MEN'S HOCKEY:FOR PEMBROKE, Three Rock Rovers, Fingal, Glenanne and Monkstown this weekend is their last before the inaugural Irish Hockey League kicks off around the country on the October 18th.
The league, running over five weekends with the top 12 teams playing each other before a televised final, should provide a robust test for the Leinster's top sides. Rule changes that will significantly alter the game will also come on line.
What the rule changes hope to do is make the sport more open, televisual and entertaining. The lead in opening the game up is coming from Europe, where obviously the top Irish sides will play and there are a number of pretty dramatic changes that will be introduced next weekend.
Matches will be broken up into quarters of 17 and a half minutes, with a short break between the first and third quarter and half-time remaining the same. This is a provision for television, at top European level more so than in Ireland, where televised coverage is rare. Players breaking the line running out at corners will be punished by being sent up to the half-way line for the retake, while green cards will carry a two-minute suspension.
Free hits will be brought back five metres from the circle for safety reasons, while players will be allowed to pass the ball to themselves for a free so long as the ball rolls at least a metre. Already this is being called auto-play. Monkstown played Annadale in a friendly using the new rules with the auto-play, probably the most difficult change to adapt to. What the teams experienced is the need for a squad of 16 players. It is no longer good enough to have 11 players plus substitutes as the ball is almost constantly in play. Ballboys and girls will be important. What point is there in speeding up a game when the ball is two pitches away? The logic behind the changes is sound, especially if it speeds up the game and attracts more people.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Leinster Senior League: Division One: Kilkenny v Railway Union, 3pm, Kilkenny College; Corinthians v Glenanne, 1pm, Whitechurch; Monkstown v Fingal, 1.30, Rathdown; Pembroke Wanderers v YMCA, 2pm, Serpentine Avenue; UCD v Three Rock Rovers, 1pm, Belfield. Division Two: Naas v Skerries, 1pm, Skerries; Avoca v Weston TBC; Dublin University v Navan TBC; Suttonians v Bray, 2.30, Sutton Park.
Munster Senior League: Division One: UCC A v Bandon A, Mardyke, 11.30; Cork Harlequins A v Cork Church of Ireland A, Harlequins, 2pm; Catholic Institute A v Cork Harlequins B, Rosbrien, 3.30.
