5-yard rule in hockey?

Hockey CoachCoach

i dont understand you well?

Sharne RobertsCoach, New Zealand

If the hit is outside the circle then the ball must travel 5 metres from the spot you are taking it from. Watching the Sultan Azlan Shah this week (go the Blacksticks) it seems the ball must travel away from the spot 5 metres (in previous years you could just do yard stick five times and then put the ball into the circle). With the new rules the free hit is taken where the infrigement occurred and does not have to be taken 5 away from the circle.

To summarise the ball must travel 5m from the spot of the free hit and put it in the circle. Best move look at either passing wide or back and around. Hope this helps.

Gaby Coach, United States of America

Over and Over again, i find umpires who understand that once the ball is placed five meters away from the scoring area, then the player taking it can move in any direction, inlcuding forward, as long as they carry the ball those five meters fwd and not let it go so, is it safe to say you can make a pass to the sides, backwards or take it yourself in any direction including fwd as long as you don`t let it go when going fwd until you have moved 5 meters???

Robert NoallCoach, Netherlands

To put it simple:

1. You can dribble into the circle as long as the ball is on your stick for 5 yards.
2. You can pass the ball into the D as long as the ball has been on your stick for 5 yards.
3. You can can dribble into the D if you are passed a ball which has traveled for more then 5 yards.

For example YES you can run straight into the D from 5 yards away, but if you only move 3 then pass it, it would have to travel ANOTHER 5 yards before entering.

^ This last part is to help with what Gaby touched on.

Robert

Alan charltonCoach, Australia

I think this rule is straight forward, the ball has to move 5yds before going into the circle, if a player doesn`t run it the full 5 yds then it has to be touched by another player before entering.

Robert NoallCoach, Netherlands

Yes Alan but if the ball travels 3 metres by dribbling then is passed 3 then goes into the D 3 metres away from the line.

3+3+3=9 yards. This is still a foul as the ball would have had to travel 5 yards during ONE of the three movements.

Alan charltonCoach, Australia

the ball only has to go 5yds in total, not in a single play.

When this rule was brought in at least 2 international teams i`ve seen play would make a pass that wasn`t 5yds to a player leading back to the ball who would first time slap the ball into the circle. Going from what you have said that would be a free hit against them?

from a free hit awarded to the attack within the 23 metres area, the ball must not be played into the circle until it has travelled at least 5 metres or has been touched by a player of either team other than the player taking the free hit.

FIH rule is below:

from a free hit awarded to the attack within the 23 metres area, the ball must not be played into the circle until it has travelled at least 5 metres or has been touched by a player of either team other than the player taking the free hit. If the player taking the free hit continues to play the ball (ie no other player has yet played it): – that player may play the ball any number of times, but 33 – the ball must travel at least 5 metres, before – that player plays the ball into the circle by hitting or pushing the ball again. Alternatively : – another player of either team who can legitimately play the ball must deflect, hit or push the ball before it enters the circle, or – after this player has touched the ball, it can be played into the circle by any other player including the player who took the free hit. It is permitted to play the ball high above the attacking circle so that it lands outside the circle subject to Rules related to dangerous play and that the ball is not legitimately playable inside or above the circle by another player during its flight.

Robert NoallCoach, Netherlands

Yes I agree with you completely, but how does one pass the ball less then 5 yards to someone who isn`t within 5 yards of the players causing a foul? Unless the player runs towards them once the ball has started moving, which just seems illogical.

From what I said: It might not be the written rule but I think it applies to 99/100 situations.

Alan charltonCoach, Australia

a player leading back towards the ball from a congested circle while being marked will create space from where they`ve come from to either deflect the ball into or give it back to the player taking the free hit.

I don`t know if i`m getting your point? from what you said in your first reply the ball has to travel 5m in one go. So if i run 2m with the ball a team mate leads back to me and i make a 3m pass to him the ball has travelled 5 in total so can he step in the circle?

Gaby Coach, United States of America

Thank you both, as you can see, this rule has too many interpretations. As I see it, it becomes unclear when, if the player taking the hit has a clearing into the scoring area, then that player can take the ball stuck to the stick, move into the scoring area, take the hit. The ball did move 5 meters/yards and the player did not insert. What a conflictive rule! Thank you again

Mick MasonCoach, Australia

I can`t see where the confusion comes from. You get a free hit inside the 23, doesn`t matter how far from the circle, all other players have to be 5 meters from you (yes there is a rule change for shadowing within the circle) and all you have to do is either have the ball move 5 meters before it is played into the circle, or have the ball touched by another player before it goes into the circle. There can be a dozen ways you can satisfy one of those conditions but the only restriction on the player taking the free entering the circle is for when they want to self pass and carry the ball in with them. If they pass the ball they can then move to where ever they want, and the person receiving the pass can go where ever they want also. If they want to self play and carry the ball in themselves the ball just must travel 5 meters before it goes in the circle.
Your interpretation of the rule is correct Gaby, the only change has been to free hits given closer than 5 meters from the circle. If the player taking the free hit takes a quick self pass then the player marking them inside the circle does not have to be 5 meters from them, they can just be inside the circle and they can shadow the ball until it has moved 5 meters as long as they do not come out of the circle (or influence play, ie; stick their stick into play). This rule does not apply if the player taking the free hit stops the ball and gives people time to move, all players must then step back, even the players within the circle. Then once the ball is touched all players can attack the ball.