A more important reason is the frequent changes in the laws of the game and the amendments being made more to help the continental teams. The last few major changes and even the most recent ones have brought in their wake greater disadvantage to the Asian teams.
Take the abolition of the off-side rule entirely from hockey. This was ultimately thought of as both India and Pakistan were able to disrupt the long-hitting, one-touch style of play of the European teams. The Easterners cleverly laid the off-side trap and frustrated the fast moves of Germany and Holland in particular. The off-side rule was done away with.
As India and Pakistan got quickly familiarized to the new rules, more and more changes began to follow.
The rolling substitute rule was introduced, whereby a team could frequently substitute players right through the entire duration of the game. This helped the Europeans to maintain a fast pace of the game by pumping in fresh players, even as it gave the leading ones some well-needed rest.
This major change in the very format of the game had started as a big advantage for the continental sides but it soon turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Indians and the Pakistanis. New forwards combination was used with a surprise element, by changing players at just the right time. For instance, a skillful player like Dhanraj Pillay could be used for a burst of ten or 15 minutes to rattle the rival defense and then withdrawn again for a brief hibernation.
Now has come the latest amendment to the penalty-corner rule. It is a well-known fact that, as compared to the Asian teams, the European teams win more matches through goals scored from penalty-corners. This scoring rate, however, began to decline of late as the Indian and Pakistani defense lines started cleverly using the rush tactics, making full use of their bodies to block the drag-flick from penalty-corners.
The latest amendments to the penalty-corner rule will not allow the interposing of their bodies by the defenders to block the drag-flick. Every time this happens, the penalty-corner will have to be retaken. Frequent infringement would lead to the showing of the yellow card.
Surprisingly enough, this new rule has been introduced just three months before the Athens Olympics. Any new rule should have to be given time for experimentation in one or two international tournaments before making the amendment final. But there seems to be a needless hurry in bringing about such a major change, for which Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) has not given out any reason. Neither were the representatives of the Asian countries consulted.
Now, the continental teams have not only to contend with India and Pakistan but also Korea, not to mention Malaysia. These Asian teams will have to cope with a major new and untried penalty-corner rule. If they overcome this one, there might, perhaps, be some more changes in future.
However much they try, the FIH just cannot succeed in equating the balance of skill that players from both India and Pakistan are able to display despite all the odds.
